This Communications Officer position is located in the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO). The primary purpose of the position is to develop and implement organization-wide strategies to share and disseminate information about the organization and its programs, as well as to serve as OCHCO's principal liaison with the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA).
Summary
This Communications Officer position is located in the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO). The primary purpose of the position is to develop and implement organization-wide strategies to share and disseminate information about the organization and its programs, as well as to serve as OCHCO's principal liaison with the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA).
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary promotion - Temporary Promotion not-to-exceed 120-days may be extended up to one year. Temporary Promotion may be made permanent without further competition.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14 - This position is at the full-performance level.
As a Communications Officer, you will perform the following duties:
Develop and implement organization-wide strategies to communicate complex information about programs, investments, and impacts to internal and external audiences.
Coordinate with leadership, staff, and external stakeholders to align communication strategies, write articles, news releases, and other materials, and analyze federal legislation and policies for organizational impact.
Create, review, and manage various communication materials, including website content, social media posts, presentations, and reports, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and alignment with organizational goals.
Establish and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, coordinate outreach opportunities, and develop strategies for effective communication and collaboration.
Generate, track, and analyze scientific and/or administrative data to inform communication strategies and prepare analytical reports.
Oversee the design, content, and maintenance of the organization's website and social media presence, ensuring effective dissemination of information and engagement with target audiences.
Selectee will be required to have a background investigation prior to onboarding.
Selectee may be required to serve a 1-year probationary/2-year trail period.
Additional Requirements:
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/equivalent.
You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
* Applicants do not need to seek their supervisor's approval to apply for this temporary promotion opportunity. However, supervisory approval is needed prior to making the temporary promotion effective. * This temporary promotion is for a period of 120-days and may be extended up to one year. This temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition.
*The temporary promotion may be terminated at any time during this period. If not made permanent, upon conclusion of the temporary promotion, you will be returned to your former office and position/grade.
You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire and any additional assessments that are included.
All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
It is NSF policy that personnel employed at, or Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) individuals detailed to, NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General.
NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.
Qualifications
To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in federal service developing, implementing, and managing communication strategies, products, and activities for an organization.
Examples of relevant experience include conducting outreach activities to enhance understanding of an organization's programs; authoring and editing written and oral communication materials; leading an organization's program for public events, press conferences, and other such appearances; providing authoritative advice to senior management for improving the delivery of program information to the public; and experience using the Internet, social media, and web pages to communicate information to the public, media, and internal audiences.
Experience refers to paid/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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training/experience that translates directly to paid work. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
Education may enhance skills required for this position; however, no substitution of education for specialized experience may be made at this level.
Additional information
Relocation Expenses will not be paid.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)
ICTAP and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "Very Good" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources.
Veteran's Preference:
If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the VA letter or other required documentation as specified on the SF-15.
This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 all the assessments required for this position. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.
To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this vacancy will utilize a multiple hurdle assessment process to determine the qualifications of applicants. The first hurdle will consist of a structured resume review. Qualified applicants' resumes will be reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel for related position competencies against a pre-determined rating schedule. For the second hurdle, applicants who pass the first hurdle will have their writing sample evaluated by a SME panel based on a pre-determined rating schedule. This process will determine the final rating of the applicant for possible referral to the hiring official for hiring consideration.
Applicants are required to submit a writing sample with their application addressing the prompt below. Responses to the prompt will be limited to two (2) pages or less.
Describe the most complex communications strategy you have developed, implemented, and managed. Include the key objectives, target audiences, core messaging, implementation approach, and the metrics you used to evaluate outcomes and overall effectiveness.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Communications and Media
Interpersonal Skills
Writing
Written Communication
Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At NSF, this means a score of 90.0 or higher.
In the merit promotion selection process, formal performance appraisals may be considered if voluntarily submitted by the applicant.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
All applicants are required to submit a legible resume/CV that is no longer than two pages.The resume should include a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year, and indicates hours worked per week. If you are a civilian Federal employee, you should include your pay plan and grade for each applicable position.
All applicants are required to submit a writing sample addressing the prompt listed under the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section of this announcement.
Applicants may submit an optional cover letter.
If you are an NSF employee on or eligible for a permanent, competitive service position or you are an NSF employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior Federal permanent, competitive service, you need not submit documents to confirm status.
Performance appraisals may be considered during the evaluation process if voluntarily submitted
All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date.
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH, OR ANY OTHER PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Applicants must complete and submit an application online at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USAJOBS website at https://www.USAJOBS.gov. An account must be established at the OPM website following the instructions provided in order to apply for the position. Once you have completed the USAJOBS process, you will be re-directed to the USA Staffing system to complete your application process, answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. Applications submitted other than the USAJOBS online application WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED under this announcement.
Your application and all supporting documents must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applicants applying online for this position will be able to apply until 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this announcement. Please allow adequate time to complete your application.
If you encounter technical difficulties during the process, please submit a USA Staffing Help Ticket for assistance. If you have technical difficulties applying to the vacancy on the USAJOBS website, click on Contact USAJOBS. It is suggested that you do not wait until the last day to apply for a vacancy announcement. We will not accept applications other than those submitted through USAJOBS.
As the applicant, it is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, and submitted is received and is accurate. Ensure that your application includes the required documents listed under "Required Documents" and that they are uploaded in the appropriate fields.
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of this application and hiring process, please notify the point of contact on this job opportunity announcement.
All applicants are required to submit a legible resume/CV that is no longer than two pages.The resume should include a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year, and indicates hours worked per week. If you are a civilian Federal employee, you should include your pay plan and grade for each applicable position.
All applicants are required to submit a writing sample addressing the prompt listed under the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section of this announcement.
Applicants may submit an optional cover letter.
If you are an NSF employee on or eligible for a permanent, competitive service position or you are an NSF employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior Federal permanent, competitive service, you need not submit documents to confirm status.
Performance appraisals may be considered during the evaluation process if voluntarily submitted
All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date.
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH, OR ANY OTHER PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Applicants must complete and submit an application online at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USAJOBS website at https://www.USAJOBS.gov. An account must be established at the OPM website following the instructions provided in order to apply for the position. Once you have completed the USAJOBS process, you will be re-directed to the USA Staffing system to complete your application process, answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. Applications submitted other than the USAJOBS online application WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED under this announcement.
Your application and all supporting documents must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applicants applying online for this position will be able to apply until 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this announcement. Please allow adequate time to complete your application.
If you encounter technical difficulties during the process, please submit a USA Staffing Help Ticket for assistance. If you have technical difficulties applying to the vacancy on the USAJOBS website, click on Contact USAJOBS. It is suggested that you do not wait until the last day to apply for a vacancy announcement. We will not accept applications other than those submitted through USAJOBS.
As the applicant, it is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, and submitted is received and is accurate. Ensure that your application includes the required documents listed under "Required Documents" and that they are uploaded in the appropriate fields.
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of this application and hiring process, please notify the point of contact on this job opportunity announcement.
