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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Justice
Offices, Boards and Divisions
Office of Public Affairs (PAO)

Summary

The Office of Public Affairs (PAO) guides and coordinates the federal law enforcement public information programs of certain Department of Justice organizations, including legal divisions, Bureaus, and U.S. Attorneys' Offices. PAO provides a large variety of important and critical information having nationwide and international impacts concerning the activities of various bureaus, divisions, boards, services, and field offices.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 06/24/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 24, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$85,447 - $133,142 per year

GS-11: $85,447.00 - $111,087.00; GS-12: $102,415.00 - $133,142.00

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
PAO-26-12985995-ST
Control number
872973800

Duties

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The duties and responsibilities for a GS-1035-Public Affairs Specialist-11/12 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Deals with a myriad of entities such as print, radio, television, internet media, law enforcement agencies, government officials, and private industry
- Disseminates information about the Department and its various components
- Develops and maintains a thorough knowledge of Department policies, guidelines, and internal regulations
- Plans, develops, and implements communication plans and strategies
- Responds to media inquiries
- Monitors international, national, regional, and local news stories that directly affect the Department
- Represents the organization in media interviews and press conferences with agency officials, government representatives, and stakeholder associations
- Maintains effective relationships with members of the news media as a liaison Department stakeholders

The duties listed above are generally written for one grade level. If the position is advertised at multiple grades, the duties will be adjusted in difficulty, complexity, and level of supervision, for higher or lower grades, as appropriate.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen or National.
  • You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
  • You may be required to complete a probationary or trial period. See "Additional Information" for specific details.
  • Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
  • You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
  • A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Public Affairs Specialist, at GS-1035-11/12, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below.

For the GS-11
Specialized Experience
: For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Assisting in planning or managing public relations programs; 2) Conducting research in response to media inquiries; AND 3) Drafting content for news releases, fact sheets, informational pieces, or talking points.
OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

For the GS-12
Specialized Experience: For the GS-12, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Advising organization management or decision-makers on public affairs matters; 2) Representing an organization in an official capacity during media interviews, press conferences, or meetings; AND 3) Responding to inquiries from members of the news media.

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this grade, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone. No substitution of education for experience is permitted.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the 06/24/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 06/24/2026 to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below.

Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution.

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 a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP):
These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

  1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
  2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above; and
  3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.
Probationary or Trial Period (as applicable): As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
1) your performance and conduct;
2) the needs and interests of the agency;
3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.

DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy

Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.

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.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. You must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.

Your USAHIRE assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

Additionally, we will review your supporting documents and resume to determine if you are in the "Area of Consideration" for this vacancy. Government-Wide Merit Promotion vacancies may only accept applications from a limited audience, pay careful attention to the "Who May Apply" and the "Hiring Paths" information. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Communications and Media
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence
  • Written Communication



In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.


BASIS OF FINAL RATING:
DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures will be used to evaluate candidates.

If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12985995.

Offices, Boards and Divisions

Are you interested in a rewarding and challenging career? Join the U.S. Department of Justice!

The Department of Justice (DOJ) leads the nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. As a Justice employee you'll be a member of a team where you can achieve your career goals and apply your skills and talents to our important mission. Read more about the exciting opportunities available.

Mission:

DOJ is to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.

Core Values:

  1. Independence and Impartiality. DOJ works each day to earn the public's trust by following the facts and the law wherever they may lead, without prejudice or improper influence.
  2. Honesty and Integrity. DOJ's employees adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior, mindful that, as public servants, we must work to earn the trust of, and inspire confidence in, the public we serve.
  3. Respect. DOJ's employees value differences in people and in ideas and treat everyone with fairness, dignity, and compassion.
  4. Excellence.DOJ works every day to provide the highest levels of service to the American people and to be a responsible steward of the taxpayers' dollars.

Agency contact information

Daisy Navarrete
Phone
202-316-2951
Email
daisy.navarrete@usdoj.gov
Address
Office of Public Affairs
2 Constitution Square
145 N Street NE
Room 9W.300
Washington, DC 20530
US

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Learn more about what it's like to work at Offices, Boards and Divisions, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.justice.gov/careers

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