PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST Job in Reno, NV

Vacancy No. NV-12617604-AF-24-101 Department Air National Guard Units
Salary $60,115.00 to $78,149.00 Grade 9 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/19/2024 Close Date 11/18/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Reno, NV


Summary

This position is for a PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST, PD# D2383000, part of the Nevada Air National Guard. This position is under direct supervision of the wing commander. The primary purpose of this position is to carry-out a wide range of public affairs assignments that include social media, media operations, community engagement, command information, communication planning, contingency/crisis response, environmental, security, policy review, and public affairs resource management.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE NEVADA AIR NATIONAL GUARD *** This is an open continuous announcement. The initial cutoff date for this position will be 19 DEC 2024. Recruitment will continue through the announcement date until the position is filled ***

Duties

1. Prepares internal and external public affairs products for distribution through social media, DVIDS, wing website, and release to civilian media, as applicable. Researches and writes stories/articles and rewrites material intended for distribution. Shoots related photos and video, as required. Edits and revises products for style, format and content; and, reviews and edits photography and artwork for quality and composition. May design overall products. Accesses public affairs' products to DVIDS per current DoD procedures. Responds to requests for information, materials, and support; and, plans and conducts community engagement activities with community officials and groups. Maintains an active web/social media presence; provides visual information services for documentation and/or publicity purposes; and, plans and arranges news media coverage. For approved events, coordinates support of requests from community and community groups, schools, news media organizations, and others to include requests for interviews, speakers, tours, bands, honor guards, and aviation support and support of local observances and celebrations. Prepares and ensures distribution of customer satisfaction/opinion surveys on internal information products. Evaluates feedback to determine customer needs and uses comments to improve future output. Makes positive suggestions to the supervisor for changes in approach and adoption of new techniques.

2. Performs work for the production/management/maintenance of electronic and web-based information products. Implements and ensures the quality of the Hometown News Release program. Publicizes the programs, monitors, logs, and disseminates releases. Writes draft and final versions of news releases, feature articles, speeches, fact sheets, and brochures for internal and external audiences. Updates unit mission briefings and develops additional informational briefings as needed. Confers with program specialists, action officers, and other subject matter experts to obtain the latest and most accurate information and imagery approved for public releases. Prepares requests for photographer or graphic support; takes photographs; and, selects and edits photographs and electronic images to accompany articles and media releases. Provides historical documentation support. Provides photographic and video support for alert mission to include mishaps. Performs security reviews on information placed on the unit's public web-page and social media feed(s). Assists in the overall design of unit's web "home-page".

3. Organizes, coordinates, publicizes and conducts periodic events with local organizations such as, community councils, local governments, Chamber of Commerce, and, state and national legislative offices. Assists with organizing and conducting larger events such as, Civic Leader Tours, Base Open-House activities, and Armed Forces Days, which are designed to promote positive relations between the base and surrounding communities. Accomplishes administrative support work such as, preparing correspondence, press kits and handouts, arranging for passes, and compiling data. Responds to and processes requests from community organizations and individuals for military support and/or participation in various events such as, orientation flights, PA travel on military aircraft, flyovers, parades, fairs, and conventions. Assists in evaluating the events' primary purpose, potential risk factors, and benefits to the ANG. Recommends speakers and assists in training unit members for speaking engagements. Provides speech materials, topics, and objectives used by wing personnel. Organizes, coordinates and conducts wing tours for civic groups, media representatives, students and distinguished visitors. Ensures tour itineraries focus on improving ANG image and furthering base community relations and involvement activities. Prepares and monitors materials for the commander's civil leader/distinguished visitor program. Briefs visitors on the ANG and Wing's mission, impacts and contributions to DoD, the Air Force, and the community.

4. Responds, in a timely manner, to media queries concerning special events, mobilizations, exercises, aircraft incidents, or accidents. Clears responses with appropriate authority before releasing information. Confers with subject matter experts to obtain latest and most accurate information for use in news releases on social media, radio, TV networks, newspapers or other public forums. Coordinates and responds to news media inquiries on the mission, capabilities, impacts, and contributions of the base. Assists the PAO in advising wing leadership on DoD, Air Force, and ANG policy concerning release of information to the public. Provides media training on a just-in-time basis for wing personnel. Assists PAO in establishing and maintaining positive relationships and on-going contacts with local news media representatives.

5. Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

MILITARY REQUIREMENTS:

Compatible military grade and assignment required prior to the effective date of placement.
In compliance with Title 32 United States Code, the compatible military skill set is determined by the applicable service manpower requirements. Upon selection, individuals are assigned to the authorized position and its compatible military skill in accordance with Air force skill classification directives, statutes, and National Guard Bureau regulations. The Dual Status technician must obtain and maintain all military skill requirements in regard to training, education, certifications, experience. If you are not sure you are eligible for military membership, please contact a National Guard recruiter prior to applying for this position.

Compatible Military Assignment:
ENLISTED:
E-4 thru E-6
COMPATIBLE MOS / DAFSC: 46S or 3N0X1

*Other Requirements & Conditions of Employment:
- National Guard Membership is required.
- Males born after 31 December 1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
- Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position.
- May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
- Must maintain local network access.
- Wear the uniform appropriate for the members' grade and component of the armed forces, maintaining standards of conduct and appearance.
- This position is covered by the Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Amendment (30 Sep 96) of the Gun Control Act (Lautenberg Amendment) of 1968. An individual convicted of a qualifying crime of domestic violence may not perform the duties of this position.
- Ability to establish effective professional working relationships with coworkers and customers, contributing to a cooperative working environment and successful accomplishment of the mission.
- May occasionally be required to work other than normal duty hours; overtime may be required.
-The duties and responsibilities of your job may significantly impact the environment. You are responsible to maintain awareness of your environmental responsibilities as dictated by legal and regulatory requirements, your organization, and its changing mission.
- For positions requiring the operation of motor vehicles, candidates must have a valid state driver's license.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Education requirement is based upon the qualification standards for the specific position and is stated under the heading "EDUCATION". Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities, as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific in describing your experience. EACH APPLICANT MUST FULLY SUBSTANTIATE (IN THEIR OWN WORDS) THAT THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE LISTED BELOW; OTHERWISE, THE APPLICANT WILL BE CONSIDERED UNQUALIFIED FOR THIS POSITION. DO NOT COPY FROM THE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT OR THE POSITION DESCRIPTION OR YOU MAY BE DISQUALIFIED.

GENERAL EXPERIENCE: Must have experience, education or training in administrative, professional, investigative and/or technical work, experiencing evaluating information and/or using analytical skills to disseminate effective communication, experience in compiling reports, letters, memoranda, etc., and required person-to-person contacts to convey information, and experience using computers and automation systems.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Must have experience, education, or training involving knowledge of writing, communication principles, methods and techniques that relate to the public affairs of an agency, experience in applying and adapting knowledge of strictly controlled situations of an agency, experience writing articles on routine events of non-controversial subjects, experience responding timely and appropriately to requests for information concerning agency programs and services, and experience participating in meetings with specialized groups to listen to and understand feedback on agency programs that are of particular interest to public.

Education

There is no specific education requirement for this position. The applicant's record of experience and/or training must show possession of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to fully perform the duties of the position.

You must provide transcripts or other documentation to support your Training/Educational claims. To receive credit for Training/Education, you must provide documentation of proof that you meet the Training/Education requirements for this position.

Additional information

- If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency (https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).
- This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.
- Applicants who feel they have restoration rights to this position should contact the HRO.
- Military Incentives - Bonuses and Student Loan Repayment Program: If you are selected for this position, you may lose your eligibility for your National Guard Enlistment/Reenlistment Bonus and/or Student Loan Repayment Program incentives. In order to avoid losing your incentive eligibility, you should check with your incentives manager prior to accepting an offer for the position.
- Participation in Direct Deposit is mandatory.

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: In accordance with the State Merit Placement Plan, candidates will be considered in order of their area of consideration category as appropriate.

TERM POSITIONS: "Temporary-Not to Exceed" (TEMP) and "Temporary-Indefinite" (INDEFINITE) are considered to be TERM positions and are limited in duration to 4 years maximum. Employees reaching maximum TERM appointment limit of 4 years may be terminated.

CONVERSION OF TERM (TEMPORARY/INDEFINITE) POSITIONS: Positions advertised as TEMP or INDEFINITE may be non-competitively converted to INDEFINITE or PERMANENT without further competition at a future date contingent upon available funding. For TEMP PROMOTIONS, position may be non-competitively converted upon expiration of the incumbent's USERRA rights.

RECRUITMENT/RELOCATION INCENTIVE: Recruitment and/or Relocation incentives may be available, if eligible. Incentives are subject to funding availability and TAG-NV approval and are not guaranteed.

PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): PCS funding is NOT authorized. If you do not reside in the location of the position, you will be required to relocate at your own expense.

SELECTED RESERVE INCENTIVE PROGRAM: Acceptance of this position will cause termination of Federal bonuses pursuant to respective Selected Reserve Incentive Programs (SRIP). This termination may be with or without recoupment of payments already made.

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.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the Occupational Questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities/competencies related to the job requirements:

  • Knowledge of various public affairs production and editing processes, to include researching, story writing (journalism), photography, videography (broadcast journalism), graphic design, and project management.
  • Ability to work under time constraints to meet deadlines and respond to inquiries as requested.
  • Possess strong communication skills, both orally and written, to facilitate interviews, periodic news releases, social media posts, and working with outside agencies.
If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities or you may be found ineligible/not qualified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package. Completed application package includes the following:
NOTE: Failure to submit a completed application package including the following required documentation will result in your application being disqualified.

1. Your resume: Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. In describing your experience, please be clear and concise, we will not make assumptions regarding your experience. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy. NOTE: Copying directly from the vacancy announcement or position description may result in disqualification.

  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your position was in the civil service, it must also include the grade and series for all positions held. If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.
2. OF-306 - Declaration for Federal Employment
You will find the OF-306 at this link: https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf
NOTE: Do not answer questions 9 through 13 on page 1 of the OF-306 titled, "Background Information". This information will be collected during pre-employment screening should you receive a conditional offer of employment.

3. SF-181 (Ethnicity and Race Identification)
You will find the SF-181 at this link: https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf181.pdf

4. Completed Assessment Questionnaire - Completed as part of the USA Jobs application process.

5. RIP (Record on Individual Personnel) - uploaded to the required "OTHER" area of the online application manager. RIP must be no more than 90 days old at the time of application. Army personnel submit current Personnel Qualification Record (PQR).

6. Any additional supporting documentation (i.e. certificates, licenses, transcripts, etc.) used to support qualifications demonstrated in resume and/or required by Qualifications Required section.

NOTE:
  • Documents NOT accepted: photographs, copies of position descriptions, performance ratings, and awards .
  • Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position.
  • If multiple copies of the same document are uploaded and submitted with your application, only the last copy of the document uploaded will be considered when determining your eligibility and qualifications. For example, if you upload two or more resumes only the last resume uploaded and submitted will be considered.
  • Applicants CANNOT be contacted for any required documents listed above. Applicants who submit INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS will receive a rating of INELIGIBLE. Requests for reconsideration will not be considered for applicants who fail to submit a complete application package. We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, erroneous fax transmissions, etc.

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 apply for this position, you must complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12617604

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (8:59 PM Pacific Time) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.

Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

You will be taken to the Occupational Questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the Occupational Questionnaire, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

DO NOT Email applications directly to the HRO unless there are extenuating circumstances, Please Call the HRO contact listed in the event of extenuating circumstances.

Agency contact information

Catherine Grush
Address
NV 152 AW FMDT
1776 National Guard Way
Reno, NV 89502-4494
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.


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