This position is located in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Athens, GA. The incumbent plans and carries out the information and public affairs program supporting agency activities in the assigned work area.

Duties

Assists in the operation of the State Office library. Assists senior Public Affairs Specialist in processing request and maintain control records for orderly distribution and inventories to meet the needs of NRCS personnel. Provides technical assistance to staff in the quality control development, dissemination, and application of information and data that encompass and support the NRCS programs. Provides assistance in the development and distribution of public awareness campaigns. Develops materials using a variety of media including newspapers and magazines, radio and television exhibits, visual aids, newsletters, and audio visual presentations. Establishes and maintains effective professional relationship with local groups and with area representatives of media and conservation organizations concerned with agriculture and environmental issues.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying: FOR THE GS-05 LEVEL: General Experience: Applicants must have three years of progressively responsible experience, one year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4, that demonstrates the ability to: Analyzing problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; Planning and organizing work; and Communicating effectively orally and in writing. (Resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) OR Education: Applicants must have successfully completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in any field of study. NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify. OR Combination: Applicants must have a combination of experience and education, as described above. (To compute, first, determine your experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your education as a percentage of the education required. Then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100%). NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify. FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Assisting with drafting informational articles, pamphlets, and/or brochures designed to provide information to various audiences; Evaluating information for dissemination to various audiences; Maintaining an inventory of information publications, centralized files, records, handbooks, and/or other reference materials and equipment for an organization; and Providing technical information to various representative such as local and national media, local groups, and community leaders. (Resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) OR Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all requirements for a bachelor's degree in Public Affairs, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or other directly related degree, and meet ONE of the following: A grade point average of "B" (a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. *Grade point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Membership in a national scholastic honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. **If more than 10 percent of your courses were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honorary society. NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify. OR Education: Applicants must have successfully completed 1 full academic year of progressively higher-level graduate education in a field such as Public Affairs, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or other directly related degree. NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify. OR Combination: Applicants must have a combination of specialized experience and education, as described above. (To compute, first, determine your experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your graduate education as a percentage of the education required. Then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100%). NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify. FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Writing news releases, feature articles, and/or brochures that increase public awareness of a program area; Establishing and maintaining professional relationships with various representatives such as local and national media, local groups, and community leaders; Presenting information to explain programs, projects, or activities to internal and external audiences; and Determining effective communication techniques to reach target audiences. (Resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) OR Education: Applicants must have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree; or completed 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a degree in Public Affairs, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or other directly related degree. NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify. OR Combination: Applicants must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education, as described above. (To compute, first, determine your experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your graduate education as a percentage of the education required. Then add the two percentages. Only graduate education in excess of one full year may be used in this calculation. The total percentage must equal at least 100%). NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

Education

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Contacts

• Address Natural Resources Conservation Service 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Midwest Services Branch
• Phone: 8164265706
• Email: [email protected]