Communications Program Specialist, GS-0301-12/13 (FPL13) (DE) Job in District of Columbia, DC

Vacancy No. IES-2025-0008 Department Institute of Education Sciences
Salary $101,401.00 to $156,755.00 Grade 12 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/8/2025 Close Date 1/21/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
District of Columbia, DC


Summary

This position is telework eligible consistent with the Agency’s telework and remote work program policy.

This position is located in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Communications Management Office (CMO) in Washington, DC. The CMO is responsible for supporting IES in carrying out the dissemination activities that are a key component of the Institute's mission. Developing and managing a variety of dissemination and outreach strategies.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens. If you are a current or former federal employee or eligible under a special hiring authority (VEOA, Schedule A, etc.) you may be eligible to apply under the concurrently advertised merit promotion vacancy announcement: IES-2025-0007.

Duties

APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 150 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 150th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.  

We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.

As a Communications Program Specialist, GS-0301-12, you will be responsible for:
• Working with vendors (including as a contracting officer’s representative), IES centers, and the communications manager to support the development and refinement of IES communications and content strategy to promote IES initiatives and activities.   
• Identifying and supporting opportunities to promote IES products (for example, reports, grant awards, and data releases) and stakeholders (for example, IES leadership and grantees) to external organizations, including the press.   
• Participating in the development and deployment of communication content including internal and external communications, communications plans, web, and social media content, press releases and media outreach plans, briefing memos, talking points and remarks, presentations, and other materials in relation to the Institute.

As a Communications Program Specialist, GS-0301-13, you will be responsible for:
• Working with vendors (including as a contracting officer’s representative), IES centers, and the communications manager to develop and refine IES communications and content strategy to promote IES initiatives and activities.   
• Identifying and supporting opportunities to promote IES products (for example, reports, grant awards, and data releases) and stakeholders (for example, IES leadership and grantees) to external organizations, including the press.     
• Working with vendors (including as contracting officer’s representative), IES centers, and the communication manager to develop and deploy communications content including internal and external communications, communications plans, web, and social media content, press releases and media outreach plans, briefing memos, talking points and remarks, presentations, and other materials in relation to the Institute.   

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a US Citizen.
  • Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • Relocation will not be paid.
  • You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
  • A background investigation and fingerprints will be required.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy 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. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience.

Conditions of Employment

TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY:

  • You may be eligible for occasional telework in which you are required to report to the office on a regular basis. Participation must be requested and approved by the supervisor and there must be a signed telework agreement. The number of telework days approved is determined by the agency policy, emergency situations, the approval of your immediate supervisor. You must have access to high speed internet and cell phone service meeting current Agency policy from the approved work location.  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements

You may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-12, if you possess the specialized experience identified below.

Specialized Experience for the GS-12

One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-11 performing two (2) out of three (3) following duties or work assignments:
1. Experience supporting the development of a communications and content strategy for a research or scientific organization either within that organization or as part of a public relations company, consulting firm, or other entity that specializes in communications. 
2. Experience supporting the collection and consolidation of content in the education sciences, developing that content into a coherent message that meets strategic content communications goals, and promoting that message to external stakeholders, including the media.
3. Experience writing and editing communications content—including but not limited to press releases, social media, and presentations—for non-technical audiences that is based on scientific education resources. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

1. Knowledge of education research, evaluations, and data sufficient to generate strategies to support the development of an appropriate communications and content strategy for IES; the components of a communications and content strategy for mission-driven organizations; and the activities involved in developing content and communications strategies for various audiences.  
2. Ability to identify relevant content that promotes IES, its mission, and its strategic objectives to external stakeholders; coordinate content from a variety of education resources (including data, research, and evaluations) to tell a unified message based on strategic communications objectives; and promote key stakeholders and their contributions to external audiences.
3. Ability to effectively communicate scientific information in plain language, both orally and in writing; to source edit scientific information in a way that is useful in a variety of communications contexts; and to support leadership and other IES staff members in communicating content effectively.

You may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-13, if you possess the specialized experience identified below.

Specialized Experience for the GS-13

One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-12 performing two (2) out of three (3) following duties or work assignments:
1. Experience leading the development of a communications and content strategy for a research or scientific organization either within that organization or as part of a public relations company, consulting firm, or other entity that specializes in communications.    
2. Experience leading the collection and consolidation of content in the education sciences, developing that content into a coherent message that meets strategic content communications goals, and promoting that message to external stakeholders, including the media.   
3. Experience in writing and editing communications content independently—including but not limited to press releases, social media, and presentations—for non-technical audiences that is based on scientific education resources.    

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

1. Skill in education research, evaluations, and data sufficient to independently generate strategies to support the development of an appropriate communications and content strategy for IES; the components of a communications and content strategy for mission-driven organizations; and the activities involved in developing content and communications strategies for various audiences.
2. Ability to identify relevant content that promotes IES, its mission, and its strategic objectives to external stakeholders; coordinate content from a variety of education resources (including data, research, and evaluations) to tell a unified message; and promote key stakeholders and their contributions to external audiences.  
3. Ability to effectively communicate scientific information in plain language, both orally and in writing; to source edit scientific information in a way that is useful in a variety of communications contexts; and to support leadership and other IES staff members in communicating content effectively.

Education

Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level. 

Additional information

Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email sro_recruiting@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email).

Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.

Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.

Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.

Financial Disclosure: This position does not require financial disclosure.

Bargaining Unit: This position is included in the bargaining unit (American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 252).

Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.

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.

As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a productive balance between work and home, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include telework and alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.

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.

We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:

  1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications

Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.

  1. Rating and Ranking

If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required KSAs by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Your application may be referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation. Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be eliminated from receiving further consideration. Veterans’ Preference: Qualified veterans’ preference eligibles will be ranked ahead of qualified non-preference eligibles within each category for which they are qualified. Qualified veterans’ preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more (CPS and CP) will be placed at the top of the Best Qualified category, except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 grade level or higher.

Based on the outcome of this evaluation candidates will be assigned a numerical score out of a possible 100 and be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified.  The three categories are defined below:

Best-Qualified Category – Applicants who have a score between 95 and 100.  Demonstrates better overall or key knowledge, skills, or abilities for a specific position.

Well-Qualified Category – Applicants who have a score between 85 and 94.99.  Possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities which clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position but does not necessarily meet the definition of best qualified.

Qualified Category – Applicants who have a score between 70 and 84.99. Meets the minimum qualification standards for a specific position.

  1. Referral and Selection

If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the interview process or written assessment or exercise, please inform the selecting official at the time of scheduling.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

You must submit (REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS):

A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire.

Transcript: This position has a positive education requirement and requires proof of education for eligibility. You must submit an unofficial transcript that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, major(s), grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts. This also applies to ED employees.

Transcript: If you meet the qualification requirements based on education you must submit an unofficial transcript that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, major(s), grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts. This also applies to ED employees.

If you are claiming Veteran's Preference, you must submit:
A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge (Separated Members only); OR
A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active Duty Members only); AND/OR

The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference; AND/OR

Proof of Sole Survivorship Preference (e.g., certificate of death or 100% disability as a result of serving in the armed forces).

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the https://www2.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ictap.html  or https://www2.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ctap.html for information on how to apply as a CTAP, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

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

Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.

Step 2: Create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the occupational questionnaire.

Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)).

Step 4: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency's hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency's hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.   

NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on "Application Status," clicking on the position title, clicking "Update Application,” and following the prompts.

In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.  

If you have any questions regarding submitting your application, please contact the HR Specialist listed under the Agency Contact Information.

Agency contact information

Donovan Collins
Address
EDUCATION-INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES
400 Maryland Ave. S.W.
Attn: Human Resources Services
Washington, District of Columbia 20202
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time.  We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process.
1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received.
2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official.
3. Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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