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

PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Department of the Air Force
Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below for IMPORTANT additional information.

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a public affairs specialist in an Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) wing/group. The responsibilities of the position include acting as the primary assistant to the PA officer in executing the commander's public affairs program to include internal information, media relations, community relations, employer and family support.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
05/19/2025 to 05/23/2025
Salary
$61,111 to - $79,443 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Keesler AFB, MS
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—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
AFPCSEU-12736012-644890-KDT
Control number
837191300

Duties

Help

Prepare internal information print products such as newspaper/magazine for publication.

Perform work for the production/maintenance of electronic and web-based information products.

Assist public affairs officer (PAO) with wing's community and congressional relations programs and developing and maintaining the employer support program.

Respond to media queries concerning special events, mobilizations, exercises, aircraft incidents or accidents.

Assist public affairs officer (PAO) and advise managers regarding public affairs program activities, performing a variety of both substantive and general administrative tasks.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a United States Citizen
  • Travel and relocation expenses will be paid
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments is required
  • Preferred Military AFSC 3N076
  • Position may require a background security investigation to determine suitability for employment and/or a security clearance
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see Legal and Regulatory Guide
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance.
  • Required to meet and maintain Air Force Reserve requirements. Incumbent's regular assignments are primarily ART duties: however, the incumbent may be assigned some non-ART duties, generally not to exceed 30 percent of total responsibilities
  • May be required to fly in commercial and military aircraft to perform temporary/permanent duty assignments.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Administrative and Management Positions.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in federal service which equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience is experience which may have been gained while using of a variety of standard print media and interpersonal communication techniques in developing and conducting a public affairs program conveying news and information to internal and external audiences.

OR

EDUCATION:
Master's or equivalent graduate degree ortwo full years of progressively higher level graduate education in an appropriate field leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D. NOTE: YOU MUST SUBMIT COPIES OF YOUR TRANSCRIPTS.

OR

COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:
A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100 percent. To combine education and experience, determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level. Then determine the education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. Finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. NOTE: YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF YOUR TRANSCRIPT.

To view qualifying educational requirements and/or combination of education and experience, click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1000/public-affairs-series-1035/

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  1. Knowledge of public affairs concepts, principles, practices, and techniques including internal, community, and media relations to establish, implement, and maintain a proactive program.
  2. Knowledge of written and oral communication principles, methods, and techniques to conduct and coordinate public affairs activities to include producing written information for and making oral presentations to a variety of audiences with different levels of understanding.
  3. Knowledge of the principles and methods of newspaper publishing, including editing, layout, and makeup.
  4. Skill in planning, developing and editing new stories.
  5. Skill in gathering, evaluating, and interpreting data to arrive at valid conclusions and offer meaningful recommendations.
  6. Skill in establishing effective working relationships with people sharing similar goals and interests.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Work is primarily sedentary with minor physical activity while traveling to and from on-site locations and while conducting base tours and trips.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is performed in a typical office setting or studio. However, field trips in support of public affairs activities often expose incumbent to inclement weather and everyday risks and discomforts.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcriptswith the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience; transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation.

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.

Additional information

Individuals on active duty may apply 120 days before separation date and should indicate in their application their military separation date. Reservists who are mobilized may submit a copy of their mobilization orders or a statement in their application stating they are available within 120 days.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated in the "Highly Qualified" or "Best Qualified" Category on the rating criteria for this vacancy. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: MSP applicants, if determined best qualified, must be selected and placed at the highest grade for which they applied. You must include a completed copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for MSP. Click here to obtain/download a copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicant Eligible: PPP Applicants, if determined well qualified and selected, will be placed at the at the full performance level. You must include the applicable completed copy of the PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility as a PPP Applicant. Click here to obtain/download a copy of the applicable PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD3145-1 through DD3145-4, select the appropriate checklist for your claimed preference). To determine the applicable PPP Self-Certification Checklist required to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming, refer to the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide located in the Required Documents section of this vacancy announcement.

All Federal Employees are required by PL 104-134 to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.

Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here.

If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.

How you will be evaluated

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

Please note if duplicate/multiple application materials are submitted, we will consider the most recent submission as the one of record. If you do not meet the screen out questions, you will not receive any further consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

You will be rated under Category Rating procedures based on the extent to which your experience meets the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities for the position and rated as shown below. Additional points are not added for veterans' preference; however, preference is still applied. Applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans within the same quality category. Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. You will receive a rating based on your responses to the assessment questionnaire. The rating is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your rating can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities.

If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified- Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for announced position. Highly Qualified- Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for announced position. Qualified- Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for announced position.

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.