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Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist (Deputy Assistant Commissioner)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Silver Spring, Maryland
Closing date
Sep 30, 2020
Duties

Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of the Commissioner (OC), Office of External Affairs (OEA), Office of Media Affairs (OMA). Media relations are primarily coordinated out of the OMA and OMA Public Affairs Specialists (Press Officers) serve as the main points of contact for the news media.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • Provide executive direction and oversight in a continuously changing environment to a high-performing team of media relations managers, press officers and social media experts.
  • Oversee day-to-day management activities within the Office of Media Affairs.
  • Oversee the office's budget, develop standard operating procedures, and identify and manage necessary acquisitions and interagency agreements.
  • Develop and manage standard operating procedures, internal controls, and other important operational components to ensure smooth and consistent operations.
  • Evaluate and clear written communications materials, including news releases, communication plans, key messages, and social media content about complicated public health and scientific subjects directed towards journalists and lay audiences.
  • Study the effectiveness and return on investment of the media relations and social media programs; implement improvements to produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems and calculating risks.
  • Cultivate and maintain collaborative working relationships between FDA and members of the news media.
  • Coordinate with HHS, CDC, NIH and other government counterparts on high-level, sensitive communications issues to achieve common goals.
  • Oversee technically complex projects and initiatives related to external communication activities for government programs that are of significant interest to the public.


Travel Required

25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Citizenship Requirement: You must be a U.S. Citizen to be considered for this advertisement unless explicitly stated otherwise.
  • Selective Service Registration: All applicants born male, on (or after) 12/31/1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System OR have an approved exemption. Visit www.SSS.gov for more info.
  • FDA participates in e-Verify: All new hires must complete the I-9 form; this information will be processed through e-Verify to determine your employment eligibility. If a discrepancy arises, you must take affirmative steps to resolve the matter.
  • Background Investigation Requirement: All employees must pass a security investigation. Failing to pass the background check may be grounds for removal or legal action. If hired, you may be subject to additional investigations at a later time.
  • Time-in-Grade Requirement: If you are applying as a current Federal employee, you must meet the time-in-grade requirements described in the Qualifications section, generally, 52-weeks of comparable experience at the next lowest grade.
  • You must meet ALL requirements by the closing date of this announcement to be considered. Only education, experience, and qualifications attained by this date will be considered. You must continue to meet all requirements through the hiring process.
  • Certification of Accuracy: All information concerning eligibility and qualification is subject to investigation and verification. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection, or appropriate legal action.
  • Direct Deposit: You will be required to have all federal salary payments electronically deposited into a bank account with a financial institution of your choice.
  • Additional selections may be made from this vacancy, within the same geographical area, by other organizational elements from within FDA, through shared corporate recruiting activities.


Qualifications

The position of Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist (Deputy Assistant Commissioner) falls under the 1035 occupational series. To qualify for this position at grade GS-15, you must meet Time-in-Grade requirements by 11:59 pm EST on 09/28/2020.

Specialized Experience for this position includes:


To qualify for the GS-15, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: (Must meet all)
1.) Applying business management practices to evaluate, recommend and implement improvements in various communications functions and processes;
2.) Managing and/or leading a diverse workforce in support of mission objectives;
3.) Experience working as a senior-level manager in the field of communications, media relations, public affairs or public relations, overseeing a strategic communications/social media program in a fast-paced work environment dealing with controversial, sensitive and multifaceted public health issues;
4.) Communicating with all levels of management, to include senior executive level management, in carrying out duties and providing authoritative advice to executive level management, staff and/or leadership on special projects.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the percentage of times the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

If you are applying based on some other qualifying eligibility (i.e. you are not applying as a current Federal employee), you must meet the specific requirements of the eligibility you are claiming, and must have sufficient past experience to demonstrate that you are minimally qualified for this position. See Unique Hiring Paths on USAJOBS for more information about various ways you may be eligible to apply!

PHS Commissioned Corps Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps may apply online to this announcement. Candidates will be referred to (CC) personnel and not as candidates for conversion to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login , select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

You must submit supporting documentation to verify your eligibility to apply for this vacancy. For most applicants, an SF-50 will be required. However, if you are applying as a Veteran , individual with a qualifying disability , or a displaced employee , you will be required to provide other supporting documents as applicable. See the Required Documents section for details.
Be sure that any files you upload as supporting documentation are free of security or compression features which render such documents unreadable to our system.

Education

***THERE IS NO EDUCATION REQUIREMENT OR SUBSTITUTION FOR THIS POSITION*** QUALIFICATIONS WILL BE BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS.

Additional information

For some advertisements, the Food & Drug Administration receives hundreds, even thousands, of applications from job-seekers. Because of this high level of interest, FDA reserves the option of setting an application number limit.
When an application limit is set, USAJOBS will close the vacancy at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on either:
(A) the day the limit is reached, -OR-
(B) the pre-defined closing date of 09/28/2020, whichever comes first.
If the limit is reached before 11:59 pm ET, all applications in excess of the limit will continue to be accepted until 11:59 pm ET.
The application limit for this advertisement, if applicable, is: Not Applicable
For more information about announcement closing, see: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/job-announcement/expiration/

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
  • Pre-employment physical required: No
  • Drug testing required: No
  • License required: No
  • Mobility agreement required: No
  • Immunization required: No
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No
  • Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.
  • If you are serving, or have served in the last 5 years (from 09/28/2020) as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee, HHS/FDA may be required to obtain approval by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) prior to beginning employment. You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed. If you have served or are currently serving, you must provide a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting this appointment. In addition, you will be required to respond to the question in the assessment and certify your responses to the questionnaire. Political Appointees FAQ - OPM
  • Special Appointing Authorities: If you are applying to this announcement based a special eligibility, such as those for people with disabilities, veterans (or military spouses), or displaced employees under a career transition program, please pay careful attention to the Required Documents section for details on application requirements for each eligibility path, to include supporting document requirements.
  • Financial disclosure statement, OGE-450, required: This position will be subject to FDA's prohibited financial interest regulation. If you are hired, you may be required to divest of certain financial interests. You are advised to seek additional information on this requirement from the hiring official before accepting any job offers.?
All requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement (09/28/2020); only education and experience gained by this date will be considered. You must continue to meet all requirements throughout the entire hiring process.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Once the job opportunity announcement closes (at 11:59 pm ET on 09/28/2020), a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted, the information will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position.

If you are referred to the hiring manager for consideration, you may be further evaluated based on an interview; review of requested work samples, writing samples, most recent performance evaluation(s), or professional references; or results of an oral presentation or work-related test. Failure to comply with any of the additional assessment requirements will result in removal from further consideration. These assessment methods/tools may also be listed under Key Requirements.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, you may be deemed ineligible, or your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities. Additionally, we will review your supporting documents and resume to determine if you are in the "Area of Consideration" for this vacancy. Government-Wide Merit Promotion vacancies may only accept applications from a limited audience, pay careful attention to the "Who May Apply" and the "Hiring Paths" information. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Basis of Rating: Merit Promotion Procedures for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be used to rate and rank candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Qualified candidates will be ranked into one of two categories: Best Qualified or Qualified.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics). You need not respond to the KSA's separately, but your resume should contain sufficient information to demonstrate possession of these competencies.
  • Leadership
  • Technical Competency in Media Relations
  • Oral Communication
  • Written Communication
  • To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below.
    https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10914689


    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Other

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    High Risk (HR)

    Trust determination process

    Required Documents

    REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
    • Resume
    • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

    Resume Requirements:
    • Resume Writing Tutorial
    • Resume Writing FAQ
    ACCEPTED DOCUMENTS:
    • DD-214/ Statement of Service
    • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
    • Disability Letter (VA)
    • PCS Orders
    • Resume
    • Separation Notice (RIF)
    • SF-15
    • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

    *Accepted documents may be required for some applicants depending on which eligibility options you're applying for, see the list below for details for each eligibility. If you need help submitting documentation, please see Applicant Help Site - Documents . If you are still unsure what documents might be required of you, please contact the FDA Applicant Help Desk before the announcement closes. For transcript submission requirements, see the Education section.

    Current & Former Federal Employees:
    You will need to submit the following:
  • a copy of your most recent SF-50 ( Standard Form 50 - Notice of Personnel Action ) to verify your eligibility status
  • a copy of your most recent performance appraisal showing your final rating for the recent performance year may be requested during the interview and selection processes.
  • Your SF-50 must show the following information: 1) Full position title; 2) Appointment type; 3) Pay Plan, Series, Grade & Step; 4) Tenure code; and 5) Service Computation Date (SCD). If your last SF-50 is from a pay adjustment, check that it has all the items above. If not, also include your most recent SF-50 from a promotion, reassignment, or other non-pay action. Learn more on the USAJOBS SF-50 Help Page .
    Your performance appraisal should be from the most recent full performance year on file, and should show the signature and rating.

    Veterans & Military Spouses:
    You must submit a DD-214 form (Certificate of Release or Discharge) that has the dates of service and discharge status.
    • Active Duty Members: To claim status Under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to hire Heroes Act of 2011, submit written documentation from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.
    • Parents of Deceased or Disabled Veterans: To claim status under Gold Star Fathers Act of 2015, you must submit a copy of the deceased or disabled veterans' DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that has the dates of service and discharge status AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. Please follow the instructions in the SF-15 on required documentation to be submitted.
    • Widow or Widower: To claim preference, you must submit a copy of the deceased or disabled veterans' DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that has the dates of service and discharge status AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. Please follow the instructions in the SF-15 on required documentation to be submitted.
    • Spouse of a Living Veteran: To claim preference, you must submit a copy of the veterans' DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that has the dates of service and discharge status AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference, and Documentation of Veteran's Inability to Work Because of a Service-Connected Disability. Please follow the instructions in the SF-15 on required documentation to be submitted.
    See Feds Hire Vets or USAJOBS' Veterans page for more details.

    People with Disabilities (Schedule A):
    Individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities, may apply for appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority. Certified verification of a disability from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal, state, or District of Columbia agency or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits will be required. Learn more on the USAJOBS Individuals with Disabilities Site .

    Displaced employees (CTAP/ICTAP):
    If you are a former Federal employee who was displaced due to a Reduction-in-Force (RIF) or surplused by some other means, please submit a copy of the separation letter or RIF notice from your agency. To be selected under I/CTAP, you must still be found well-qualified for this position. Learn more on the USAJOBS Career Transition Assistance Site .

    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.

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