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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Defense
Department of Defense Education Activity
This job announcement has closed

Summary

About the Position:

This position is assigned to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (DASD (MC&FP), Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness (USD (P&R)).

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
08/06/2025 to 08/13/2025
Salary
$120,579 to - $185,234 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Alexandria, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NC7X255298555988R
Control number
842241800

Duties

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  • Primary point of contact for policy development and analysis of community and public engagement activities and outcomes regarding military life topics within the Department of Defense (DoD).
  • Govern a broad range of outreach and engagement strategies addressing the quality-of-life needs and challenges of service members and their families.
  • Coordinate marketing and outreach activities to ensure consistent alignment of effort and messaging.
  • Facilitate and support meaningful stakeholder connections and engagements to work toward furthering stakeholder understanding of military life challenges and the benefits, services, programs and resources available to support the military community.
  • Plan and coordinate a wide variety of community and public engagement activities, sponsored events and initiatives.
  • Manage requests and identify speaking engagement opportunities to elevate priorities, policies, resources and services in the U.S. and around the world.
  • Plan, execute, and finalize community and public engagement projects according to strict deadlines and within budget.
  • Present and defend proposed and existing communication and online content program efforts.
  • Prepare decision briefs, action memos, and other pertinent material and data to facilitate decision making; prepare speeches and presentations for delivery by DoD officials.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Requirement.
  • Proof of U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • One year trial or probationary period may be required.
  • Appointment subject to a suitability/fitness determination, as determined by a background investigation.
  • This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.

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 Competitive Service Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Civilian Employee
  • Current Permanent Department of Defense (DoD) Civilian Employee
  • Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • 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.

Specialized Experience for the GS 13: One year of specialized experience which includes analyzing outreach and media engagement activities, collaborating with stakeholders to address the needs of communication programs, overseeing production of communication materials, and reporting on the execution of marketing and/or outreach activities. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-12).

Specialized Experience for the GS 14: One year of specialized experience which includes developing outreach and media engagement strategies, measuring the effectiveness of outreach and media engagement program operations, evaluating and/or developing outreach and/or media engagement policy, implementing community and public engagement plans, and developing online and/or traditional outreach products and materials. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-13).

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

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Communications and Media
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Message Development
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Written Communication


Time in Grade Requirement GS 13: 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).

Time in Grade Requirement GS 14: 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-13).

A writing sample may be required by management within the interview process.

Additional information

  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Management may select at any of the grade levels announced. This recruitment provides promotion opportunity to the target grade of the position without further competition when selectee is eligible and recommended by management. Duties described reflect the full performance GS-14 level. If not selected at the full performance, duties will be performed in a developmental capacity under close supervision.
  • Applicants with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should notify David Walton ra@dodea.edu

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. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

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. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

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