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Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide

Summary

This position is located in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Global Media, Office of International Media Engagement (GPA/GM/IME). The incumbent serves as a Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist for the press officers in the International Media Press Unit. The position works with GPA leadership, the State Department Spokesperson, and the Deputy Spokespersons to develop, implement, and deploy public affairs media strategies and messaging.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/05/2026 to 03/11/2026
Salary
$143,913 to - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional Domestic and/or International travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Announcement number
R/GPA-MPI-2026-0004
Control number
859790300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Department of State career or career conditional status employees in the competitive service; employees who are on temporary or other non-status appointments who have reinstatement or non-competitive eligibility for a competitive service appointment (e.g., tenured Foreign Service employees, employees on an excepted service appointment at the USUN who have previous career status, etc.); and CTAP.

Duties

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  • Directs and oversees the work of a full- time staff of federal Civil Service employees and (as needed) contract personnel.
  • Represents the team in dealings with the GPA/GM/IME Director and Deputy Director.
  • Works closely with the Spokesperson and GPA offices to develop, implement, and deploy media strategies and messaging that achieve results consistent with State Department and U.S. foreign policy goals.
  • Advises and oversees management of officials of higher rank on interviewing skills, tactics, presentation, and crafting messages to best represent U.S. policies to foreign and domestic media.
  • Exercises responsibility for guiding subordinates to develop relationships with press and public affairs officers in regional and functional State Department Bureaus in order to develop foreign media engagement strategies.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.  

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience in coordinating logistical details for public event planning and/or media engagements.
  • Experience developing and implementing effective communication strategies and/or plans for advancing foreign policy objectives.
  • Experience evaluating foreign policy issues and related media developments in order to advise senior officials. 

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-14 position.

In addition, applicant's experience must also demonstrate that the candidate possesses the following qualities:

  • Ability to assign, review, and supervise the work of others;
  • Objectivity and fairness in judging people on their ability, and situations on the facts and circumstances;
  • Ability to adjust to change, work pressures, or difficult situations without undue stress;
  • Willingness to consider new ideas or divergent points of view; and
  • Capacity to "see the job through."

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov. 
  • If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

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.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume limited to two pages will be conducted and evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications for this position. The evaluation process consists of an online assessment and a subject matter expert review of your resume. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Ability to direct and lead others.
  • Skill in developing and implementing outreach strategies and communication plans.
  • Skill in outreach and public relations.
  • Ability to establish and maintain liaison with officials throughout the foreign affairs community.
  • Ability to plan, initiate, organize, and coordinate activities within and outside of the organization.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration.

Resume review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Your resume should demonstrate how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience statement. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded in your resume will not be opened.). If meeting basic qualifications through education only or a combination of education and experience, applicants will not be referred to the SME panel but will be reviewed by the HR Specialist for referral. 

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be considered well-qualified for the position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority. To be considered well-qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.


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