Transportation Security Administration
Public Affairs Specialist
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Summary
Specialized Experience: To qualify at the SV-J (GS-14) band level: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-I (GS-13) in the Federal service or private sector. Specialized experience MUST include all the following: Leading communications and outreach efforts for external stakeholders, including partner agencies, industry groups, community organizations, media outlets, and customers; advising leadership and program offices on effective messaging and communication approaches; AND Researching, drafting, reviewing, editing, and coordinating press releases, public statements, talking points, speeches, media advisories, and other public-facing communications materials; AND Developing and executing strategic communications plans and advising senior leadership on communications strategies, messaging, and sensitive or high-visibility matters. Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Major Duties
This Public Affairs Specialist position is located in Strategic Communications and Public Affairs (SCPA), Public Affairs Division, Media Relations Branch, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to: Plans and executes internal and external communications activities for assigned SCPA programs and functional areas. Develops communications, outreach, and promotional materials that explain complex, high-visibility, and potentially controversial issues to a range of audiences. Conducts research on program responsibilities, activities, policies, and emerging issues to support national communications campaigns. Advises leadership and program officials on potential media and public reactions to proposed policies, programs, and initiatives. Establishes and maintains productive relationships with local, national, and international media representatives and responds to communications issues affecting SCPA. Develops and implements short- and long-term communications strategies to promote public understanding of SCPA programs and activities among the media, industry stakeholders, other Federal agencies, Congress, the general public, and internal audiences. Prepares key messages, communication plans, outreach products, and implementation approaches using a variety of communications channels. Identifies and assesses potentially controversial issues with national or international impact and recommends appropriate communications responses. Leads or participates in special projects involving policy-sensitive or confidential matters, ensuring communications activities are consistent with SCPA policy and organizational objectives. Manages strategic communication portfolios; to include regular information gathering, tracking of SCPA support requests, and evaluation of effectiveness. Provides strategic communications and public affairs subject matter expertise concerning agency programs, developments, and policies. Provides advice and counsel to senior leadership on strategic communications, audience outreach, and engagement opportunities as they relate to the TSA mission and goals. Conducts extensive research, develops plans, and contributes to the implementation of a variety of Public Affairs projects and programs; utilizes metrics to track the progress of projects and developing reports of findings to management and other TSA entities. Consults and advises executive level program managers regarding their communication needs and advises headquarters senior program managers and field leadership on how to build stronger communication products and systems for delivering products.
Requirements
You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI). Selective Service registration is required. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance Travel Required at least 50% If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Documentation is needed to verify the eligibilities you are claiming. NOTE: Your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet this requirement or you will be deemed ineligible. Additionally, copying and pasting information from the announcement into your resume will not adequately convey your qualifications. Resume Requirements: 1. All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. 2. Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including month and year) for work experience. 3. Number of hours worked in a position (i.e., full-time or part-time). If part-time, (i.e., less than 40 hours per week) state the total number of hours worked per week. 4. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your performance level for federal civilian positions (i.e., band or grade). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate content, classified information, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc. on your resume. Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged. Detail Documentation: Eligible applicants who wish to qualify for this position based upon experience obtained while serving on a detail with TSA must submit signed copies of the corresponding TSA form 1160, Terms And Conditions For Temporary Internal Assignment -Detail, or an SF-52, Request for Personnel Action, as supporting documentation along with their application otherwise the experience cannot be credited. Transcripts: If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under the Qualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment. Veterans: If claiming VEOA or Veterans Preference- submit a copy of the official DD-214, which must include the character of service (i.e., with an Honorable or General discharge). If no DD-214 is available, please submit a memo/certification of military service as outlined in the VOW Act. This will be annotated in block 24 on member copy 2,4, or 7 of the DD-214. If claiming veterans' consideration which involves considering your disability rating, you must submit a VA Letter or a disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces. Note: All veterans claiming 10-point preference must also submit a SF-15. TSA Employees: Current TSA employees are strongly encouraged to submit the most recent non-Award SF-50, at the time of application, to support eligibility for Status consideration. TSA employees who do not submit the SF-50 with the application must document their current TSA position in their resume and may be required to provide the SF-50 document during the selection process. TSA employees may obtain a copy of their most recent non-Award SF-50 at https://eopf.opm.gov/dhs/. Current or Former Federal Civilian employees (Non-TSA): You must submit a legible copy of a SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action. The SF-50 block 24 must contain a "1" or "2" AND block 34 must contain a "1" or "2." Individuals with Disabilities: Documentation of eligibility for employment under this hiring authority can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. Documentation is used to verify that the individual being hired is indeed a person with an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability. Military Spouse Preference: If you are eligible based on one of the below, please submit the following: (1) spouse of an active-duty member of the armed forces: DD214 of spouse, marriage license, and PCS orders showing dependency (if applicable) (2) a spouse of a service member who is 100% disabled due to a service-connected injury: DD214 of spouse, marriage license, and VA Letter or disability determination showing 100% (3) spouse of a service member killed while on active duty: DD214 of spouse, marriage license, documentation from the Armed Forces casualty office
How to Apply
All of the following must be received in our office by 11:59 PM EST (Eastern Standard time) on the closing date of this announcement. If we do not receive all required information by the closing date, your application may not be considered. The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. Your application must include: Resume Self-Assessment Questionnaire for this position Applicable supporting documents (see Required Documents Section) To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Veterans and Persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the documentation that is required, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.