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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This position is located in Elko, Nevada. Information about and the surrounding area can be found at Elko Chamber of Commerce.

We expect to fill one (1) vacancy at this time. Additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

This position is authorized a 20% incentive - see the Additional Information Section for more details.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
11/22/2024 to 12/09/2024
This job will close when we have received 25 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$86,962 to - $113,047 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Elko, NV
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
Yes—Travel and relocation expenses will be paid consistent with the Federal Travel Regulation, Chapter 302, and Departmental policy. Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. See "Other" section for additional information on 2017 Tax Cuts as related to PCS.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NV-DEU-25-12608219-RCM
Control number
820385300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • Serves as the principal advisor to the District Management Team and staff on all public affairs matters. Instructs management and staff on their roles and responsibilities regarding release of information.
  • Serves as the principal spokesperson for the District and NCA. Coordinates with the Surprise Field Office on matters regarding the NCA. Required to communicate BLM policy to those with conflicting points of view.
  • Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with media representatives. Serves as the principal media liaison with national syndications. Responds to media/public/Congressional inquiries about BLM responsibilities/activities.
  • Develops and maintains professional, proactive, credible relationships with media outlets, including traditional and new media outlets. Serves as a primary spokesperson for the office.
  • Coordinates media coverage of BLM issues, programs and activities and arranges interviews with managers and subject matter experts. Handles media inquiries on sensitive or controversial issues.
  • Coordinates all international, national, and sensitive media inquiries with the State Office or directly with the Public Affairs Division, Assistant Director’s Office of Communications, based on established protocols.
  • Creates, writes, and distributes a wide variety of materials to communicate information about BLM issues, programs, and activities to key publics.
  • Incorporates national and state messages into communications materials. Demonstrates proficiency with Associated Press and copywriting style. Provides quality control oversight and conforms to BLM and DOI branding, layout, and design standards.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Be sure to read the How to Apply and Required Documents Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • May require a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level in the federal service showing demonstrated experience in the application of principles, practices, and techniques of communication to include writing a broad array of written materials, such as news releases, feature stories, briefing papers, correspondence, and Web Master duties for the internal and external web pages; developing communication strategies and plans to maintain public awareness; developing and managing internal and external strategic communications projects, including producing press releases, producing, and implementing communications plans, and conducting media interviews.

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; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: The work is generally sedentary and does not require unusual physical effort. Most of the work is performed in an office setting. Driving a car or pickup truck is periodically required. The work often requires walking outdoors and travel in light aircraft, helicopters, and off-road vehicles. Long workdays are occasionally required to meet deadlines and resolve specific problems.

Work Environment: Most of the work is performed in an office setting although travel to field sites or other BLM/government offices is often required. Attendance at meetings at night or on weekends is sometimes required. Incumbent will adhere to all safety rules and regulations as prescribed in manuals/supplements or by the designated Safety Officer.

Education

This position falls under the Public Affairs Series, 1035. There are no Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for this job series.

There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.

Additional information

Relocation/Recruitment Incentive: This position is offering a Relocation/Recruitment Incentive, 20% of the annual salary. To be eligible for a Relocation Incentive, you must be a current Federal Employee and the selectee must be employed with the Federal Government and the selectees current duty location is more than 50 miles from the duty location of this position. To be eligible for a Recruitment Incentive, selectee must not be employed by the Federal Government.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP.

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.

Tax Law Impact for PCS: Moving expenses reimbursement is a taxable benefit. However, the Federal Travel Regulation 18-05 issued by General Services Administration has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance and Relocation Income Tax Allowance to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals.

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number NV-Merit-25-12608220-RCM, for status candidates and special hiring authority eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

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, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans.

In addition, one or more Subject Matter Experts will conduct a resume review. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview. The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Communications and Media
  • Customer Service
  • Writing


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

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