Public Affairs Specialist

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Satisfactory Background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year trial period.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Signed participant agreement is required for employment under Pathways.
• This position requires the incumbent to possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
• Duty Location may change based upon training needs or upon conversion to competitive service.

Qualifications

(NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts. Failure to submit transcripts will result in an ineligible rating.)

Basic Requirements:

For the GS-05 level:

• Degree: must possess a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree
• Combination of education and experience:courses equivalent to a major and experience which demonstrates knowledge of writing and developing articles, feature stories, news releases, and photography; composing reports, talking points, briefing packets and power point presentations and assisting with the planning, design and preparation of visual information material related to a program

GS-7 Grade Level: In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualification requirement in order to be considered for this position:

• Specialized Experience: you must possess at least one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher in the Federal service (or private sector equivalent), demonstrating knowledge of writing and developing articles, feature stories, news releases, and photography; composing reports, talking points, briefing packets and power point presentations and assisting with the planning, design and preparation of visual information material related to a program.
• OR Superior academic achievement in a bachelor's degree a curriculum directly related to the work of the position. To qualify for superior academic achievement, you must have ONE of the following: (1) standing in the upper third of your college class or major subdivision at the time you apply; (2) grade point average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed, either (a) at the time of application or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; (3) B+ (3.5 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed in a related discipline, either (a) at the time of application or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; OR (4) election to membership in one of the national honorary scholastic societies that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Society;
• OR Education Substitution: One (1) year of graduate-level education in public affairs or a course of study directly related to the position.
• OR Possess a combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy.

GS-9 Grade Level: In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualification requirement in order to be considered for this position:

• Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-09 grade level, you must possess at least one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level or higher in the Federal service (or private sector equivalent), demonstrating knowledge of writing and developing articles, feature stories, news releases, and photography; composing reports, talking points, briefing packets and power point presentations and assisting with the planning, design and preparation of visual information material related to a program.
• OR Substitution of Education in Lieu of Specialized Experience: Possess two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or masters or equivalent graduate degree in public affairs or a course of study directly related to the position.
• OR Possess a combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy.

To view the position's Qualification Requirements of the associated occupational series as outlined in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Schedule Qualifications Standards. See the link below: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=0400-ndx

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Recent Graduates will serve on this appointment for one year learning the fundamentals of the position for which they can be converted. For more information on the Pathways Recent Graduate Program, please visit https://www.usajobs.gov/StudentsAndGrads.