PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST Job in Fort Gregg-Adams, VA

Vacancy No. DECA-25-12586750-DE Department Defense Commissary Agency
Salary $107,915.00 to $140,293.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/30/2024 Close Date 11/12/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Fort Gregg-Adams, VA


Summary

Serves as the Public Affairs Specialist in a Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) HQ location. The primary purpose is to manage the external communication program within the Office of Public Affairs. The incumbent serves as primary focal point for the public information program (external) providing information to news media and the general public, and performs a broad range of other duties encompassing public information, Web communications, and employee and executive communication.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Additional positions may be filled from this announcement. This announcement is open to All U.S. Citizens.

Duties

  • Formulating and implementing programs, procedures and tools to support the communication functions directly supporting commissaries.
  • Plans, initiates and implements comprehensive public affairs (PA) campaigns, web access, and outreach efforts.
  • Acts as the Commissary Public Affairs Liaison with various commands(Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Higher Headquarters.
  • Participates in decision making on information driven activities and advises management on possible public and media reactions to proposed policy statements or management actions.
  • Identifies to Director, Corporate Communications and other senior leaders/staff, the informational needs of the general public and various specialized DOD related groups within their assigned geographic territory.

Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We do not assume you have the necessary experience to successfully perform in this job regardless of your employment history or academic career.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Be a U.S. citizen or national. Applicants with a Permanent Resident Card are authorized to live and work in the U.S. but are not eligible for employment in positions requiring U.S. citizenship. If selected, proof of citizenship is required.
  • Meet minimum age requirement. See the Additional Information.
  • Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered with or exempt from Selective Service.
  • Appointment is subject to successful verification of identity and employment eligibility through E-Verify. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • Appointment is subject to a favorable suitability or fitness outcome, as determined by a completed background investigation. New federal employees will be fingerprinted.
  • Be able to obtain and maintain clearance eligibility based on the appropriate background investigation.
  • May be subject to a probationary/trial period.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • Meet the physical requirements identified in the Qualifications section.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain security clearance eligibility based on appropriate background investigation.

Qualifications

You must meet the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) qualifications for series 1035 and additional requirements by the announcement closing date.

Experience: One (1) year specialized equivalent to at least GS-12. Experience can be under other Federal service pay systems, private sector, or military.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:
  • Skills in Articulating issues across a wide range of commissary business components, including operations, engineering, finance and human resources.
  • Plans and directs all aspects of the organization's public affairs program to include: establishing and maintaining effective relationships with both internal and external publics.
  • Developing written and oral presentations transmitting information concerning programs and activities; evaluating programs; developing recommendations for improvement of public affairs program base on analysis of feedback from affected and interested audience.
You will receive credit for all relevant qualifying experience (paid and unpaid), including volunteer work done through National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).

Physical requirements:
(1) The work is generally sedentary and does not require any special physical demands.

As part of the online application process, you will respond to a series of questions designed to evaluate your level of experience in the position's competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics).

  • Minimum Qualifications GS-13
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Self-Management
  • Writing



Overtime: Occasional
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
Bargaining Unit Status: Not Covered
Obligated Position: No
Those retired under CSRS or FERS considered: No. DoD criteria not met.
Work environment: Most of work is performed in an office setting, although there will be travel to commissaries to support communication/public relations needs. Work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated
Telework eligible: Yes - as determined by the agency policy
Remote work eligible: No

Education

You may not use education to qualify for this position.

Additional information

Executive Order 12564 requires a federal workplace to be free of illegal drugs and prohibits the use of illegal drugs both on and off duty by federal employees. As a reminder, marijuana is still classified as an illegal drug by the Federal government and is prohibited for use by Federal employees even if such use is legal in the state where the Federal employee resides and/or works. The Defense Commissary Agency is a Drug-Free Federal Workplace where the use of illegal drugs will not be tolerated and may result in penalties up to and including removal from Federal service.

  • Upon first appointment to a civilian position in the Federal government, you are entitled only to the lowest step (Step 1) of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this announcement does not suggest or convey an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.
  • The minimum age requirement is generally 18 years. Employing those under 18 may be possible under certain circumstances. If under 18 years of age, ensure you provide documentation showing how you are eligible.
  • Applicants with financial difficulty are not automatically removed from consideration.
  • Selectees are required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • Retired military service members cannot be appointed to a Department of Defense (DoD) civilian position within 180 days of their retirement date. 5 United States Code 3326.
  • PCS Is Authorized: Most civilian PCS entitlements are now taxable. The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. More information is available at Civilian Relocation/PCS Tax Changes.
  • Travel by military/commercial aircraft and land transportation may be required in performance of officially assigned duties.

The following may result in a rating of ineligible. Ineligible applicants receive no consideration.
  • Submitting an incomplete application package, such as missing documents, illegible documents, and/or missing information necessary to determine qualifications and eligibility. A resume reflecting part-time (PT)/full-time (FT) or nothing rather than the number of hours worked per week (e.g., 40, 30, 20, etc.) may be considered incomplete.
  • Submitting encrypted documents or uploading Adobe portfolio documents.
  • Submitting any document that contains a photo or image of you.
  • Including social media links, inappropriate material or content, classified or government sensitive information, or personal information such as age, gender, race, religion, or social security number on your resume.
  • Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or questionnaire responses.
  • Deliberately attempting to falsify your application information, such as copying portions of this announcement into your resume.

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.

HR reviews your documents to determine if you are qualified and meet requirements. Your questionnaire score is a preliminary measure of how well your background matches the required competencies.

Under category rating procedures you are placed into one of three categories based on the evaluation results:


Best Qualified -Candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the position's minimum qualifications, including all selective placement factors and appropriate quality ranking factors.
Highly Qualified - Candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that exceeds the position's minimum qualifications.
Qualified- Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are proficient in some but not all of the position's requirements.

Candidates in the best qualified category are referred to hiring managers before candidates in other categories. Within the best qualified category, candidates are referred in the following order: adjudicated veterans' preference candidates with 10-point preference, adjudicated veterans' preference candidates with other than 10-point preference, military spouse preference candidates, and candidates with no preference.

HR refers qualified and appointable applicants to the hiring manager for selection consideration. Selections are subject to restrictions of the DoD referral system for displaced employees.

Neither preference nor priority entitles you to a Federal job. You must apply, meet the qualification standards and all additional requirements, and submit all necessary documents. Military spouses must be in the best qualified group in order to receive military spouse preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria AND 2) be rated well-qualified for the position AND 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. Well-qualified means you possess the type and quality of experience that exceeds the position's minimum qualifications.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the (RGP) eligibility. If you are claiming RGP and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant.


Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) (PPP MSP): In order to receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the(MSP) (PPP MSP) eligibility. If you are claiming MSP (PPP MSP) and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant.

Required Documents

Resume. Learn more about creating a suitable resume by watching this video or reading What to include. Using the USAJOBS Resume Builder will help you submit a complete resume. Applying for a Federal job requires more information than applying for a job in the private sector. Therefore, a resume is typically longer than two (2) pages and usually does not need to be more than five (5) pages.

At a minimum, your resume MUST contain:

  • Your name, address, phone, email address.
  • Job Title. Series and grade (Federal Positions only).
  • For each position held including employment beginning and ending dates (Month/Year).
  • Your resume should reflect a description of duties performed and that you are either Part-Time with the number of hours per week listed, Full Time or 40 hours per week as your work schedule.
Questionnaire. Preview at https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12586750.

SF 50 Notification of Personnel Action. Required for current and former federal employees. Submit a copy of your most recent SF 50 showing your current position title, pay plan-series-grade, tenure and position occupied. To obtain a copy of your SF 50, all current Department of Defense (DoD) employees can access MyBiz, employees receiving HR servicing from DLA can access eOPF and former civilian employees can request a copy from the National Archives.

Veterans Preference.
  • You must provide a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty or other acceptable documentation. The member 4 copy is preferred as it contains key information necessary to adjudicate your claimed preference. DD-214 Worksheets are not acceptable documentation, nor are other than a member 4 copy to which a member 4 Character of Service section is added. Contact the National Archives or your military personnel records center to request a copy of your DD-214.
  • Those claiming 10-point preference must submit a completed SF 15 Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (For Veterans and Relatives of Veterans) and all required proof listed on the reverse of the SF 15. Note that a letter from the VA that contains the following may be sufficient instead of a SF-15: Dates of service, Discharge status, and Disability rating. Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs or call 1-800-827-1000 to obtain a copy of the VA letter establishing proof of disability. The character of service shown on the VA letter is not used to adjudicate veterans' preference as only the branch of service in which the individual served can certify the character of service for appointment purposes.
  • Current active duty armed forces personnel within 120 days of separation must submit written documentation from the armed forces certifying that the service member is expected to be separated from active duty service not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. The document must include the following information: (1) service member's name, (2) date of the expected separation from active duty, (3) expected character of the active duty service at separation, (4) pay grade/rank/rate at separation, (5) dates of active duty service, and (6) any campaign or expeditionary medals received. You must submit the DD-214 when it becomes available.
ICTAP eligibility: Submit (1) a copy of your agency specific ICTAP eligibility notice or a copy of your separation personnel action form and (2) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and (3) a copy of your most recent SF 50 or agency notification of personnel action showing your current position, grade level, and duty location. Separation personnel actions do not include a certificate/notice of expected separation.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP) eligibility: 1. Submit a signed Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist DD3145-1 (whs.mil. 2. a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) effecting the placement in retained grade status; or a copy of the notification letter you received regarding the RIF or classification downgrade.


Military Spouse Preference: Submit (1) the Self-Certification Checklist and (2) proof of marriage to the military service member (e.g., marriage certificate, marriage license), and (3) a copy of the military service member's PCS orders.

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

Your complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 11/12/2024.

You are responsible for verifying your application package is complete, accurate, and submitted timely. As uploaded documents may take one or more hours to clear the virus scan, plan accordingly to ensure your application process is complete and your application package is submitted by the specified closing date and time.

To begin, click Apply to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your resume, required documents, and/or other supporting documents. You need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply or create an account before applying. You will be taken to an online application. Follow all prompts and complete the online application, verify you've included all required and supporting documentation, and submit your application. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application is found at the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To receive consideration, you must complete all steps of the application process.

You can verify your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, selecting the Application Status link, and then selecting the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page displays your application status, the documents received and processed, and your questionnaire responses.

Agency contact information

DeCA HQ Servicing team
Phone
614-692-2331
Fax
215-516-6088
Email
DHRCDDECAHQ@DLA.MIL
Address
DECA HQ
1300 Eisenhower Street
Fort Gregg-Adams, VA 23801
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Notices post to your USAJOBS account and are emailed to you. You can expect to receive a notice when you complete the application process, when your qualifications status is determined (qualified or not qualified), and when your referral status is determined (referred or not). If you are referred but not selected, you can expect to receive a final notice after the hiring manager makes a selection.

The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews and may conduct telephone interviews to preclude travel hardships for applicants. Someone from the hiring agency (i.e., DeCA) will contact you if the hiring manager decides to interview you.

Should you receive a tentative job offer, be aware such offers are automatically withdrawn if you fail to (1) record an acceptance or declination by the response date provided in the offer notice and/or (2) meet any pre-employment requirements, including a scheduled appointment. If you receive a job offer, use a computer to submit your response rather than a mobile/cell phone.


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


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