The Office of Public Affairs (PAO) guides and coordinates the federal law enforcement public information programs of certain Department of Justice organizations, including legal divisions, Bureaus, and U.S. Attorneys' Offices. PAO provides a large variety of important and critical information having nationwide and international impacts concerning the activities of various bureaus, divisions, boards, services, and field offices.

Duties

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service. The Public Affairs Specialist serves as a national on-the-record spokesperson in the Office of Public Affairs (PAO). Deals with a myriad of entities such as print, radio, television, internet media, law enforcement agencies, government officials, and private industry Disseminates information about the Department and its various components Develops and maintains a thorough knowledge of Department policies, guidelines, and internal regulations Plans, develops, and implements communication plans and strategies Responds to media inquiries Monitors international, national, regional, and local news stories that directly affect the Department Represents the organization in media interviews and press conferences with agency officials, government representatives, and stakeholder associations Maintains effective relationships with members of the news media as a liaison Department stakeholders

Requirements

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on or after 12/31/1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement at any time if openings occur in other offices serviced by Justice Management Division, HR Operations.
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Public Affairs Specialist, (GS-1035-11/12), you must possess the required specialized experience specific to the series and grade you are applying to. For the GS-11 Specialized Experience: For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as: Assisting in planning or managing public relations programs; Conducting research in response to media inquiries; AND Drafting content for news releases, fact sheets, informational pieces, or talking points. OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. For the GS-12 Specialized Experience: For the GS-12, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as: Advising organization management or decision-makers on public affairs matters; Representing an organization in an official capacity during media interviews, press conferences, or meetings; AND Responding to inquiries from members of the news media. Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this grade, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone. No substitution of education for experience is permitted. You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/29/2023. Your resume must support your responses to the questionnaire and 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. After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement (09/29/2023) to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be creditable toward your qualifications. Therefore, you should provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation.

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Contacts

• Address Office of Public Affairs 2 Constitution Square 145 N Street NE Room 9W.300 Washington, DC 20530 US
• Name: Christina Hanson
• Phone: 202-425-2174
• Email: [email protected]