Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of Communications (OC), Media Relations Group (MRG).

As a Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-13, you will serve as the main point of contact for the media. You will also work closely with various internal and external contacts and program experts across the agency to develop communication strategies that support the agency mission.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Plans and implements the announcement of CMS regulations and policies.
• Attends regular meetings with the CMS Administrator and other senior leadership to understand issues and prepare for public announcements.
• Prepares and edits relevant materials, including press releases, fact sheets, and speeches about CMS, its policies, actions and findings, and provides them to the public through the print and broadcast media.
• Handles multiple media inquiries simultaneously, prioritizing and responding to media inquiries. Works collaboratively with media representatives and subject matter experts.
• Keeps OC and MRG leadership well-informed of significant developments and issues in portfolio. Provides media relations advice to agency officials and CMS components about newsworthy, sensitive, and controversial issues.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
• Time-in-Grade restrictions apply.

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

In order to qualify for the GS-13 , you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include: 1) writing press releases, statements, or talking points for use in communicating with the news media; 2) serving as an agency/office spokesperson who interacts or communicates with national, state, or trade media representatives to convey messaging; and 3) serving as a liaison between the organization and the news media during public events, news conferences, or congressional hearings.

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, 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.

Time-in-Grade: To be eligible, current or former Federal employees and current or former Federal employees applying under the VEOA eligibility who hold or have held a permanent General Schedule position in the previous year must have served at least 52 weeks (one year) at the next lower grade level from the position/grade level(s) to which they are applying.

Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10922874

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
Tour of Duty: Flexible
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Not Required

Full-Time Telework Program for CMS Employees:CMS employees currently participating in 100% Full-Time Telework Program may be eligible to remain in the program. If an employee in this program is selected, the pay will be set in accordance with the locality pay for the applicable duty station. The listed salary range reflects the locality pay assigned to the duty location(s) listed in the vacancy announcement. For more information about pay based on locality, please visit the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Salaries & Wages Page .

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents . A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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 any interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Capital Planning and Investment Assessment
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Oral Communication
• Public Affairs
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork
• Writing

• Reading
• Reasoning

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/ .

Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the information provided in the resume. Failure to include ALL of the information listed below on your resume WILL result in a finding of ineligible.

• Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
• Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
• Employer's name and address
• Supervisor name and phone number
• Start and end dates in the month, day, and year format (e.g. June 18, 2007 to April 05, 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Salary

2. CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Required documents may be necessary to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required documents . Failure to provide the required documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.

3. Reasonable Accommodation Requests. If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here .