This position is located in the Office of Public and Governmental Affairs (PGA), Public Affairs Division. Location will be determined upon selection. The incumbent will serve as a Public Affairs Specialist and provide expert assistance on all public affairs matters relating to social media and assists with planning, organizing, and developing communications strategies and media plans for mass media and social media in supoort of the Bureau.
Duties
The major duties of the Public Affairs Specialist position include but are not limited to the following: Assisting with developing, organizing and implementing communication strategies and plans for mass media. Communicating appropriately and effectively with news media, national organizations, technical experts, individuals and groups to provide information, coordinate work efforts and resolve problems. Developing standard communications for a wide range of audiences, publics and stakeholders with diverse levels of understanding of organization programs and activities. Establishing and maintaining contacts with internal and external key official's integral to organization activities; Assisting with evaluating the public affairs program and recommending improvements for enhancement of information techniques and effectiveness. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.
Salary
Qualifications
To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12 by the closing date of this announcement. Specialized experience is demonstrated experience, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Experience must be in the normal line of progression or must be related to the work of the position advertised and must be reflected in resume. Specialized experience must include all of: Providing timely, accurate, informative and focused communications on organization initiatives and programs; AND Developing written materials such as press releases, background papers, etc., that include the appropriate quantity, degree and tone of information to be disseminated; AND Maintaining effective working relationships with media representatives, public interest and community groups, and industry representatives to gain understanding and support of programs; AND Identifying potential media problems or areas of friction and recommending solutions. Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.
Education
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone. No substitution of education for experience is permitted.
Required Documents
Resume - All Applicants:(a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history. Showing relative permanent and volunteer work experience, education, and training, your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations. Official position title, Employer name and contact information, Start and end dates (including month and year), Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, Your Pay Plan/Series/Grade for all federal positions, and A list of duties performed and accomplishments. Only the most recent resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications. If you are a current or former Federal employee: You must submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form. Do not submit an award SF-50, these do not contain sufficient information about your appointment. Your SF-50 should list the full position title, series, grade and step, organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status. SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old. Multiple SF-50s may need to be submitted to show one year A Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse: When claiming a Veteran's Preference, you must submit your last DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) form, specifically the Member #4 Copy, indicating dates and character of service and discharge type. If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating, you will need to additionally submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating. If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter, and/or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. See Veteran Family Preference for more information. For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets. If you are applying for consideration under the Military Spouse Appointing Authority: Spouse of a member of the armed forces on active duty: documentation showing 1) your spouse's active-duty status and 2) your marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage certificate or other legal documentation verifying marriage). Spouse of service members who incurred a 100% disability because of the service member's active-duty service: documentation showing 1) the member of the armed forces retired, or was released or discharged from active duty, with a disability rating of 100 percent; and 2) documentation of marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage). Spouse of service members killed while on active duty: documentation showing a) the member was released or discharged from active duty due to his or her death while on active duty; b) the member of the armed forces was killed while serving on active duty; c) proof of the widow or widower's marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage); and d) a statement certifying that the individual seeking to use the authority is the un-remarried widow or widower of the service member. A person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A: You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability). You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits. For more information about Schedule A and verification requirements, please see OPM's Schedule A site. A displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP: You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency OR if you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force. Submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location OR Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/30/2026 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit My Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement is closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. Your applications will appear on the Welcome page. Navigate to the job application and click Track this application to view your application status. The link will take you to the hiring agency application system, which has the most up-to-date status of your application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means click here. NEED HELP?If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.
