Public Affairs Specialist

Summary The Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) works to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve resources offshore through vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement. For information about our bureau go to: This job is open to Federal employees - Competitive service Current or former competitive service federal employees. Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee. Veterans Individuals with disabilities Military spouses Special authorities Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations. Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista Family of overseas employees Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas. Land & base management Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency. Clarification from the agency This is a Merit Promotion announcement for Government employees and those who are eligible under the hiring paths listed. Duties This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Office of Strategic Engagement, Office of Public Affairs (OPA) in various duty locations. At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Plan, initiate, and implement comprehensive public affairs campaigns to enhance the understanding of the agency's programs among the general public, stakeholders and specialized groups and organizations. 2. Develops, coordinates, and executes public affairs communication plans and strategies to secure public understanding and support in reaching bureau objectives and strategic initiatives. 3. Writes, reviews, edits, and makes recommendations in Associated Press (AP) Style concerning speeches, publications, and presentations to ensure they conform to BSEE policies and procedures and are consistent with widely accepted communications practices. 4. Develops, through research and interviews, written materials designed to reach regional and national audiences through the news media utilizing wire services, radio, television announcements, fact sheets, feature stories, speeches, audio visual presentations, reports, biographical sketches, correspondence and background statements. 5. Proactively researches, analyzes, and provides public affairs solutions to issues as assigned by the Deputy Assistant Director for Public Affairs. Prepares written and oral briefings for presentation to Deputy Assistant Director for Public Affairs and senior leaders when necessary. 6. Contributes to the bureau's internal communication plan through preparation of communication materials and provides input on effective methods and techniques. 7. Writes, edits and creates multimedia products for materials covering a wide variety of complex and technical program issues. These materials include press releases, social media posts, pod casts, fact sheets, Q & As, backgrounders, talking points, video production, still imagery, video and audio capture. Uses a variety of research material for projects and interviews subject matter experts. 8. Uses widely available software such as the Adobe Creative Suite to develop, edit and produce written and visual communications products. BSEE has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. Note: This is NOT a remote position. You will be required to report to the duty location to which you are applying. Salary Range Information: GS-12 Jefferson, LA: ($86,962 - $113,047) per annum. Sterling, VA: ($99,200 - $128,956) per annum. Washington, DC: ($99,200 - $128,956) per annum. Salary Range Information: GS-13 Jefferson, LA: ($103,409 - $134,435) per annum. Sterling, VA: ($117,962 - $153,354) per annum. Washington, DC: ($117,962 - $153,354) per annum. First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level. This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available. This vacancy is also announced as BSEE-EEAA-24-JB-332(DEU) for those applicants who wish to apply and be considered under Competitive Examining procedures. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born 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. See Qualifications Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position you must meet the Specialized Experience for the series/grade to which you are applying. GS-12 Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-12 , you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service.Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1) Developing informational materials such as press releases, fact sheets, brochures, booklets, web material, and video scripts to increase communication with varying regional and national audiences. 2) Writing, editing, and recommending material for professional presentations at meetings and conferences to include speeches and slide presentations; AND 3) Establishing and maintaining working relationships with outside groups in achieving understanding with individuals indifferent to or having opposing points of view of an organization's policies and programs. MUST MEET ALL . GS-13 Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-13 , you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service.Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1) Developing informational materials such as press releases, fact sheets, brochures, booklets, web material, and video scripts to increase communication with varying regional and national audiences. 2) Writing, editing, and recommending material for professional presentations at meetings and conferences to include speeches and slide presentations. 3) Establishing and maintaining working relationships with outside groups in achieving understanding with individuals indifferent to or having opposing points of view of an organization's policies and programs. 4) Capturing video and imagery and producing final written, video and infographic products; AND 5) Implementing internal long-range and interim communications policies, strategies, and decisions regarding program activities. MUST MEET ALL. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Merit Promotion candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Education This job does not have an education qualification requirement. Additional information Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361. Benefits 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. Review our 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. 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 Customer Service Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. DUE WEIGHT Due Weight Consideration is a review process used to provide consideration to performance appraisals and awards submitted with each application on a used merit promotion certificate and factoring the results into the merit promotion selection process. Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. 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. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level. It is your responsibility to obtain and upload your performance appraisal/evaluation and/or list of awards prior to the closing of the vacancy announcement. To preview the application click: 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. Review our 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. Required Documents As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies. To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. 2. Other supporting documents (if applicable): SF-50's showing (1) your highest FPL, and (2) most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, tenure, and duty station. Please note that all SF-50's submitted must show that you are a status candidate or eligible under this announcement. Please refer to the eligibility in the online questionnaire for more information. College transcript for verification of qualifying education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable Certificates, license, etc. Form DD-214 OR VA letter and Standard Form 15, if eligible under VEOA or VRA Proof of eligibility if applying under a special appointing authority Current or former Government employees are strongly encouraged to submit a recent performance appraisal If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here. Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is available at NOTE: Applicants claiming eligibility under VEOA or VRA, must submit a copy of your DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," (Member 4 copy is preferred), showing the dates of active duty, type of discharge, and character of service (must be honorable); OR acceptable proof of verification of your preference (i.e., official document, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying that the veterans total combined serviced-connected disability rating is 10% or more). NOTE: Applicants claiming eligibility based on 30% or more service connected disability, you are required to submit documentation that is indicated on the SF-15 as acceptable proof of verification of your preference (i.e., official document, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying that the veterans total combined serviced-connected disability rating is 30% or more. You will find additional information on the following topics: (1) e-Verify; (2) Selective Service; (3) CTAP/ICTAP; (4) Education - accreditation; (5) Foreign education; (6) Veterans preference; (7) Special appointing authority documentation; and more can be found on our web site: OR If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty station. To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, you must earn a minimum score of 85 or above (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference) on the rating criteria for this position. How to Apply Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements ( Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found in your USAJOBS account under the "Track my application" link for the corresponding application. To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account ( There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S. A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The preliminary background check consists of a search of Office of Personnel Management and Department of Defense background investigation files and an FBI National Criminal History Fingerprint Check; it may take up to 3 weeks to complete. If selected for this position, you will be extended a tentative offer of employment pending a satisfactory background check. Current Federal employees or individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check; these will be handled on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the Bureau security office. Agency contact information HR Assistant Phone Email Address Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement 45600 Woodland Road Sterling, VA 20166 US Next steps Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Your 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. Fair and Transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Financial suitability New employee probationary period Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy Selective Service Signature and false statements Social security number request Required Documents To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. 2. Other supporting documents (if applicable): SF-50's showing (1) your highest FPL, and (2) most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, tenure, and duty station. Please note that al...

Created: 2024-11-05