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SUPERVISORY PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Department of the Army
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Summary

About the Position: This position develops and manages the Public Affairs program for the Detroit and Chicago District Army Corps of Engineers and serviced activities.

This position will be filled: 1 position in Detroit and 1 position in Chicago.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/21/2026 to 05/12/2026
Salary
$117,402 - $154,682 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
2 vacancies in the following locations:
Chicago, IL
Detroit, MI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - 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
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Confidential
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CERE-26-19232419-MPP
Control number
865882500

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Duties

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  • Plans, directs, executes, and evaluates the overall public affairs program to include local, regional, and/or national programs to convey complex information concerning USACE/Department of Army programs, responsibilities, and activities.
  • Provides communication efforts and synchronization of media, public, Congressional, other Federal, state, and local Government agencies; and specialized groups and individuals, to include internal staff, interested in USACE programs.
  • Supervises all aspects of public affairs work of the organization/assigned program(s) and subordinates.
  • Advises the Commander and primary staff concerning the public affairs program and communication issues command-wide.
  • Advises the Emergency Operations Manager and carries out public information duties associated with emergency operations of the district.
  • Responds to information requests from the news media, specialized groups, and general publics.
  • Maintains professional relationships with major organization officials, representatives of the news media, community, and internal senior managers and staff to effectively manage a Public Affairs Program.
  • Develops and maintains procedures and policies for relaying public affairs information in internal and external customer.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position may require the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment.
  • May require a one (1) year Supervisory Probationary Period.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

  • Current Civilian Employees of the Command
  • Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998


In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Human Capital Management
  • Leadership
  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating


Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes experience acting in a position such as a Public Affairs Officer, Public Affairs Specialist, or Public Information Officer serving both internal and external communication needs for an organization; experience acting as a liaison with print and broadcast media representatives, community leaders, and public interest organizations for a large organization; experience developing and writing a variety of news releases, talking points, comments, or statements that convey information and clarify agency policies to groups of interest; experience participating in public speaking engagements, meetings, public relations events, answering inquiries from the media and public, and disseminating information to various social media organizations/venues, etc; and experience operating in crisis situations and providing effective media response/engagement for an organization.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-12).

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • This position may require you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a(n) 22- Public Affairs Career Field position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • Relocation/Recruitment/Student Loan Repayment incentive(s) MAY BE authorized to highly qualified candidate.
  • Must sign a service agreement if incentive(s) MAY BE authorized.

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 announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

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.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Looking for a great place to work? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is one of the best! In 2020, USACE ranked #2 of government large-agency subcomponent! USACE is one of the world's premier public engineering, design, and construction management agencies. We serve the American people, striving to provide the most effective engineering and environmental science solutions to the nation's complex problems affecting national security, the economy and the environment in which we live.

USACE offers a team-inspiring and collaborative work environment; providing challenging and rewarding careers across a variety of disciplines. We rely on leaders with vision, creativity, and programmatic and technical expertise to lead us into the future. Align your talents with your passion and find out why the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is a great place to work!

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
RE-W2SM06 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-CHICAGO
DO NOT MAIL
Chicago, IL 60604
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.usace.army.mil/Careers/

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