Lead Public Affairs Specialist

Summary

WHAT IS TAXPAYER SERVICES ?

A description of the business units can be found at:

• Position(s) are to be filled in following area(s):
  • TS - Communications and Liaison - Program & Outreach Communication - Group 2

REVIEW THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS

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Duties

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The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.

• Serves as a senior team lead and technical authority by providing expert-level guidance and direction to employees engaged in communications and liaison activities supporting IRS programs and initiatives. Ensures consistent interpretation and application of Communications and Liaison (C&L) policies, procedures, and messaging standards across program activities. Distributes, balances, and monitors workload in accordance with established priorities, ensuring timely completion of complex assignments and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Provides advanced advisory support to employees and management in the analysis of communication requirements, development of messaging strategies, and preparation of communication products. Interprets policy and guidance to address complex or sensitive communication issues, advises on appropriate approaches, and ensures alignment with national C&L strategies and program goals.
• Reviews work in progress and completed work for quality, accuracy, consistency, and adherence to established guidelines. Identifies systemic issues, emerging risks, and trends affecting communication effectiveness and program delivery, and provides recommendations to management to improve processes, enhance messaging strategies, and support organizational objectives.
• Serves as a liaison between management and staff by communicating assignments, priorities, and program changes. Coordinates with National C&L and other stakeholders to ensure consistency in messaging and outreach efforts. Provides input to management on program performance, operational risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Monitors workflow and analyzes program trends, stakeholder responses, and communication outcomes to evaluate effectiveness and support continuous improvement. Performs work consistent with the level and complexity of the employees being led.

STANDARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS (SPD): PD94765

Visit the IRS SPD Library to access the position descriptions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Probationary Period - A person who is required to go through a probationary period and then is transferred, promoted, demoted, or reassigned before he or she completes such period is required to complete the remainder of the probationary period in the new position.
• Government Credit Card - Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS SHOWN IN QUALIFICATIONS SECTION

Qualifications

Federal experience is not required. Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or through Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

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

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GRADE-14: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include:

• Coordinating assignments and tracking tasks;
• Reviewing, editing and publishing written content;
• Providing feedback on AP Style and other IRS writing standards;
• Assuring message consistency of communications delivered across multiple platforms and providing updates to management on team accomplishments and deliverables;
• Writing for IRS intranet and internet;
• Developing IRS Strategic Communications Plans
• Establishing working relationships with people from a variety of technical backgrounds and staff at executive levels
• Utilizing team building methods and techniques to facilitate, coordinate, coach, and resolve problems;
• Setting work objectives, organize resources to meet objectives in a timely and efficient manner;
• Developing responses to media inquiries

AND

You must also meet the following requirement(s):

• TIME AFTER COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT (TACA): By the closing date (or if this is an open continuous announcement, by the cut-off date) specified in this job announcement, current civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive referral certificate, known as time after competitive appointment. For this requirement, a competitive appointment is one where you applied to and were appointed from an announcement open to "All US Citizens"
• TIME IN GRADE (TIG): For positions above the GS-05,applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the grade you are applying for. For positions at the GS-05, you cannot advance to the GS-05 if you have held a GS-02 in the past 52 weeks. There is no TIG restriction for GS-02, 03 or 04 positions.

For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards .

Education

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click here (Section 3, Explanation of Terms) or here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.

We recommend choosing an evaluator from a member organization of one of the following national associations of credential evaluation services: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE).

Additional information

• Consider each location carefully when applying. If you are selected for a location, that location will become your official post of duty.
• In the event that a building is closed due to rent management, new hires may be placed in a local commuting location.
• Additional jobs may be filled from this announcement or any other source to fill these vacancies.
• Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours may be available.
• Salary: General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

Cost-of-Living Allowances (COLA): The following locations includes COLA. See COLA Rates 2026.

• (AK3237) 949 E 36 Ave Anchorage, AK
• (AK0029) 101 12th Avenue, Fairbanks, AK
• (HI8469) 1003 Bishop St Honolulu, HI
• (HI6575) 2200 Main St Wailuku, HI
• (HI0011) 300 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI
• (HI6993) 101 Aupuni Street, Hilo, HI
• (PR4066) Carr 28 Km 2.0 Bayamon, PR
• (PR4064) 200 Av Rafael Cordero Caguas, PR
• (PR3930) 7 Tabonuco St Guaynabo, PR
• (PR4001) 48 Carr 165 Guaynabo, PR
• (PR4065) 103 Ortegon Av Guaynabo, PR
• (PR4070) Plaza Del Caribe, 2050 Ponce Bypass, Ponce, PR
• (PR4047) 35 Avenida Hiram D. Cabassa, Mayaguez, PR
• (PR4062) 652 Munoz Rivera, San Juan, PR

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

As a current employee, you know the great benefits we offer. Should you have any questions about benefits, please contact the Employee Resource Center (ERC) at View phone number on click.appcast.io option #1 for ERC.

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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.