Writer (Reporter/Photographer) NF-04 Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. O1NAFHT-25-12795467 Department Defense Media Activity
Salary $62,000.00 to $67,000.00 Grade 4 to 4
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/8/2025 Close Date 9/26/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is located at Stars and Stripes Central in Washington, D.C.

This job is a Pentagon reporter for Stars and Stripes. The job is to report on a range of topics affecting U.S. military service members, including DoD policies, congressional legislation, health care, quality-of-life issues and deployments.

To better expedite the hiring process, we recommend including full contact information (name, address, phone number & email) for professional and personal references on your resume.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens and Non-U.S. Nationals who have resided in the U.S. or U.S. Territory for three (3) or more continuous years immediately preceding the start of Federal affiliation.

Duties

  • Reports and writes stories that adhere to the highest principles of professional journalistic ethics. Provides fairness and balance in all articles and photographs.
  • Aggressively responds to breaking spot news. Reports feature stories that provide diversity and broad audience appeal.
  • Provides photographs to accompany stories and looks for opportunities to supply standalone feature or news photographs.
  • Regularly produces profile stories and longer pieces on significant newsmakers and leaders within the coverage area.
  • Develops an understanding of newsmakers and events and is able to provide perspective for the readership.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Direct Deposit and Social Security Card is required.
  • Meet qualification/eligibility/background requirements for this position.
  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • Satisfactorily complete an employment verification (E-Verify) check.
  • Subject to satisfactory completion of all pre-employment checks in accordance with AR 215-3, para.2 to include a Tier 1 background investigation.
  • Extensive temporary duty travel is required, to include travel to conflict/war zones and other hazardous areas.
  • Valid motor vehicle operator's permit (US and/or local military-issued license in assigned area) required.

Qualifications

Experience MUST be reflected on your Resume at the time of application and Certifications MUST be uploaded to the Documents section to be considered for Standard and/or Highly Qualified for this position.

At least one year demonstrated experience in reporting and writing for a newspaper, journal, wire service, magazine, or online journalism. Previous work experience covering a variety of topics from hard news to features. Demonstrated strong English language verbal and written skills. Ability to use computers with standard software package is required. Ability to take and transmit publishable photographs with a digital camera.

OR

Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in Journalism or a related field.

Highly Preferred:

Must posses at least two (2) years of experience writing for commercial news organizations? (Must upload cover letter and work samples to be considered HP.)

Applicants meeting the Highly Preferred criteria will be referred first to the Selecting Official. All other applicants may be referred for consideration at managements request.

Additional information

Initial Cut-Off Date:

  • Monday, September 22, 2024 applications must be received by 11:59 PM (EST). Applications received by the Initial Cut-Off Date will be reviewed and possibly referred to the Selecting Official. Subsequent referrals to the Hiring Manager will occur as additional vacancies become available or at the request of the Hiring Manager.

Area of Consideration:
  • The Area of Consideration for this vacancy announcement is worldwide.

Manual Applications:
  • If you are unable to apply online, you may submit your application package using a manual application method. Please contact the NAF Human Resources Office or representative listed on this job announcement to request a copy of the manual application form. All completed manual application forms (along with resume and other supporting documentation) must be received no later than by 3:00 PM CST 09/26/2025 in order to process your application in a timely manner. Please note that neglecting to respond to the job related questions may result in an ineligible rating.
PCS Costs
  • Payment Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs are not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government's interest.
Pay-Band (NF or CY) Allowances and Differentials
  • This is a pay-banded position.
  • Sunday premium pay may be authorized by the Garrison Commander. If authorized, only regular (full-time, part-time, limited tenure and seasonal) employees may be paid Sunday premium pay. When authorized, Sunday premium will be paid at the rate of 25% of the basic rate for all hours of non-overtime, when any part of the scheduled tour of duty is performed on Sunday (to a maximum of 8 hours per Sunday). Sunday premium will be paid at the rate of 25% of the basic rate for all hours of non-overtime, when any part of the scheduled tour of duty is performed on Sunday (to a maximum of 8 hours per Sunday).
  • Night differential may be authorized by the Garrison Commander. When authorized, night differential will be paid at the rate of 10% basic rate for hours of non-overtime work performed between 1800-0600.
Incentives and Bonuses
  • Incentives will not be paid.
Non-Foreign Overseas Allowances
  • Non-foreign overseas allowances, cost of living (COLA), and differentials will not be paid, contingent upon eligibility.
Please check out our Applicant Information Kit: Other:
  • Additional referrals may be made from this vacancy announcement for up to 90 days after the closing date.
  • Important Information Regarding Access to Certain Federal Facilities:
    • Access to certain federal facilities may require a REAL ID-compliant driver's license/ID (marked with a star) or an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) from WA, MI, MN, NY, or VT. See https://www.tsa.gov/real-id for details.

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.

Benefits

Working for Army Non-Appropriated Funds (NAF) can offer numerous advantages. Army NAF employment can provide a sense of pride and fulfillment, as you'll be supporting communities comprised of military and civilian personnel, and their families, which contributes to the Department of Defense's overall mission. We offer a wide range of career opportunities, including jobs in childcare, recreation, hospitality, and more. Many employees have opportunities for professional development, including training, education, and certification programs to help towards career advancement. As an Army NAF employee, you'll have access to some on-base facilities, including fitness centers, libraries, and many other amenities.

Regular full-time and part-time employees are eligible for enrollment in health and life insurance, participation in 401k and retirement plans, and paid personal time off and federal holidays. Some flexible employees may also be eligible to receive health insurance. For additional details regarding these benefits, please click the link below.

Review our benefits

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applicants can claim the following eligibilities:

  • NAF Priority Consideration - Business Based Action
  • NAF Priority Consideration - Current Appropriated Funds Employee CNE (APF)
  • NAF Priority Consideration - Current/Former NAF Employee (CNE/FNE)
  • NAF Priority Consideration - Outside Applicant Veteran (OAV)
  • NAF Priority Consideration - Parent of a Veteran (OAV)
  • NAF Priority Consideration - Spouse/Widow(er) of a Veteran (OAV)

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted with your application:

  • Resume



The below items are accepted and may be needed to support a qualification and/or a claimed priority/preference:
  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Documents to Support Eligibilities
  • PCS Orders
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

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

You may submit your application package using one of the two methods identified below:

1. Electronically (preferred) at https://www.usajobs.gov/ and search for Vacancy Number (VIN): 12795467. Announcement closes at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 09/26/2025 to receive consideration.

  • 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. Click this link to preview the application: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12795467.
  • Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
  • You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account, or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that the application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
2. Manually: Please refer to the "Additional Information" section of this announcement for instructions.

Agency contact information

KIMBERLY GRUBBS
Address
HT-NAF-STSTUS STARS STRIPES
DO NOT MAIL
Arlington, VA 22202
US

Next steps

Your resume will be reviewed to verify that qualification requirements have been met. We appreciate your interest in this position!


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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