Summary

This is a TEMPORARY, INTERMITTENT position located in Office of the Executive Director, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. The incumbent serves as a Public Affairs Officer responsible for providing expertise in public diplomacy in Washington and at overseas posts, communicating with and through a variety of media to promote U.S. interests abroad.

This announcement is for up to 2 vacancies.

This job is open to

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Duties

Advises Chief of Mission by assessing the impact of U.S. interests of developments in the host country, evaluating the impact of U.S. policies and programs on public opinion with host country, and suggesting tactics to attain U.S. objectives.
Supports the Public Affairs Section at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate by advising on planning and monitoring day-to-day work to meet objectives.
Analyzes information, writing, and special reports and interprets developments of interest to the U.S. Government to ensure the Public Diplomacy section is fully prepared with messaging information.
Formulates and coordinates implementation of the Bureau's press and outreach plans to explain initiatives and issues to the American people through media outlets, civic groups, and academic and public interest fora.
Produces written information, brochures, and media materials relating to U.S. policy and goals. Plans, organizes, and arranges the interviews, roundtables, etc.

Requirements

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.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

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 advising senior U.S. Government leaders (e.g., Chief of Mission, Deputy Chief of Mission, or equivalent) on public diplomacy, public affairs, or strategic communications in an overseas or international affairs environment.
Experience leading the planning, coordination, and evaluation of public diplomacy, strategic communications, or outreach and engagement strategies supporting U.S. priorities overseas, including in complex or sensitive cross-cultural environments.
Experience analyzing foreign political, social, or media environments and producing written products that inform senior-level U.S. foreign policy decision-making.
Experience creating and coordinating communications materials and high-visibility public engagements in an international setting, ensuring accurate, timely messaging aligned with U.S. Government priorities.

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

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.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at OAA@state.gov.
If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

In accordance with 5 CFR § 890.102 (3), employees serving in a temporary appointment not to exceed one (1) year with an intermittent work schedule (no regular work schedule), limited to a maximum of 1040 hours in an appointment period are not eligible for 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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

Knowledge of U.S. society, foreign relations, and world events.
Knowledge of the media environment as well as the principles and techniques of journalism.
Ability to understand trends in public and media attitudes.
Ability to work effectively with staff, senior officials, congress, and foreign or domestic news media.
Ability to clearly and accurately communicate complex information to all audiences.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here.

Qualified candidates are assigned a score between 70 and 100. Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority. If, after reviewing your resume and self-assessment questionnaire responses and a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, a score will be manually determined that reflects your documented experience. This may result in a lower score, which may also eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this job opportunity. Your application package must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

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

1. Resume limited to two 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 two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

2. Performance appraisal. Submit your 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.

3. ICTAP/CTAP eligibility documentation (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, RIF separation SF-50 personnel action (ICTAP only, if available), most recent SF-50 (ICTAP or CTAP), certification of expected separation, 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

Prepare your application in USAJOBS

To start your application, click Apply and we’ll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents.

During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit your resume. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency’s Civil Service selection process site.

Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

Alternate Application Procedures

If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.

Agency contact information

Kathryn E. Phelan

Phone: 771-204 4482
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: PERT-TS-REA@state.gov

Address: U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of State
1999 Dyess Ave
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States

Next steps

After all application packages are received, we will review applications and evaluate applicants’ qualifications. Then, in approximately two weeks after this announcement closes, we will refer candidates, as described in the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section, to the hiring manager for selection consideration. Your application status will be updated up to four times during the following hiring phases:

After applications are received.
After applications are assessed to determine qualifications.
After candidates are referred to the hiring manager.
After a selection is made.

For the selected candidates who receive a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation that generally takes an average of at least two to six months.

Public Affairs Specialist Job in Washington, DC