This position is located in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, Office of Press Relations, Press Operations Division (GPA/GM/PRS/P).  Press Operations prepares the Spokesperson for the Department Press Briefing, edits and releases official statements and transcripts, and responds to queries on U.S. foreign policy from U.S. and international journalists.

Duties

Contributes to a broad range of Department-level public affairs initiatives, including through support for special briefings and annual report rollouts. Engages members of the domestic and international media as a spokesperson, formulating responses and responding to queries in order to explain U.S. foreign policy positions. Works on a team to review, edit and disseminate official statements, transcripts, and other press releases to the State Department press corps. Supports the Department Spokesperson in preparing for the daily press briefing, coordinating with public affairs officers to collect and refine press guidance. Serves as the GPA press duty officer on a rotational basis, on nights and weekends.

Requirements

• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.  NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. Applicants applying for the GS-11 grade level must meet one of the following requirements: A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: -Experience assisting with the collection of media reporting and analysis to determine public affairs strategies. -Experience using a variety of communication strategies, techniques, and dissemination methods. -Experience with principles, techniques, practices and methods to support communications plans. OR B. Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. from an accredited college or university. OR C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS- 09 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%. Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position. Applicants applying for the GS-12 grade level must meet one of the following requirements: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: -Experience independently collecting and evaluating materials, including news reporting and analysis, to determine public affairs strategies. -Experience using a wide variety of communication strategies, techniques and dissemination methods. -Experience applying communication principles, techniques, practices, and methods. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience (for example, 6 months equals 50%) and the percentage of graduate study (for example, 9 graduate hours for a GS-07 equals 50% where 18 graduate hours constitute a full time year) must total at least 100%.

Contacts

• Address U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street N.W. Room 2214 (HST) Washington, District of Columbia 20520 United States
• Name: Rebecca T. Hammond
• Phone: 202-647-6722
• Email: [email protected]