Communications Specialist

Summary Are you interested in a rewarding and challenging career? Join the Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), where professionals strengthen the integrity and effectiveness of SBA programs. Through audits, investigations, and oversight, our team promotes accountability, transparency, and mission success while fostering a collaborative environment committed to serving small businesses and the American public. Responsibilities This position will serve as a Communications Specialist and, as such will: Develop and implement strategic communication plans, campaigns, and outreach initiatives that support audits, investigations, evaluations, and other OIG priorities. Create, manage, and evaluate digital communication products and platforms, including websites, SharePoint, social media, multimedia, and electronic publications, ensuring accessibility and effective audience engagement. Draft, edit, and coordinate executive communications, including speeches, presentations, testimony, briefing materials, leadership messages, and other written and digital products for senior leadership. Lead public affairs and media relations activities by preparing press releases, media responses, public statements, outreach materials, and coordinating communications with internal and external stakeholders. Conduct research, analyze communication trends, stakeholder needs, and performance metrics to provide strategic recommendations that improve communication effectiveness and support executive decision-making. Manage complex cross-functional projects and other special assignments, coordinating with program offices and leadership to ensure timely execution of strategic communications initatives. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities, as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE STATEMENT: GS-13: One year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal government) performing duties such as: developing and implementing strategic communication plans and outreach initiatives that support organizational priorities; creating and managing digital communications products and platforms, including websites, social media, and electronic publications; researching and analyzing communication trends, and stakeholder needs to develop recommendations for leadership; drafting and coordinating executive communications, speeches, briefing materials, presentations, and other written products for senior officials; managing public affairs and media relations activities, including press releases, media responses, and stakeholder engagement; and coordinating complex-cross-functional projects to ensure timely execution of communications initiatives in support of organizational objectives. 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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. TIME-IN-GRADE: If you are a current career or career-conditional federal employee applying for promotion under Merit Promotion you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks in positions at the next level lower than the position being filled. All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 08/11/2026. Education Education may not be substituted for experience for this position. Additional Information Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments Career and InterAgency Career Transition Assistance Programs: Are programs that applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job in their current agency (intra-agency, i.e. SBA employees only). Inter-Agency Career Transition Assistance (ICTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job at another agency (inter-agency; i.e. not applying to their current or former agency). You are eligible for CTAP/ICTAP if: 1. You are a current federal employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee meaning you have received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF). 2. Your agency, or the agency to which you are applying, is accepting applications from within or outside of the permanent workforce. 3. The position to which you are applying MUST BE in the Local Commuting Area of the position of record from which you are being displaced. 4. You meet the qualifications and other requirements of the job for which you are applying. This includes being rated as well-qualified for the position (score of 85 or better based on your responses to the competencies and associated questions listed within the assessment)..