This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.

Duties

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY As a Public Affairs Specialist, you will use your knowledge of and experience to optimize business results and customer experience by: Serving as a Public Affairs Specialist in an organization responsible for administering a functional program within a federal department, with primary responsibility for collecting, assembling, preparing, partnering and disseminating information concerning the various programs of the organization. Planning and coordinating the dissemination of information relating to OCR programs, objectives and functions through the media relations related to civil rights enforcement and public education/outreach initiatives. Developing rollout plans and other written materials which transmit information concerning the nature and purpose of OCR's programs, policies, regulations, and other items of concern to the general public or more specialized audiences. Making requests from the media for information on OCR's authorities by determining the nature of the data required and collecting and assembling the material using the appropriate format and style based on needs and organization practices. Duties as shown are at the full performance level (FPL) of the GS-13. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the FPL.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
• Suitable for federal employment.
• Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.
• Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date.
• Financial disclosure statement may be required.
• Probationary (or trial) period may be required.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR Minimum Qualifications: For GS-11: You must have one-year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service performing at least two (2) of the following: Assisting in planning or managing public relations programs. Conducting research in response to media inquiries. Drafting content for news releases, fact sheets, informational pieces, or talking points. -OR- Education: Successful completion of three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or LL. or J.D. related to the position. One (1) year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours determined by the school attended. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester or 27 quarter hours will satisfy an academic year of graduate study. Transcripts are required. -OR- Combination: Combination of experience and education as described above. Transcripts are required. For GS-12: You must have one-year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service performing at least two (2) of the following: Advising organization management or decision-makers on public affairs matters. Representing an organization in an official capacity during media interviews, press conferences, or meetings. Responding to inquiries from members of the news media. Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. 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. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website

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 further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov.

Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.

Contacts

• Address Office for Civil Rights 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20201 US
• Name: SROC Help Desk
• Email: [email protected]