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Public Affairs Specialist (Recent Graduate)

Department of Health and Human Services
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
This job announcement has closed

Summary


This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.


APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: This announcement is open for seven workdays or until the first 100 applications have been received. The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of this announcement.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/05/2024 to 11/07/2024
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$68,405 to - $88,926 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Rockville, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Recent graduates
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
HHS-OASH-RG-25-12590373
Control number
816575600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as much as six years after degree completion to apply.

Duties

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  • Identifies communications needs of a program area and develops informational materials that inform appropriate publics of the agency's policies, programs, and services.
  • Analyzes agency information program materials and offers recommendations for improving the delivery of program information to affected individuals and groups.
  • Researches and writes a variety of public affairs documents such as press releases, background talk papers and newspaper columns as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Registered or exempt from Selective Service (www.sss.gov)
  • Suitable for federal employment
  • Must have a qualifying degree or certificate
  • Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.
  • Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
  • All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
  • Financial disclosure statement may be required.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.

Minimum Qualifications:
GS-09: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing of the duties listed :Coordinating media interviews, implementing communication plans, planning media announcements, writing blogs, press releases, and other media relations materials, and managing digital content on websites and social media.

OR

Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or to full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in any field of study or LL.B. or J.D., if related. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will satisfy the one year of full-time study requirement.

OR

Have a combination of specialist experience as described in "A" above and graduate level education as described in "B" above.



Documenting experience:
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through national Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

PATHWAYS - RECENT GRADUATE - ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants MUST MEET the following eligibility requirements to participate in the Pathways Recent Graduate Program:
- Have completed, within the last two (2) years as of the closing date of this announcement, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying education institute.
- Veterans who were unable to apply within two (2) years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, may be extended up to six years.

Note: You must submit transcripts (unofficial or official) and/or a letter from an education institute stating that you have meet all degree requirements; to be considered eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. Official transcripts will be required prior to an official job offer, if selected for this position.

Additional information

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public.

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Bargaining Unit Position: No

Research position: No

Drug Screening Required: No

For information on "People with Disabilities" please visit http://opm.gov/disability/PeopleWithDisabilities.asp

For Most Effective Resumes Tips visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Most_Effective_Resumes.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please see Agency Contact Info for whom to contact for more info. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

How you will be evaluated

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

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Eligible and qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager in unranked order by preference status: (1) Preference eligible veterans having a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more (CPS and CP); (2) Other preference eligibles (XP); (3) Applicants eligible for 5-point veteran's preference (TP); and those (4) Applicants not eligible for veteran's preference (NV). In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position.


To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12590373

CONVERSION REQUIREMENTS:
Recent Graduates may be non-competitively converted to a term or permanent, competitive service appointment within HHS upon successful completion of Pathways Program requirements. However, non-competitive conversion or placement is not guaranteed, this is based on various factors such as budget, organizational needs, student performance, education, etc.
Eligibility for Conversion to Competitive Service:
- Complete one continuous year of work experience acquired through a Recent Graduate Program.
- Complete 40 hours of formal interactive training.
- Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.
- Meet any agency-specific requirements specified in the Participant's Agreement.
- Demonstrate successful job performance that results in a rating of record of at least Fully Successful and a recommendation for conversion by the first level supervisor

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