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Public Affairs Specialist

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Jan 19, 2021
Duties

Summary

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is committed to detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse within the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In addition to providing oversight of USAID, the OIG provides oversight of the U. S. African Development Foundation (USADF), the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As a Congressional and Public Affairs Specialist, you will work within the OIG's Immediate Office, Congressional and Public Affairs Division and perform the full range of congressional and public affairs assignments in support of OIG.
  • Serve as a primary point of contact for Congress, the media, external organizations, and the general public on matters related to OIG's work and operations.
  • Support communications and outreach goals, objectives and plans to ensure the U.S. Congress and the public receives information about OIG's work and operations.
  • Identify, track, and report issues of congressional, media, and other public interest and activity to ensure OIG personnel are kept appraised of legislative actions, congressional interests, and significant and/or emerging issues.
  • Track legislative history, conduct substantive research in the U.S. Codes of Statutes at Large and other congressional and executive publications, and uncover data necessary to develop OIG's position on legislative matters.
  • Conduct research and analysis on issues that are sensitive and highly visible.
  • Formulate and deliver official responses to written and telephonic inquiries from members of Congress, congressional committees and staff, the media, and members of the public.
  • Support OIG leadership and personnel for Congressional testimony and hearings, and for participation in media interviews and official public engagements, to include arranging for and assisting in briefings, mock hearings, interviews, and other engagements.
  • Prepare wide range of materials to support OIG's congressional and public communications.
  • Analyze written correspondence and telephonic requests to determine pertinent issues, extent of research required, and sources from which to obtain information and facts; Provide factual and coordinated responses to Members of Congress, congressional committees, the media, and the public.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships and contact with the staffs of congressional committees and offices, journalists, external stakeholders, and executive branch contacts.
  • Facilitate effective communication necessary for resolving complex and sensitive issues.
  • Support and execute OIG's digital communications activities
  • Support analysis of the effectiveness of OIG's communication tactics, conduct assessments and evaluations to ensure objectives were met and identify quality improvements for increased effectiveness.


Travel Required

Occasional travel - Employees may be required to travel (25% or less)

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment



You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.

You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test results before you can be appointed into this position.

In order to qualify for this position, you must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Ideal candidates will have demonstrated critical thinking/analytical skills and strong writing skills.

To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade in the Federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) serving as a congressional or public affairs liaison or staff member for an organization, (2) applying congressional, legislative, and public affairs principles and techniques, and experience to evaluate and respond to inquiries, (3) supporting outreach initiatives, goals and objectives to ensure the U.S. Congress and the general public receives information related to Federal programs and/or public policy, (4) formulating and delivering official responses, or other information, related to written and telephonic inquiries from members of Congress, congressional committees and staff, the media, and members of the public.

To qualify for the GS-11 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade in the Federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) applying knowledge of congressional, legislative, and public affairs principles and techniques, (2) assisting with the planning and implementation of an office/organization's outreach and external communications initiatives (3) preparing materials to support congressional or public communications for an office/organization.

GS-11 grade level applicants may also qualify based on education or a combination of specialized experience and education: To qualify based on education, applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, if related. A combination of specialized experience and graduate education may also be qualifying. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Group-Standards

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 done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.

Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date. This means that you must have served at least 52 weeks at the next grade level (or equivalent) below the grade advertised on this vacancy.

Education

Additional information

Candidates with status may apply for this vacancy under announcement # OIG-21-08GT

IMPORTANT: The U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of the Inspector General is a participant of E-Verify. E-Verify provides an automated link to Federal databases to help employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of the social security numbers. Please note that travel and relocation expenses will not be paid.

DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

TESTING DESIGNATED POSITIONS: These are Testing Designated Positions (TDPs) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: The Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that all male applicants born after 12/31/59 who are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, be registered or they are not eligible for appointment to this position. For further information concerning Selective Service requirements, please visit http://www.sss.gov/ .

EEO Policy Statement

Reasonable Accommodation

Telework

People with Disabilities

OIG prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other non-merit-based factor.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your resume and the online assessment questionnaire will be reviewed, to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements outlined in this announcement.

Category ratings will be used to rank and select qualified candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which applicants backgrounds match the required competencies for the position. Candidates in the gold category (best qualified) will be referred to the selecting official.

Candidates will be assigned to one of the following categories:

GOLD (best qualified) - Applicants who have experience that is identical to the experience required by the position.

SILVER (well qualified) - Applicants who have experience that is very similar to the experience required by the position.

BRONZE (qualified) - Applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements, but do not identify any, or an adequate level of, additional qualifying experience or skill required by the position.

Veterans' preference applies - Preference-eligible applicants will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligible applicants within the category. Qualified preference-eligible applicants with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more (CPS/CP) will be listed at the top of the gold (best qualified) category.

In order for your application to be considered, you must meet all requirements before the closing date of this announcement.

If applying as a Status applicant, you must provide proof of government service documenting that you have met the time-in-grade requirements.

Note: Reference checks are part of our assessment process. Applicants who do not permit reference checks from previous employers may be disqualified.

Falsifying your experience, education and/or your responses to questions may result in your removal from employment consideration.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

  • Resume showing relevant experience.
  • Veterans' documentation, if requesting consideration under any veterans' hiring eligibilities such as VRA, preference point entitlement (e,g, DD214, SF-15, and Veteran's Administration Letter).
  • Supporting documentation if seeking eligibility based any other special hiring authority (e.g., disabled veteran, Schedule A, SF15, Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference and appropriate documentation.)
  • Status candidates Must submit a recent copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action); your document must reflect grade, step, tenure code 1 or 2, and type of position occupied.
  • Proof of government service documenting that you have met the time-in-grade requirements.
  • Proof of eligibility for priority placement consideration under Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP); i.e., copy of appropriate documentation such as RIF separation notice, or other notice of eligibility.
  • Copies of transcripts are required if qualifying based on education for this announcement; failure to submit will result in removal from consideration. If you are selected for the position, official transcripts are required before appointment to official duty.
  • Proof of United States Citizenship (birth certificate or other acceptable documentation, may be required upon request).
  • Proof of government service providing reinstatement eligibility Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 or other equivalent document.


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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