Clarification from the agency

Current FCC Employees Only

• Exercises full authority over the Commission’s strategic communications, media engagement policy, public dissemination systems, and official messaging and serves as the Commission’s senior advisor on public communications strategy.
• Establishes and directs Commission-wide public affairs policy.
• Develops, approves, and implements agency-wide media relations policies, procedures, and strategic communications frameworks governing all FCC bureaus and offices.
• Serves as principal advisor to the Chairman and Commissioners on strategic communications, media positioning, public messaging risk, and dissemination of regulatory or other Commission actions.
• Exercises final authority over official press releases, statements, media advisories, public event communications, and external messaging prior to public dissemination.
  Determines Commission-wide communications priorities and allocates OMR resources accordingly.
• Oversees the development and execution of strategic communications plans for major Commission rule-makings, enforcement actions, spectrum auctions, and high-profile regulatory proceedings.
• Directs and controls Commission information dissemination systems including Daily Digest, EDOCS coordination, website governance, and multimedia communication platforms.
• Represents the FCC in high-level dealings with national media, trade press, Congressional staff, Executive Branch officials, telecommunications industry leadership, and public interest organizations.
• Exercises full supervisory and managerial authority. Establishes organizational structure, staffing plans, performance standards, and budget justifications for OMR. Makes final determinations on significant personnel actions including selections, performance ratings, disciplinary actions, awards, and organizational restructuring.
• Oversees crisis communications and directs agency-wide rapid response efforts in matters of national importance or significant public controversy.
• Evaluates long-term communications trends and implements modernization strategies to enhance transparency and public access.
• Serves as the authoritative FCC spokesperson or designates spokesperson authority.

Conditions of employment

• FCC Employees Only.
• Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation.
• Current FCC employees must provide SF-50 verifying grade & status.
• Resume must not exceed two pages and must meet resume format criteria.

In order to be considered for this position, applicants must:

-Currently be employed in the Federal Communications Commission in positions serving under career or career conditional appointments.

ALL FCC EMPLOYEES MUST provide a legible Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade.  If an SF-50 is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible. To request a copy of your SF-50 please send an email to PersonnelRecordsRequest@fcc.gov

Qualifications

Interested candidates should be passionate about the ideals of our American republic, committed to upholding the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, and committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government. Hiring decisions will not be based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.  Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.  

GS-15

IN ORDER TO BE DEEMED AS QUALIFIED, CANDIDATES MUST HAVE ONE YEAR OF SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO THE GS-14 GRADE LEVEL IN THE FEDERAL SERVICE. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE IS DEFINED AS:

1. Experience developing, approving, and implementing agency-wide media relations policies, procedures, and strategic communications frameworks governing FCC Bureaus/Offices.
2. Experience serving as principal advisor to the Chairman and Commissioners on strategic communications, media positioning, public messaging risk, and dissemination of regulatory or other Commission actions.
3. Experience overseeing the development and execution of strategic communications plans for major Commission rule-makings, enforcement actions, spectrum auctions, and high-profile regulatory proceedings.
4. Experience leading, managing or supervising public affairs staff.
5. Experience representing the FCC in high-level dealings with national media, trade press, Congressional staff, Executive Branch officials, telecommunications industry leadership, and public interest organizations.
6. Experience exercising final authority over official press releases, statements, media advisories, public event communications, and external messaging prior to public dissemination.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Optional Four Essay Questions

At the time of application, applicants have the option of answering the following four short, free-response essay questions.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
3. How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Applicants will be required to certify that they are using their own words, and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question.

All applicants will be rated on the extent and quality of experience and education relevant to the duties of the position.  An automated score is administered based on the on-line application process used.  Eligible applicants will receive a numerical rating based on their responses to the job specific questions for this position.

There are several parts to the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application including:

1. the core questions
2. the vacancy questions
3. supplemental documentation (e.g., DD-214, SF-50, SF-15, transcripts), if applicable; and
4. your resume.

Applicants will be rated ineligible, if they do not respond to job specific questions provide supplemental documents and submit resume.  For more information, please click on Rating Process

HR will review your application to determine if you meet the following required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) in addition to meeting the required specialized experience criteria.

Competencies

• Expert ability to direct, manage and oversee agency-wide communications strategies.
• Expert ability to serve as an executive advisor on strategic communications, media positioning, public messaging risk, and dissemination of regulatory or other Commission actions.
• Expert ability to lead, manage or oversee staff performing public affairs work.
• Expert ability to develop and direct public affairs policy.
• Expert ability to successfully execute agency wide strategic communications plans.

If you are deemed to be qualified by HR, your application will be referred to the hiring manager for hiring consideration. Alternatively, if your application is not deemed as qualified, your application will not be referred to the hiring manager for hiring consideration.

Merit Hiring Plan Resume Requirements

In compliance with Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service resumes must not be longer than two pages in length. The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement.

Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below:

Contact Information

Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number.

Relevant Work Experience

• Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions)
• Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 –08/2022)
• The number of hours you worked per week

Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement.

Resumes must be formatted as outlined above. If the two page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration.

The FCC is providing the following applicant resume resources: 

• Applicant Guidance on the Two-Page Resume Limit
• USAjobs-How to Write a Federal Resume

ALL SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENTS MUST BE UPLOADED BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.  If applying online poses a hardship, you may contact either the HR Specialist listed on the vacancy announcement or you may contact the Monster Government Solutions help desk (prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement) via e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or you may reach them directly at 866-656-6831. The Monster Help Desk is available Monday-Friday 7:00 am to 7:00 pm EST.

Supplement Documents Required: Employees must provide a legible Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade.  If an SF-50 is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible.

ALL FCC EMPLOYEES MUST provide a legible Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade.  If an SF-50 is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible. To request a copy of your SF-50 please send an email to PersonnelRecordsRequest@fcc.gov

Next steps