Clarification from the agency

U.S. Department of State employees within the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, and CTAP employees only.

• Utilizes a mastery of communication methods, practices, and techniques to independently plan, design, drafts, and finalize complex strategy and communications plans.
• Ensures communication planning reflects and aligns with the strategic policy priorities of the White House and Secretary of State and the long-range goals of the Department.
• Provides the Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretaries with summaries of outside opinion leaders and of the on-going policy dialogue with the government pertaining to strategic communications.
• Advises on and updates standard operating procedures to aid the team in accomplishing its coordination.
• Safeguards and protects classified material, preventing any unauthorized disclosure. Safeguards and protects Privacy Act Information (PII) from unauthorized release.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.   

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Experience independently designing and implementing complex strategic communications plans for the White House and Secretary of State foreign policy priorities. 
• Experience serving in an advisory role within public affairs and strategic communications team, providing guidance on communication methods and problem-solving techniques. 
• Experience establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with public affairs offices within the Bureau of Global Public Affairs (GPA), and other government agencies.
• Experience coordinating messaging and developing innovative, data-driven outreach strategies designed to effectively engage and inform public audiences on Department's foreign policy priorities.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-14 position.

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, a review of your resume limited to two pages will be conducted and evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications for this position. The evaluation process consists of an online assessment and a subject matter expert review of your resume. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Ability to work effectively with staff, senior official, congress, foreign and domestic.
• Knowledge of diverse media  technologies.
• Ability to plan and organize.
• Knowledge of program management techniques.
• Skill in working on a variety of projects tasks while meeting deadlines.
• Ability to communicate in writing.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration.

Resume review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Your resume should demonstrate how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience statement. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded in your resume will not be opened.). If meeting basic qualifications through education only or a combination of education and experience, applicants will not be referred to the SME panel but will be reviewed by the HR Specialist for referral. 

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be considered well-qualified for the position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority. To be considered well-qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement.

1. Resume limited to 2 pages showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions. Resumes longer than 2 pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

2. Performance appraisal, if applicable. Most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the rating official and in original format) annual performance appraisal must be submitted by reinstatement eligible applicants applying to a position with a higher grade or more promotion potential than previously held and current or former Land Management employees.

All other current and former Federal employees are strongly encouraged to submit their performance appraisal for the hiring manager’s consideration. If not available, you may provide a statement from you and/or your supervisor with an explanation along with your servicing HR Office contact information.

You may be requested to provide an appraisal to the hiring official if one was not provided with your application.  To receive a promotion, the current Federal employee’s most recent performance rating must be “fully successful” or an equivalent level or higher. Employees who are tentatively selected to receive a promotion will be required to provide performance documentation within 2 business days of request. Servicing HR Offices may be contacted to verify performance ratings.

3. Most recent SF-50s (Notification of Personnel Actions), if you are a current or former Federal employee (including those applying under a non-competitive, special hiring authority, or ICTAP/CTAP eligibles). The SF-50s must show: effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information (e.g., promotion, within-grade increase, and separation SF-50s). Award SF-50s often do not show the required information. 

4. Non-competitive or special hiring authority eligibility documentation, if applicable. (e.g., Schedule A individuals with disabilities, RPCV or AmeriCorp VISTA volunteer, Fulbright/Gilman/CLS alumni, etc.)

5. ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, RIF separation SF-50 personnel action (ICTAP only, if available), most recent SF-50 (CTAP/ICTAP), certification of expected separation, etc.) In addition, submit a copy of your current or last performance rating of record which must be at least fully successful or equivalent and submit all required documents listed above that apply to you.

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