Public Affairs Specialist (Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees)

Summary This position is located in the Office of Public Affairs within the Office of the Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), in Washington, DC. Learn more about this agency Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration. You must meet specialized experience to qualify. Required documents must be submitted by the closing date. Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). TELEWORK: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework.  The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. ETHICS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 2635, including restrictions on owning financial interests that may conflict with performance of their duties. Some employees, like those involved in contracting or regulating non-Federal entities, are subject to Executive Branch Financial Disclosure requirements set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 263. Please note that you may be required to file an annual financial disclosure. WRITING SAMPLE: A writing sample will be requested from applicants who are determined as qualified and referred to the selecting official. Qualifications To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet either the education or specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree A LL.M., if related To qualify for the GS-11, on Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the following: Experience writing materials, such as speeches, news releases, news and feature articles, responses to external inquiries that effectively and accurately convey information concerning policies, programs and functions. Experience developing and maintaining effective working relationships with members of the news media and external stakeholders or constituencies. Experience gathering and interpreting data and making recommendations on public affairs strategies and policies. You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.   To qualify for the GS-12, on Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the following: Experience writing materials, such as speeches, news releases, news and feature articles, responses to external inquiries that effectively and accurately convey information concerning policies programs and functions of a major organization. Experience developing and maintaining effective working relationships with members of the news media and external stakeholders or constituencies. Experience developing and implementing strategic communication plans for agency, association, or companywide initiative. To qualify for the GS-13, on Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the following: Experience developing and implementing national public information media campaigns and programs. Experience developing and implementing strategic communication plans for agency, association, or company wide initiatives Experience identifying opportunities for external outreach and engagement to spotlight the Organization's programs. There is no education requirement for the GS-12 and above for this position. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Attention to Detail- Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Customer Service- Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. Oral Communication- Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Problem Solving- Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. For all types of consideration, 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. For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education This job does not have an education qualification requirement. Additional information This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. RAILROAD STOCK: Pursuant to 5 C.F.R. Parts 2635.403 and 6001.104, all FRA employees (or spouses or minor children of FRA employees) are specifically prohibited from holding railroad stock (including shares of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. which owns 100% of BNSF), whether held outright, in an IRA, or in a 401(k) or other plan. (Employees may hold a mutual fund which invests in railroad stocks, so long as the mutual fund does not invest more than 30% of its assets in such prohibited investments.) Employees having a prohibited financial interest must divest themselves of railroad stock within 90 days after their appointment to their positions. Neither the rule against holding railroad stock, nor the divestiture period, is in any way affected by the existence of re-employment rights which employees might have with railroad. Read more Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.