Public Affairs Specialist

at  US DHS Headquarters

QUALIFICATIONS

Specialized Experience: You qualify at the GS-11 grade level if you possess one of the following:

• One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in Federal service, that is defined as experience 1) understanding some facets of public affairs and information activities; 2) assisting with planning, researching and coordinating public affairs communications; 3) drafting written and visual materials for management review to communicate with the public and media. OR
• A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related; OR
• A combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above that, when combined, equal 100% of the total requirement. This will be calculated using your resume and unofficial transcripts or a list of courses/course hours submitted with your application.

NOTE: ONLY GRADUATE EDUCATION IN EXCESS OF THE FIRST TWO YEARS MAY BE USED TO QUALIFY FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL.

Specialized Experience: GS-12: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal government, such as:

• Experience conducting public affairs and public information activities;
• Researching and coordinating public affairs communications and activity;
• Producing written and visual materials using various methods to communicate with the public and media (e.g.; preparing news releases, bulletins, talking points, fact sheets, and/or briefing materials.);
• Developing methods to evaluate the effectiveness of public affairs programs.

NOTE: SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION IN LIEU OF SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE MAY NOT BE USED FOR THIS GRADE LEVEL.

All requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

EDUCATION

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant’s resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.
You must submit a copy of your college transcript. An unofficial transcript or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned can be used as a substitute for the official transcript at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization’s interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

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

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.

• How to Apply

To begin your online application, click “Apply Online” to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and/or required supporting documentation. Please see the “Required Documents” section for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. If you are unable to apply online or need to submit a document you do not have in electronic form, visit this linkfor more information regarding an alternate application process.
Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on the day the announcement closes.
It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Applicants must submit all required documentation to properly qualify for this position.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

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

As a Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-11/12, your typical work assignments may include:

• Conducting and supporting activities such as: stakeholder meetings; presentations; trade show participation; Congressional briefings; internal and external events; and speeches to build awareness of the office’s mission and capabilities.
• Interacting with and helping build and foster relationships with individuals, stakeholders, organizations, governments, and communities nationwide to inform these audiences about the office, its mission, and capabilities.
• Developing and recommending plans, policies, and procedures governing relationships with stakeholders and determining and advising the action required to enhance improvement and mutually beneficial changes in goals and objectives in the Public Relations, Stakeholder Outreach, and Communications arenas.
• Developing communication products and materials including outreach materials, news releases, articles, web content, speeches, briefs, talking points, presentations, fact sheets, correspondence, and other materials to support priorities and activities

All DHS-HQ announcements have a 5 business day open period due to the number of applications received. This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 100 applications have been received, whichever happens first.
View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.