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Technical Writer-Editor

Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
NCHS/OD/OIS/IDPS
This job announcement has closed

Summary

As a global leader in public health & health promotion, CDC is the agency Americans trust with their lives. In addition to our everyday work, each CDC employee has a role in supporting public health emergency management, whether through temporary assignments to emergency responses or sustaining other CDC programs and activities while colleagues respond. Join our team to use your talent, training, & passion to help CDC continue as the world's premier public health organization. Visit www.cdc.gov

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
12/05/2024 to 12/18/2024
Salary
$72,553 to - $113,047 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes - The Salary will be determined upon selection and location.
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel 5% domestically for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
HHS-CDC-MP-25-12607511
Control number
822169200

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Duties

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As a Technical Writer-Editor you will:

  • Provide the full range of editorial support to professional staff on a variety of written materials, including scientific, administrative, and general information documents.
  • Edit manuscripts for publication, including large reports with complex tables and reports on expedited production schedules.
  • Analyze written materials in terms of conformity to required style, organization, and manner of presentation, and reorganizes, rewrites or revises text as necessary.
  • Review materials for accuracy of scientific terminology, completeness, and effectiveness in the presentation of textual, tabular, and graphic materials, completeness of reference citations, and other editorial requirements.
  • Create report schedules that account for all required production steps and that fairly and equitably distribute time for completing each task.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Due to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) process enhancement to use Shared Certificates throughout the Agency, some of the requirements below may differ:

  • US Citizenship required.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov).
  • May be subject to a Background/Security Investigation. Security clearance level may differ from the position announced when certificates are shared.
  • CDC participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
  • Direct deposit is required.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • This position may be subject to a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
  • Time in grade (TIG) must be met within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Basic Qualifications:

Undergraduate/Graduate Education: Applicants must have education that included a total of 15 semester hours in an appropriate scientific, technical, or social science field(s), and at least one course above the introductory level in the field(s) covered by the position. For technical manuals and specifications writers or editors, the equivalent of 15 semester hours may have been gained through vocational or educational training above the high school level at a public, private, or Armed Forces school.
-OR-
Applicants must have experience that required substantial subject-matter or technical knowledge of the field. This experience must have demonstrated the ability to acquire and present technical information through independent reading, interviews with subject-matter specialists, observation of tests and experiments, interpretation of blueprints or diagrams, or other appropriate methods. Such experience may have been acquired as a writer or editor of technical reports, articles, manuals, or specifications.

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications: GS-11 Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level of in the Federal service as defined in the next paragraph.

Specialized experience is experience which is directly related to the position which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of the position to include experience analyzing information required for the development or update of policy, procedure and form documentation; and review/edit content developed by other members of the team.

-OR-
Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.
-OR-
Have a combination of experience and education that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Minimum Qualifications: GS-12 Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level of in the Federal service as defined in the next paragraph.

Specialized experience is experience which is directly related to the position which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of the position to include experience researching, preparing, and analyzing information required for the development or update of policy, procedure and form documentation, and experience reviewing/editing content developed by other members of the team.

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.

Promotion potential: Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your meeting qualifications and time-in-grade requirements, demonstrated ability to perform the higher-level duties, the continuing need for the higher-level duties, and administrative approval. Promotion to the next grade level is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.

Education

Copy of your transcripts or equivalent documentation is required for positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

College or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For more information, visit https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Remote: This position has been designated as remote anywhere in the U.S/territories and:

  • The salary listed reflects the lowest and highest potential salaries for this position. The actual salary will be based on the geographic location of the individual(s) selected for this position. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.
  • May be eligible for inclusion in the Bargaining Unit. (e.g., This position is eligible for inclusion in the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2883 bargaining unit (BU) only if the duty station is finalized in Atlanta Metropolitan Area in GA or the Miami Quarantine Station. Employees in positions that are included in the AFGE Local 2883 bargaining unit have the (BUS Code - 1872.) The name of the union, local, and BU Codes will be provided upon selection.
  • If selected, you will be required to sign a Workplace Flexibilities Agreement that details remote working conditions and expectations in accordance with the HHS Workplace Flexibilities Policy.
  • For more information visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/job-announcement/remote/
Telework: This position has been designated as telework eligible and: May be required to work other than normal duty hours, to include evenings, weekends and/or holidays.

The Federal government, as the largest employer in the Nation, can and should show the way towards achieving drug-free workplaces through programs designed to offer drug users a helping hand, and at the same time demonstrating to drug users and potential drug users that drugs will not be tolerated in the Federal workplace if declared a drug-testing position. 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.

Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. Current or Former Political Appointees: Submit SF-50.

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 interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

The utilization of shared certificates for additional selections within the same geographical area can be made from multiple Centers of the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as a(n) CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Audience Analysis and Segmentation
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Message Development and Testing
  • Oral Communication
  • Program Management (2)
  • Research (3)
  • Technical Writing & Publishing
  • Written Communication


Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards within the last 3 years in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process.

Once the application process is complete, a review of resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

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