PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST Job in Bismarck, ND

Vacancy No. ND-12724161-AR-25-051 Department Army National Guard Units
Salary $105,383.00 to $137,000.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/4/2025 Close Date 6/14/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Bismarck, ND


Summary

THIS IS A ND NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 5 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION.
Military membership is NOT required.

This ND National Guard position is for aPUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST, Position Description Number T5276000 and is part of the ND JOINT STAFF, National Guard.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Open current ND Army National Guard Federal Employees (T5/T32).

Duties

As the Public Affairs Specialist, you will be responsible for all Army and Air National Guard public, community and media relations within the state and for providing supervision and direction to the staff of the Joint Force Headquarters - State (JFHQ-State), Public Affairs Office, as well as field and unit public affairs specialists and Mobile Public Affairs Detachments (MPADs) personnel covering the region.

  • Serves as the JFHQ-State Public Affairs Officer, directly reporting to the Adjutant General (TAG).
  • Serves as the official spokesperson for the Adjutant General on controversial and complex issues before the representatives of the print and broadcast media and national organizations (i.e., Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Army (DA), Department of Air Force DAF), etc - and national organizations, such as Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, NGAUS, etc.), the general public and special interest groups.
  • Accurately and promptly responds, in written and oral form, to information requests from the public and queries from the news media.
  • The JFHQ-State PAO interacts and coordinates with multiple state and federal homeland defense and homeland security agencies, to include the state's emergency response departments and various federal agencies (i.e., Department of Energy (DOE), FEMA, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), DHS).
  • Provides expertise, assistance and consultation to the TAG and state National Guard field offices in initiating and maintaining effective working relationships with the general public, specialized groups, the news media and community and governmental entities using National Guard capabilities and services in support of state or federal homeland defense missions.
  • The JFHQ-State PAO is responsible for the content of any and all publicly accessible NG websites emanating in the state, or units usually assigned in the state.
  • Provides professional, seasoned analysis and advice to the Adjutant General, the TAG's staff and senior state National Guard leadership.
  • Supervises and/or oversees a subordinate work force of state and federal military and civilian personnel in the JFHQ-State Public Affairs Office and/or the field or unit PAOs.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Participation in direct deposition is mandatory.
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance.
  • 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.
  • Irregular and overtime (compensatory) hours may be required to support operational requirements or contingencies.
  • The employee may be required to travel in military and/or commercial aircraft to perform temporary duty assignments.
  • The work will require the employee to drive a motor vehicle and if so, an appropriate valid driver’s license is required.
  • Position is considered Essential Personnel and may be subject to duty in preparation for, or in response to, a state emergency or disaster declaration. This designation will not exceed 14 calendar days per year unless approved in advance by the TAG.

Qualifications

PCS STATEMENT: PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION COSTS WILL NOT BE PAID FOR THIS POSITION.

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE
Length of time is not of itself qualifying. Candidates' experience should be evaluated on the basis of duties performed rather than strictly on the rank of the individual; however, established compatibility criteria/assignments must be followed. 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.
Verbiage displayed on your resume or application must contain your own words. You may refer to position descriptions, i.e. the general and specialized experience located within the vacancy announcement, to assist with describing work experiences; however, resumes or applications received in verbatim will not be considered. In your resume you will need to address the general and specialized experience listed below. Please use as much detail as needed, giving dates (months and years) of the experience, position title and how the experience was gained. This information is needed to determine if you are qualified for the position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicant must possess the required one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level or civilian equivalent which includes: 1) Prepare multi-media information materials, review and write communication products for consistency; conduct research, write speeches in relation to mission areas; 2) Knowledge of public affairs strategies, practices, principles, policies, methods and techniques to allow incumbent to modify standard methods and adapt approaches in developing new information materials to enhance understanding of targeted audiences; 3) Experience making on-the-spot presentations to audiences with opposing points of view or erroneous understanding of agency positions: 4) Experience responding timely and appropriately to requests for information concerning agency programs and services; 5) Experience in managing an office of three or more employees; 6) Experience which includes leading, directing and assigning work of personnel; and 7) Executing social media strategies.

You must also possess the experience, training or education to support your claim for the competency statements listed within the assessment questionnaire. Refer to "How you will be Evaluated" section of this announcement.

Part-time or unpaid experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the number of hours per week spent in such employment.

Education

To receive credit for education, you must provide supporting documentation of proof that you meet the 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).

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 announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Communication Counsel
  • Planning and execution
  • Public Affairs Policies and Procedures

Required Documents

There are tools to assist with resumes and the federal application process located on the NDNG public website which will help with applying for jobs through USA Jobs - https://www.ndguard.nd.gov/job-opportunities

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
NOTE:Ensure you have removed social security numbers from all documentation.

1. YOUR RESUME MUST HAVE COMPLETE INFORMATION. Please ensure your resume accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities under each position you have held with each employer. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. It is your responsibility to make sure your resume states complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/DD/YYYY; and total hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.

2. A copy of your recent SF 50.

3. Other Supporting Documents. The following supporting documents may be required to support your claim SF-15, DD 214, Transcripts, Certifications, Course completion certificates, three work related references, and Other(s) as applicable.

It may be in your best interest to submit a separate document addressing the competency statements.

Applicant may be asked to provide last three performance appraisals (if available).


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 below. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12724161

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) 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 online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, 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/.

Agency contact information

April Vinchattle
Address
ND JOINT STAFF
PO Box 5511
Bismarck, ND 58506-5511
US

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.


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