Public Affairs Specialist

Public Affairs Specialist

US Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Summary

You will serve as a Public Affairs Specialist for the Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA), Field Operations Center West - FOCW in Citrus Heights, California. This position provides information to ODA's internal and external customers (media, the public, business and civic organization, etc.) and appropriate government offices at the Federal, state and local levels concerning the SBA Disaster Assistance Program.

Responsibilities

As a Public Affairs Specialist at the GS-1035-9/11, some of your typical work assignments may include:

Plans, organizes, and prepares press releases, photos, flyers, presentations, etc. directed to specific targeted audiences within the public, the media or government.

Writes and edits correspondence for ODA/Center management addressed to public officials and private organizations about individual loan cases or the disaster program.

Monitors newspaper, radio, television and internet coverage of the disaster program and provides supplemental information to correct any irregular or inaccurate media information.

Uses advanced computer skills, including skill in using Microsoft Office functions such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access databases and desktop publishing to serve as a disaster program information link providing explanations and written materials as necessary.

Acts as a spokesperson for ODA by making public appearances, preparing presentations, talking points or speeches as necessary to convey information about the disaster program, objectives and ongoing activities.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

The salary range above reflects the employee's base salary. Locality Pay will be added based on the location of the employee's residence.

Your primary residence is considered your official duty station.

The Term Appointment does not confer competitive status, reinstatement rights, or eligibility for non-competitive conversion to a permanent job to the individual(s) selected. You may be promoted or reassigned to another term position within SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance; however, you may not be non-competitively appointed to another Federal position. You will be given an initial Term Appointment lasting more than 1 year, but not more than 4 years. If all other conditions of employment are met, this appointment may be extended, up to a total of four (4) years in increments determined by SBA.

If selected, employees work on an intermittent (on-call) work schedule. This means that employees are in a pay and duty status only when activated to respond to workload needs, especially in response to heightened disaster activity. When no longer needed, employees return to a non-pay status until the next event necessitates additional staff.

However, depending on the workload and/or level of disaster activity, your work schedule may be changed to full-time. Subsequently, if the workload decreases, your work schedule may be changed back to intermittent.

Mandatory Overtime: In order to respond quickly and efficiently to disaster survivors, substantial compensated overtime hours may be required while on assignment (up to seven days a week and twelve to fourteen hours a day).

Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur within 180 days from the closing date.

By applying for this position with SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance, you can enjoy challenging but satisfying work and join a highly motivated and diverse team that helps families and businesses rebuild their lives after a disaster.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - you may be required to travel to a disaster site during increased disaster activity for extended periods with little or no advanced notice. If so, you may encounter hazardous working and/or living conditions; i.e., no water or electricity and/or minimal lodging facilities. Travel expenses are compensated based on SBA policy and Federal regulations.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

11

Job family (Series)

1035 Public Affairs

Requirements

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. citizenship is required.

You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government travel credit card.

Favorable background investigation and credit check are required.

Credit Score must be at least 500.

You may be required to complete a one-year trial period.

Qualifications

Generally, time in Non-Pay status is not creditable towards the specialized experience requirement listed below.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

You may qualify based on experience, education or a combination of both.

Experience:

To receive credit, you must indicate the month and year as well as the average hours worked per week for each employer. Average work hours must be stated on resume to quantify each period of work experience or that experience will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement.

You must address the specific specialized experience required for each grade level of this position on your resume or application or you will be rated "Ineligible" for that grade level.

GS-09: To qualify you must have at least 1 full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-07 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skill, and ability to perform successfully in this position. This experience may have been gained in a Non-Federal service position. In addition, this Specialized Experience must demonstrate the following:

Plans, organizes and prepares various communications, such as press releases, presentations, articles, photos, flyers, etc. for dissemination to the media or public audiences; and

Prepares written and oral communications for media coverage of local events, such as press conferences and town hall meetings or other targeted audiences for the purpose of explaining an organization's programs, policies, and procedures to the media, government officials, business leadership and the public; and

Interprets business financial documents such as tax returns, income (profit and loss) statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and/or schedules of liabilities; and

Proficiency in using Microsoft Office programs, such as Word, Outlook, Desktop Publishing, and Internet Explorer or comparable computer applications/programs.

GS-11: To qualify you must have at least 1 full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-09 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skill, and ability to perform successfully in this position. This experience may have been gained in a Non-Federal service position. In addition, this Specialized Experience must demonstrate the following:

Plans, organizes and prepares various communications, such as press releases, presentations, articles, photos, flyers, etc. for dissemination to the media or public audiences; and

Prepares written and oral communications for media coverage of local events, such as press conferences and town hall meetings or other targeted audiences for the purpose of explaining an organization's programs, policies, and procedures to the media, government officials, business leadership and the public; and

Interprets business financial documents such as tax returns, income (profit and loss) statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and/or schedules of liabilities; and

Acts as spokesperson by making public appearances, preparing presentations, talking points or speeches; and

Proficiency in using Microsoft Office programs, such as Word, Outlook, Desktop Publishing, and Internet Explorer or comparable computer applications/programs.

Education

If qualifying based on education, you must submit transcripts by the closing date of this announcement or you will not be found eligible.

GS-09: Master's degree or equivalent, in a related field, from an accredited college or university or two full years (36 semester hours or equivalent) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field.

GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in a related field or three full years (54 semester hours or equivalent) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field.

OR

A combination of experience and education as indicated above.

Qualification Standards: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Group-Standards

Additional information

Intermittent employees generally are not eligible for Federal benefits (life insurance, health insurance, retirement). However, if enrolled in benefits in the preceding appointment, those benefits will continue in this position provided there is no break in service of more than 3 days. Also, if you work or are expected to work at least 90 consecutive days and 130 hours per month, you will become eligible for health insurance benefits only. If you are in a non-pay status for 365 days your Federal health and/or life benefits will terminate.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

For this vacancy, the Office of Disaster Personnel will use a Category Rating system to refer qualified applicants for consideration. This is a three-step process. First, your resume or other application is evaluated to determine if you meet the Qualifications, including the Specialized Experience described above, for the grade level(s) that you are applying for. Secondly, if you meet the minimum qualifications requirements, your responses to the questionnaire, including narrative responses, if applicable, will be compared to your resume or other application. If your resume does not support the answers you gave on the questionnaire, you may be rated "Ineligible" or you may be placed in a lower category. Third, your name will be placed in one of the three following categories:

Best-Qualified - highly proficient with an overall comprehensive level of knowledge, skills and abilities related to this position.

Well-Qualified - competent in the position with an overall accomplished level of knowledge, skills and abilities related to this position.

Qualified - an overall basic level of knowledge, skills and abilities related to this position.

Application of Veterans' Preference: The Category Rating process protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-veterans within each quality category. All the veterans must be selected before any non-veterans within each category.

For this position, disabled veterans who meet minimum qualifications for this position and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% (CPS & CP) are placed at the top of the Best-Qualified category regardless of which category they would otherwise be assigned to.

Preference eligibles who do not have a service-connected disability of 10% or more (XP or TP) are placed at the top of their quality category.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

Communications and Media, Computer Skills, Customer Service, Financial Analysis, Manages and Organizes Information, Organizational Awareness, and Writing

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance

Other

Drug test required

No

Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Required Documents

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume showing hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.

2. Completed Questionnaire

Preview at: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11003339

3. Other supporting documents, such as:

College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.

Unofficial transcripts may be submitted during the application process; however, official transcripts will be required if selected.

Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 or other DD-214 copy showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)

Your latest resume submitted for this position will be used to determine qualification determinations and supersedes previous submissions.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

1. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP):

If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, provide a copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (which must show at least a "fully successful" rating or equivalent), and proof of eligibility, i.e., a RIF separation notice or Certification of Expected Separation, and SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. In addition to meeting all qualification requirements and selective placement factors (if applicable), CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the Well-Qualified criteria with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above for the position in order to be given priority consideration. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is also on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: CTAP/ICTAP.http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

2. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.

3. If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

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

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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Benefits

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. 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.