Clarification from the agency

You may apply if you are a current or former career/career conditional Federal employee with competitive status, VEOA eligible, or are eligible for a non-competitive hiring authority (i.e. 30% or more Compensable Veterans, reinstatement eligibles, interchange agreements, etc.). Please read the "This job is open to" section above, to ensure you are eligible for consideration.

This job is also open in another announcement to:

The public

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the multitude of experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

The incumbent will serve as a Community Outreach Specialist. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Shares information with community organizations about civil rights programs, maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the community, and coordinate internal and external program opportunities and resources.
• Knowledgeable of the organization's mission, program goals, and objectives to represent the organization.
• Works closely with public relations and marketing teams to develop and implement outreach strategies; raise awareness of initiatives, projects, and programs; and promote the mission and vision of the Civil Rights Division.
• Develops and execute media strategies, including press outreach, interview coordination, and message development with key communities.
• Writes and edit high impact materials including op-eds, press releases, talking points, memos, and reports.
• Participates in community events, conduct outreach, and respond to inquiries from potential customers via email, telephone, and in-person dialogue.
• Works closely with public relations and marketing teams to develop and implement outreach strategies; raise awareness of initiatives, projects, and programs; and promote the mission and vision of the Civil Rights Division.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• You may be required to complete a pre-employment security screening to initiate your background investigation, which includes a drug screening. Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion and adjudication of your investigation.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31,1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level) by the closing date of this announcement. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
• ALL APPLICANTS, regardless of eligibility(ies) selected, MUST submit their most recent completed (within the past 18 months) performance evaluation or appraisal, which shows a final rating. If an evaluation or rating is not available, you must provide a statement indicating the reason. If you do not submit an appropriate appraisal or statement, you WILL NOT receive consideration for this position.
• DOJ uses E-Verify, an internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, by visiting www.e-verify.gov/.
• 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.
• Resume cannot exceed two (2) pages.

A probationary or trial period may be required as a condition of employment for this position. If required, you will be expected to serve either a 1-year probationary period or a 2-year trial period. During this time, we will evaluate your fitness for continued employment and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining whether your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

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

Qualifications

Specialized Experience Requirements
To qualify for the position of Community Outreach Specialist, at (GS-0301-11), you must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09. Your resume must clearly demonstrate that you possess all of the specialized experience listed below, showing you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position.

• Assisting with the development and implementation of media and community outreach activities to support organizational programs, initiatives, or public awareness efforts; AND
• Supporting outreach efforts by coordinating with community organizations, stakeholders, and media representatives to share information and promote engagement opportunities; AND
• Drafting and reviewing communication materials such as newsletters, social media content, fact sheets, talking points, press materials, and outreach correspondence for internal and external audiences; AND
• Assisting with the planning and coordination of outreach events, workshops, meetings, or community engagement activities, including responding to routine public inquiries and providing program information.

OR

Education Requirement:

• 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

A transcript must be submitted to receive consideration.

OR

Combining Education and Specialized Experience: To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees applying for a higher grade must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You MUST provide an SF-50, which shows position, type of service appointment, tenure group, grade, duty location, and salary. If your most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year (52 weeks) time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. Consider providing an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include: Promotions; Within Grade/Range Increases; and SF-50s dated a year apart within the same grade/position. No award SF-50s will be accepted). Failure to submit the required SF-50 document will result in an ineligible rating under merit promotion procedures.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement and current Federal employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.

Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

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.

All qualifications, time-in-grade, and education requirements, if applicable, must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement. If you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.?

During the eligibility review process, the Human Resources Specialist will only review the latest document uploaded to USA Jobs. Therefore, if you submit duplicate documents, ensure the last version uploaded to USA Jobs is the necessary document required to meet the criteria/qualifications described in this job announcement.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures. Once the announcement closes, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted by the HR Specialist. This information will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position. If a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your application materials, you may be deemed ineligible, or your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities.

If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three groups: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• 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.

All qualified Non-Competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12968847.

APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.

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: most recent performance appraisal, a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of our separation personnel action, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, tenure, and duty station.

The following documents are required for your application to be complete.

• Required, Resume - All Applicants: Resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and clearly demonstrate how your experience meets the specialized experience described in the vacancy announcement. To receive credit, your employment history must include start and end dates in MM/YYYY format and the number of hours worked per week. Part-time work will be prorated. Missing or incomplete information may result in disqualification or an ineligible rating. For guidance, see: USAJOBS - What should I leave out of my resume? For additional information: "USAJOBS - What should I leave out of my resume?".
• Required, if you are a current or former Federal employee:
  • SF-50: If you are a current or former federal employee applying under merit promotion procedures, you must submit a copy of your SF-50 (or an equivalent personnel action form) that verifies your permanent, competitive status. The SF-50 must show the following: Block 24 - Tenure: 1 -Permanent or 2 - Conditional; and Block 34 - Position Occupied: 1 - Competitive Service. See QUALIFICATIONS for additional information.
• Performance Appraisal: ALL APPLICANTS, regardless of eligibility(ies) selected, MUST submit their most recent completed (within the past 18 months) performance evaluation or appraisal, which shows a final rating. If an evaluation or rating is not available, you must provide a statement indicating the reason. If you do not submit an appropriate appraisal or statement, you WILL NOT receive consideration for this position.
• Required, Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable: 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(u) 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 Notification of Personnel Action for Competitive Appointment.
• Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
• Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
• Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
• Required, if you are applying as a Schedule (A) applicant: Must be signed by a licensed medical professional (such as a physician or other state-certified provider), a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (state or private), or a representative of a federal, state, or D.C./territorial agency that issues disability benefits. The letter must confirm your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102(u) to apply using Schedule A. It does not need to include details about your specific disability, medical history, or need for accommodation. This letter must be separate from any Veterans' Preference documentation. If you are selected and your Schedule A letter is more than three years old, you may be asked to provide an updated version. See "Sample" Letter.
• Required, if you are applying as a Veterans Employment Opportunity Act or 30% Disabled Veteran Eligible applicant: SF-15 Form, VA letter, and DD214 or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty within 120 days, under honorable conditions.
• Required, if you are eligible under Certain Family Members Eligible under E.O. 12721: Your most recent non-award SF-50 and performance appraisal.
• Required, if you are eligible under Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13832: A copy of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate). You must include verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage) AND Member 4 copy of the DD-214. See more information at USAJOBS Help Center - Military spouses
• Required, if you are eligible under Interchange Agreement with Other Merit Systems Eligible: Documentation of eligibility as listed in each individual interchange agreement.
• Former or current Political Appointees: OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50. Please see here.

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