Public Affairs Specialist, GG-1035-09

Department of State

New York, NY

Summary

NOTE: This is an Excepted Service position and does not confer eligibility to be converted to the Competitive Service.

This is a Term Appointment Not-to-Exceed 5 Years but maybe extended.

This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

The position is located in the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, Press and Public Affairs (PA) Section (USUN/PRESS). The Section is responsible for Mission relations with the news media, the general public, and the UN community. Section functions include, but are not limited to, coordinating public engagements for USUN officials; conducting briefings for the news media and public groups; drafting Mission statements, website content, and social media; organizing and coordinating an active public outreach effort to domestic and foreign audiences; and overseeing social media communications, specifically coordinating the multi‑pronged publication, posting, and distribution of statements and messages via electronic and social media.

The incumbent serves on a team responsible for conducting USUN outreach programs and activities to global and domestic audiences, including collecting, assembling, preparing, and disseminating information concerning the full range of outreach programs to inform the public about USUN programs and activities that support U.S. foreign policy goals.

Responsibilities

• Participate in planning, coordinating, and executing outreach strategies, programs, and events to build and develop relationships and understanding of USUN mission policies and activities to domestic and foreign audiences.
• Drafts and distributes products designed to communicate U.S. foreign policy to relevant audiences, to include press releases, talking points, communication plans, etc. In coordination with PA leadership and other departments, drafts briefing materials for all public engagements for the U.S. Representative and other Ambassadors.
• Coordinates public speaking and outreach engagements for the U.S. Representative, Ambassadors, Mission officials, and officers as requested.
• Maintains extensive contacts and effective working relationships with UN officials as well as representatives of national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups interested in USUN policy, programs, and activities.
• Research current USUN policies and initiatives and keeps office staff and senior officials informed of the latest UN events and media reactions to aid them in preparing official media guidance.

Travel Required: Minimal Travel Required

Qualifications

Applicants must have the required experience or education as described below and meet any selective factors, when specified. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.

NOTE:

Applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. All new employees to USUN (except Presidential and former USG employees who have served a trial period in the competitive service) are required to serve a one-year trial period.

Applicants applying for the GG-09 grade level must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Experience planning, coordinating, and executing outreach programs and events.
• Experience drafting briefing materials for public engagements.
• Experience researching policies to support campaign materials and events.

OR

B. Have a master’s or equivalent graduate degree, OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR LL. B or J.D. from an accredited college or university. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position to be filled.

OR

C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.

Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position.

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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 32 to 40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Other Information

This position is an excepted service position covered by the United Nations Participation Act of 1945. Pursuant to the United Nations Participation Act, appointment to this position is made "without regard to the civil-service laws," which means that the selectee is not covered by many of the civil service laws that apply to civil service employees.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

• Knowledge of public communication principles.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies and procedures.
• Skills analyzing and developing written materials.
• Ability assessing public reaction to evaluate programs and activities.
• Skills in oral communication to sustain productive working relationships.
• Ability to modify and adapt to unexpected and unusual situations.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work. Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement. Your application package must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement.

Conditions of Employment

1. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
2. One-year probationary period, unless excepted by regulation
3. U.S. Citizenship is required.
4. Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
5. Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Marketing:

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

• Home | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov)
• Worklife Division (sharepoint.com)

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:

• An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about Accessibility & Accommodations (OAA) (sharepoint.com)

Legal and regulatory guidance

• Privacy Policy - United States Department of State
• Welcome to The Privacy Office (A/GIS/PRV) (sharepoint.com)
• False Signature on Contract: Everything You Need to Know (upcounsel.com)
• Selective Service | USAGov
• Probationary Period for New Federal Employees - FEDweek