Public Affairs Specialist

Summary Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information. The primary purpose of this position is to carry out a wide range of public affairs assignments that include elements of media operations, social media, community engagement, command information, visual information, communication planning, contingency/crisis response, special event planning, environmental, security, policy review and public affairs resource management. Overview Accepting applications Location FEW vacancies in the following location: Fort Sam Houston, TX Work site options Telework eligible Yes, as determined by the agency policy. Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $75,776 - $98,514 per year Pay scale & grade GS 11 Promotion potential None Learn more about pay scale and grade Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job. Work schedule Full-time Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position. Appointment type Permanent Occupations and job series • 1035 Public Affairs Supervisory status No Federal service type This job is in the Competitive Service Represented by a union No Drug test No Security clearance Secret Position sensitivity and risk Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job. Background check type • Suitability/Fitness Financial disclosure required No Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests. Announcement number 9P-AFPC-13112210-540566-DGV Control number 892020000 This job is open to Federal employees - Competitive service Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales. Federal employees - Excepted service Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria. Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants. Land and base management Current or former employees of a base management agency. Veterans Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference Military spouses Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty. Individuals with disabilities Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A. Family of overseas employees Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas. Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA. Clarification from the agency Eligible NAF employees are considered under Hiring Path - "Federal employees-Excepted service" Duties • Coordinates the planning and development of complex, high level public affairs assignments in support of commander's programs and priorities. • Researches, drafts, coordinates, produces, and reviews public affairs products such as news releases, talking points, fact sheets, news and feature articles, web-based content, briefings, speeches and scripts, newsletters, photographs, videos, pod casts, and other materials. • Represents the office with a variety of installation and local governmental, media, community engagement, service, and educational organizations. • Assists in the planning, organizing and carrying out the visual information program. Requirements Conditions of employment • Must complete initial online questionnaire and additional assessment(s) • U.S. Citizenship is required • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov • If authorized, PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. More information on PCS requirements, may be found at: https://afciviliancareers.com/regulatory/ • This position is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program • Disclosure of Political Appointments • All federal employees are required to have direct deposit. • Depending on the type of position (competitive/excepted) you are selected for, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period. • Upon completion of your probationary/trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. • Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military and/or civilian aircraft. • Shift work may be required. • May be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays. • Recall to duty may be a requirement of this position. • May perform periodic weekly 24-hour alert duty as the public affairs on-call representative to answer news media and other inquiries after duty hours. • May be the public affairs point of contact during deployment with news media representatives to a forward operating location in the event of hostilities or a major wing deployment. • Must be able to obtain and maintain SECRET security clearance. Qualifications In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Administrative and Management Positions, GS-1035 series. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-09, or equivalent in other pay systems which has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skill, and ability to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include: Knowledge of concepts, principles, and practices of a public affairs program and written and oral communication principles, techniques, and analytical methods to perform a wide range of public affairs assignments to develop intercommunication between the agency and a variety of publics. Knowledge of the organization's operations and functions sufficient to communicate accurate information and modify standard methods and adapt approaches in the development of new information materials to meet organizational needs. Knowledge of the concepts, principles, policies and practices of visual information activities, which may include illustrations, photography, presentations, television/motion picture production, and base cable access television. NOTE: Your resume must support this response. OR EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as Communications. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts. OR COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts. FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in­-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-09 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: 1. Knowledge of concepts, principles, and practices of a public affairs program and written and oral communication principles, techniques, and analytical methods to perform a wide range of public affairs assignments to develop intercommunication between the agency and a variety of stakeholders. 2. Knowledge of the organization's operations and functions sufficient to communicate accurate information and modify standard methods and adapt approaches in the development of new information materials to meet organizational needs. 3. Knowledge of the concepts, principles, policies and practices of visual information activities, which may include illustrations, photography, presentations, television/motion picture production, and base cable access television. 4. Skill in gathering, evaluating, and interpreting data to identify potential problems, arrive at valid conclusions, and offer meaningful recommendations and/or resolutions. 5. Skill in working with people to establish and maintain effective working relationships with groups interested in or affected by public affairs programs or policies, and producing written information conveying complex information to publics with different levels of understanding. 6. Ability to plan and develop news stories, features, and quasi-technical articles. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcriptswith the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. ********************ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR ACTIVE DUTY SERVICES MEMBERS******************** ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD-Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Active duty members applying for a civil service position without submitting a valid certification memo or DD-Form 214 with their application will render the member ineligible for the position. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service bra