Public Affairs Specialist

Summary This position is located in the Under Secretary of Economic Affairs, Office of the Executive Director (E/EX). The Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs leads the State Department's efforts to advocate for U.S. foreign policy priorities and develop and implement international policies related to economic growth, energy, agriculture, maritime affairs, the environment, and science and technology. Responsibilities Monitors ongoing foreign affairs issues and policy developments as they relate to the Department public affairs initiative. Assists in writing announcements for the daily press briefing. Acts as a spokesperson, engaging members of the national and international media to disseminate, clarify, and defend important U.S. foreign policy messages with far-reaching implications. Informs journalists of the rules for access, including special requirements for entry and exit to/from foreign countries aboard Secretarial planes. Provides guidance to lower graded Public Affairs Specialists, sharing institutional knowledge on a wide range of issues involving policy, procedure, and mechanisms for engaging the press; as well as substantive content issues. At the GS-12 level, the incumbent performs essentially the same duties as outlined above; however, the scope and complexity of assignments are of less responsibility and independence and receives closer than normal supervision than GS-13. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. GS-12: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience developing and implementing media and/or public stakeholder outreach strategies. Experience drafting and clearing press materials, memos and/or talking points for media and/or stakeholder outreach. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position. GS-13: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience identifying targets of opportunity to strategically engage stakeholders and/or media outlets to develop recommendations to improve media coverage and/or inform thought leaders. Experience leading coordination with Subject Matter Experts, regarding drafting, editing, and clearing responses to press inquiries and/or talking points for media and/or stakeholder outreach. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-13 position. Education Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement. Additional Information To request a reasonable accommodation for additional time on the timed sections of the assessment, please submit your request using the “Request a Reasonable Accommodation” button within the Assessment Application. For all other reasonable accommodations at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA) at View email address on click.appcast.io. OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement. The following applies to all RA requests: RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only. Applicants submitting a RA request MUST attach supporting medical documentation signed by a licensed, treating medical provider. The documentation should describe the nature, severity, and expected duration of the condition, identify the relevant medical condition or diagnosis, and explain the basis for the requested extension. RA requests that do not contain supporting medical documentation attachments at the time of initial request may be subject to further review. Note: the following documents do not, on their own, qualify for automatic approval of the RA request: Schedule A letters, VA benefits letters, or SSA letters. Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an accommodation decision. Applicants are encouraged to carefully follow instructions related to medical documentation provided in the vacancy announcement prior to beginning the RA process. Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery. Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy. If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at View email address on click.appcast.io. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM's CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.