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Local Hire (Creative Specialist)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Greenbelt, Maryland
Closing date
Apr 13, 2021
Duties

Summary

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an immediate need to employ residents of Philadelphia, PA; Greenbelt, MD; Norfolk, VA and the surrounding areas as temporary local hires to assist with disaster response and recovery efforts. Local hire employees are local residents who aid in the recovery of the community and help their fellow citizens in the recovery process. Apply for this exciting opportunity!

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

When disaster strikes, America looks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Please visit www.fema.gov for additional information.

Local Hire employees:
  • Help FEMA respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards by performing a variety of emergency management functions which are not limited to disaster survivor assistance, conducting and verifying damage assessments, and providing administrative, financial and logistical support.
  • A local hire's term of employment is 120 days. Local Hire appointments may be extended, in 120 day increments, for a maximum 365 day appointment, based on the needs of the disaster.
  • Work within 23 different Cadres which are groups of personnel organized by operational function and FEMA Qualification System (FQS) position.
  • Each Local Hire is hired to a position within a Cadre based on his or her skills and experience.

FEMA is seeking candidates with experience in developing written communications for external destitution. In this position you will be develop, write, and edit accurate news releases, talking points, reports, daily fact sheets, flyers, and brochures.

Typical assignments include:
  • Coordinating and disseminating emergency management communications tactics and products.
  • Providing input to briefing materials including talking points, speeches and presentation slides.
  • Determining appropriate modes of communication via social media, news releases, press conferences, town hall meetings, etc.
  • Developing plans and strategies for the internal and external integration of day-to-day and long-range projects, actions, and activities.


Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • Selective service registration is required for males born after 12/31/59.
  • Please review "Other Information" section for additional conditions.


To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Moderate Risk Clearance as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations .

Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.

Qualifications

FEMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Salaries are comparable to local pay rates.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

STAFFORD ACT EXCEPTED SERVICE APPOINTMENTS: The Local Hire Program is an appointment type granted under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Section 306 (b), which authorizes FEMA to appoint such temporary employees as necessary to accomplish work authorized under the Act. Appointments under this authority within FEMA are made to the excepted service and are nonpermanent in nature.

To qualify for this position, you must possess experience:
  • Conducting research to gather and verify facts;
  • Drafting written products for external audiences and/or public distribution; and
  • Providing modes and strategies of communication via social media, news releases, press conferences, town hall meetings, etc.

IN ADDITION:
  • Minimum age of eighteen years of age is required.
  • All candidates must be a high school graduate or possess a GED.

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.

Your application must show that you meet all requirements for this position. You may be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position.

NOTE: 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. For a brief video on How to Create a Federal Resume, click here.

Current or former FEMA Reservists/DAE employees: To accurately credit your experience for these intermittent positions, make sure to list the dates (from MM/YY to MM/YY) of each deployment, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.

Education

Additional information

  • Local hire positions are full time, temporary positions.
  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment , and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
  • DHS uses E-verify, an internet based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify , including your rights and responsibilities.
  • This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.
  • NOTE: Lodging and travel from your residence of record to your duty station in Philadelphia, PA; Greenbelt, MD; or Norfolk, VA will not be reimbursed.
  • Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.


How You Will Be Evaluated

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

We will review your resume , supporting documentation, and your responses to the occupational questionnaire to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you are qualified, you may be referred to a selection panel for consideration.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

Interview Requirement. Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

  • Your resume. NOTE: Your resume must be in English in order to receive consideration.
  • Your responses to the job questionnaire -You will be directed to the online job questionnaire once you begin the application process for this position.


  • 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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