Writer-Editor

Clarification from the agency

Current federal employees who hold or held a non-temporary career or career-conditional appointment. Persons eligible for reinstatement. Persons eligible for non-competitive appointment under special hiring authorities. Veterans' preference eligibles or veterans who have been separated from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions after substantially completing at least 3 consecutive years of active duty. Military Spouses.

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office of Audits. The OIG conducts and supervises independent audits, investigations, and inspections of the programs and operations of DHS, and recommends ways for DHS to carry out its responsibilities in the most effective, efficient, and economical manner possible. The OIG also seeks to deter, identify, and address fraud, abuse, mismanagement, and waste of taxpayer funds invested in Homeland Security.

The Office of Audits oversees financial and performance audits, as well as attestation engagements. These audits cover multiple functional and program areas, such as financial statements, cyber security, acquisitions, grants, critical infrastructure, disasters, law enforcement and terrorism, immigration, and transportation security. Auditors examine DHS programs or activities in a formalized, detailed, and in-depth way. As a Writer-Editor, the incumbent helps project teams produce reports and other written products that present the results of OIG audits and reviews persuasively, comprehensively, and understandably to stakeholders, Congress, the media, and the public. The incumbent uses communications strategies, analytical methods, critical thinking, knowledge of language and writing principles, and a general knowledge of audit methods to understand and improve the delivery of complex information to diverse audiences. Duties include:

• Using knowledge of language and writing principles and analytical methods to help project teams create, revise, and finalize reports and related documents that clearly explain and present the results of audits and reviews of Department of Homeland Security programs and operations, which generally include substantive issues with policy implications. Assisting as needed with other written products, such as testimony, memorandums, correspondence, communications suitable for digital media, briefing material for oral presentations, and mandated semiannual and annual reports.

• Working cooperatively and tactfully with a wide range of project teams, as well as managers, giving advice and guidance and ensuring teams' analytical techniques, project findings, and conclusions are described in well-organized, clear, concise, and easily understood reports and other relevant documents. Helping teams use "plain language" to convey technical and sensitive information clearly and concisely, thus ensuring reports are understandable to a wide audience without sacrificing thoroughness, accuracy, and nuance. Helping teams select pertinent information to include in written products; determine the most logical and effective organization; ensure narrative is fair and balanced; identify and resolve deficiencies in writing; create visual aids to better convey analysis; and increase interest in, and attention to, reports.

• Consistently applying OIG's writing guidelines and other style practices, plain language principles, and grammar and punctuation rules to reports and other documents. Editing reports to ensure proper grammar, punctuation, and sentence and paragraph structure.
• Using expert oral communication skills to explain, advocate, or negotiate with individuals and groups, internally and externally, to resolve complex problems and arrive at a common understanding of issues.
• Advising and helping develop and/or conducting informal and formal training to improve staff writing skills. This may include developing and presenting, virtually or in person, training materials and guidance to promote professionally written products.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must be able to obtain Top/secret SCI security clearance.
• You will be required to undergo periodic drug testing.
• Selective Service registration required.
• Completion of one-year probationary period may be required.
• Submission of Performance Appraisal is mandatory.
• Financial disclosure is required.

Qualifications

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

If you are a current federal employee, you must meet all time-in-grade and time-after competitive appointment qualifications by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. To make an accurate determination, you will need to include on your resume your federal position title, pay plan, occupational series, grade level, agency, dates for which you held the grade level (stated as MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY, OR MM/YYYY to PRESENT), and total hours worked per week. 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).

You must meet the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for the Writer-Editor position, as described below:

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Specialized experience for this position include:

1) Using communications strategies, analytical methods, critical thinking, knowledge of language and writing principles, and a general knowledge of audit methods to help organizations and project teams draft, revise, and produce written products, such as report outlines, draft and final reports, congressional testimony, correspondence, briefing materials, and products suitable for digital media;

2) Consistently applying relevant writing guidelines and other style practices, plain language principles, and grammar and punctuation rules to reports and other documents; identifying and resolving deficiencies in writing; and editing written products to ensure proper grammar, punctuation, and sentence and paragraph structure; and

3) Ensuring an organization's and project teams' written products are clear, accurate, understandable, and accessible to a wide audience, and compliant with appropriate writing guidelines and principles.

If you are selected for an interview, a writing exercise may be administered as part of the interview process.

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.

The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date 07/17/2026of this announcement.

Current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade level or equivalent grade band in the federal service. The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date 07/17/2026of this announcement.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education, and training will be rated using a job questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:

• Advice and Guidance
• Cooperation and Teamwork
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length.

• Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
• Your responses to the job questionnaire
• Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held; your current promotion potential and proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.
• Are you a veteran? You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility. The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable. If claiming 10 point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. View more veterans' information.
• Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)? Submit the following: 1) A copy of your agency notice; 2) A copy of your most recent performance rating; and 3) A copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level and duty location.
• If you are a current or former federal employee, you must submit your most recent FY2025 performance appraisal and or incentive awards
• Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veterans must 1) be a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement. (Note: Veteran's preference does not apply underMerit Promotion procedures. View VEOA information on Feds Hire Vets.)
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

Next steps

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