Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Public Affairs Specialist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The position is located in the Strategic Communications Management Office (DT/CIO/SCM) which develops and executes the strategic communications goals of the Department’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Head of the Bureau of Diplomatic Technology (DT) in the Department of State (DOS). 

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/24/2024 to 11/01/2024
Salary
$139,395 - $181,216 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel 2 to 3 times a year for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
IRM-2025-0005
Control number
815445800

Duties

Help
  • Implements improvements to internal communications based on research and industry-standard best practices; advises management and drafts internal communication policy; and recommends critical approaches to communications policies and procedures.
  • Establishes effective working relations with staff and senior members of the organization, media, and the workforce in embassies and consulates to communicate information to build better understanding of DT's mission, policies, and activities.
  • Develops papers on legislative issues, tracks the analysis of pending legislation relevant to DT programs, and drafts legislation to support the Bureau's program agenda.
  • Leads the planning, coordination, and staging for tours, ceremonies, internal and external engagements, as well as high visibility events to develop interest and/or change perceptions of DT and DOS programs.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. 

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience evaluating the effectiveness of a public affairs program by analyzing data from various sources.

  • Experience developing recommendations and strategies to improve the internal operation and enhance the overall public affairs program.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-14 position.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov.
  • If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. 

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the assessment questions to determine if you are qualified for this job.  Note:  Responses to questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. 

Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, will be assigned to one of three quality categories:

  1. Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of the required competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) for the position.
  2. Well Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in some but not all of the required competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) for the position.
  3. Highly Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must fully demonstrate proficiency in all of the required competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) for the position.

Highly Qualified applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview.  The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Skill in developing and implementing outreach strategies and communications plans.
  • Ability to analyze and evaluate materials as they relate to public affairs issues.
  • Knowledge of media/public relations methods and techniques.
  • Skill in interpersonal relations.
  • Ability to evaluate programs.
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the Highly Qualified category.  Other 10-point preference eligible and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligible applicants within the category in which they qualify.  View information on veterans' preference on OPM’s Fed Hire Vets website.

Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never been a Federal employee, you are not CTAP or ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category for this position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority. 


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Department of State - Agency Wide

The U.S. Department of State, our country’s lead foreign policy agency, provides employees with a dynamic international career whether at home or abroad and unique professional development opportunities.  Each day, our employees make a difference as they advance the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity, through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance.  We embrace diversity and inclusion and our talented workforce reflects the personal, professional, and educational strengths and diversity of our country.

Named one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes, we offer a workplace that values and rewards leadership, collaboration, innovation, and personal and professional development. Visit careers.state.gov to learn more about what it's like to work at the U.S. Department of State, what the agency does, the wide range of careers this agency offers, and the benefits available to employees.

Agency contact information

Patricia A. Briggs
Phone
771-204-0754
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
briggspa@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
600 19th Street NW
SA-17, 5th Floor
Washington, District of Columbia 20522-1705
United States

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.