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Public Affairs Specialist - (Communications Consultant)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Taxpayer Services - Communication and Liaison

Summary

  • Consider each location carefully when applying. If you are selected for a location, that location will become your official post of duty.
  • In the event that a building is closed due to rent management, new hires may be placed in a local commuting location.
  • Additional jobs may be filled from this announcement or any other source to fill these vacancies.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/20/2026 to 05/01/2026
Salary
$125,776 - $197,200 per year

The range reflects the minimum locality to maximum locality for locations listed in the announcement. Salary will be based on selected duty location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
(AK3237) 949 E 36 Ave
Anchorage, AK
(AL1213) 417 20th St N
Birmingham, AL
(AL2062) 202 W Adams St
Dothan, AL
(AL2036) 204 S Walnut St
Florence, AL
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Day Shift Monday-Friday, Start and stop times between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m, 40 hours per week
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-12940527A-TSN-1035-14
Control number
865914800

Duties

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The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.

  • Works directly with the Business Operating Division/Function Executives on highly sensitive issues dealing with labor relations impacts to employees, prior to public communication or release of information. Must be able to work confidentially with these executives
  • Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders through National Communications & Liaison (C&L) Media Relations, field offices, other Operating Divisions, and the Business Operating Division/Function employees at all levels
  • Advises management of public reaction/attitudes to policies and emerging issues and identifies and develops strategies to assist the Business Operating Division/Function in meeting the needs of internal, and in coordination with National Business Operating Division/Function Communications & Liaison (C&L), external customers
  • Serves as technical resource for other employees with the Business Operating Division/Function Communications Policy & Programs function

STANDARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS (SPD): PD94890
Visit the IRS SPD Library to access the position descriptions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Probationary Period - A person who is required to go through a probationary period and then is transferred, promoted, demoted, or reassigned before he or she completes such period is required to complete the remainder of the probationary period in the new position.
  • Government Credit Card - Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS SHOWN IN QUALIFICATIONS SECTION

Qualifications

Federal experience is not required. Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or through Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-14: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience must include:

  • Utilizing communication principles and techniques evidenced through development and implementation of strategic communication plans and tactics and writing and reviewing content that conforms to AP Style and other IRS writing standards;
  • Leading teams, consulting with and providing communication support to executives;
  • Oral communication experience such as giving presentations and coaching other presenters including executives;
  • Developing and implementing communications related to sensitive topics such as labor relations issues;
  • Utilizing analytical techniques to develop sound recommendations for program improvements in all aspects of major programs in an organizational setting;
  • Oral and written techniques to provide feedback to all levels of management to facilitate discussions with internal and external stakeholders;
  • Communicating through multiple media channels (such as media, web, and video products)

AND

You must also meet the following requirements:

  • TIME AFTER COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT (TACA) REQUIREMENT: By the closing date (or if this is an open continuous announcement, by the cut-off date) specified in this job announcement, current civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive referral certificate, known as time after competitive appointment. For this requirement, a competitive appointment is one where you applied to and were appointed from an announcement open to "All US Citizens"
  • TIME IN GRADE (TIG): For positions above the GS-05,applicants must meet applicable time-in-­grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the grade you are applying for. For positions at the GS-05, you cannot advance to the GS-05 if you have held a GS-02 in the past 52 weeks. There is no TIG restriction for GS-02, 03 or 04 positions.

For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.

Education

A 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. Click here (Section 3, Explanation of Terms) or here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.

We recommend choosing an evaluator from a member organization of one of the following national associations of credential evaluation services: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE).

Additional information

  • Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours may be available.
  • Salary: General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

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 qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Customer Service
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Writing


Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in accordance with the Service's Merit Promotion Plan. A quality group rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level groups, Best Qualified (BQ), Highly Qualified (HQ) and Qualified (Q).

Referral: Eligible applicants rated in the highest quality group, may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. Candidates, if required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring practices), will be interviewed in quality group order. We will NOT reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

Performance Appraisal and Awards - Will not be used in determining your overall rating. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. IRS employees may obtain their most recent awards listing at https://persinfo.web.irs.gov/.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), you must receive a score of Highly Qualified (HQ) orbetter to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

Internal Revenue Service

WHY IS THE IRS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK? As an IRS employee, you will feel proud knowing you helped make America stronger while working at one of the world's biggest financial institutions. You will be part of an organization that collects over $2 trillion in revenue and processes over 200 million tax returns annually. We are proud of how we apply the tax law with integrity and fairness to all. The IRS hires talented and dedicated individuals from many backgrounds, including accounting, business, finance, law enforcement and information technology. You will be challenged & supported on a daily basis. Whether you are just starting out or looking for a new opportunity, consider an IRS career.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has a distinguished history dating back to the founding of our nation. As the steward of U.S. economic and financial systems, Treasury is a major and influential leader in today's global economy. We have over 100,000 employees across the country and around the world. Come Join the Department of the Treasury and Invest in Tomorrow.

WHAT IS THE TAXPAYER SERVICES DIVISION?
A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OTHER IRS CAREERS? Visit us on the web at www.jobs.irs.gov

Agency contact information

(ERC) Employee Resource Center
Phone
866-743-5748
Website
https://irsgov.sharepoint.com/sites/EmployeeResources/SitePages/ERC-Help-Desk.aspx
Address
TS - Communications and Liaison
1111 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20224
US

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