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PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Department of the Air Force
Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command
22 AIR FORCE; AFR COMMAND
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.

The primary purpose of this position is: Serve in an Air Staff, Field Operating Agency (FOA), Air Force Reserve Numbered Air Force (NAF), Major Command (MAJCOM), or Direct Reporting Unit (DRU) position, providing public affairs (PA) advice, technical direction, and support to the organization and/or its field offices.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
08/11/2025 to 08/15/2025
Salary
$93,716 to - $121,837 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Dobbins AFB, GA
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
12
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
No
Announcement number
6R-AFPC-12780503-942658-FDM
Control number
842995000

Duties

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  • Conducts public affairs functions for the organization, ensuring public affairs activities comply with legal and regulatory requirements and meet customer needs.
  • Responds to information requests on assigned programs from the news media, specialized groups, and/or general public; local, state, and federal elected officials; special interest groups, community, and civic organizations.
  • Performs special assignments and participates in special projects and initiatives with responsibility for researching, planning, executing, and/or evaluating complex public affairs operations, programs, and policies which affect a variety of functional areas.
  • Represents the organization regarding a portion of the organization PA program with a variety of councils, boards, working groups, and panels inside and outside the agency, including Headquarters Air Force, DoD (Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, unified combatant command and sister services), and other governmental, nongovernmental, public, civic, service, industry, business, educational, entertainment, think tank, and media organizations.
  • Serves as an adviser in the assigned area of responsibility.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov
  • If authorized, PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. More information on PCS requirements, may be found at: https://afciviliancareers.com/regulatory/
  • This position is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • This is a Centrally Managed position in the Public Affairs Career Field. DNRP is authorized.
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments
  • Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on civilian or military aircraft.
  • May be required to be on call and/or to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.
  • Mobility is a condition of employment. The employee must sign an Air Force-wide mobility agreement.
  • All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.

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, Administrative and Management Positions, Public Affairs Series 1035

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-11, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. My experience includes knowledge of a wide variety of communication principles, methods, practices, and techniques; media operations, social media activities, command information, community engagement, marketing, branding, security and policy review, PA resource management activities, Air Force band operations, visual information, communication research, planning and assessment, contingency/crisis response, and/or environmental management; analytical methods; and interpersonal relations practices; Knowledge of a wide range of oral, written, and visual communication concepts, principles, policies, practices, methods, applications, techniques, standards, and trends; analytical methods; interpersonal relations practices applicable to researching, planning, developing, coordinating, and evaluating new information materials for information programs. Note: Resume must show supporting details.

FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.

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 a wide range of oral, written, and visual communication concepts, principles, policies, practices, methods, applications, techniques, standards, and trends; analytical methods; interpersonal relations practices applicable to researching, planning, developing, coordinating, and evaluating new information materials for information programs.

2. Knowledge of the missions, roles, functions, organizational structures, relationships, and operational planning objectives of Air Force and DoD organizations.

3. Skill in gathering, evaluating, and interpreting data to arrive at valid conclusions and offer meaningful recommendations.

4. Skill in planning and independently managing short- and long-term projects and to cultivate and sustain positive working relationships to project completion.

5. Skill in communicating effectively with tact and diplomacy, orally and in writing, to advocate agency positions; to logically and effectively explain programs, functions, and activities and gain understanding of the organization's efforts by responsive publics and people with varying levels of understanding.

6. Ability to evaluate and assess program effectiveness and prepare reports on accomplishment of program objectives.

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

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on 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 well qualified or above for this position. 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.

120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur.

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.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have 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.

Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit GSA Bulletin FTR 20-04 here for additional information.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

BASIS OF RATING:
Your application will be rated under the Cut Point procedures based on the extent to which the quality, depth, and complexity of your experience and education relate to the qualification requirements. Additional points are not added for Veteran's Preference; however, Veteran's Preference is considered where applicable.

Best Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements
Fully Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements.
Basically Qualified Group: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements.

The resume/documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

For additional information on what to include in your resume, click here.

APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

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