This job announcement has closed

This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of Communications (OC), Media Relations Group (MRG).

As a Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-13, you will be responsible for creating messaging and providing communications support for CMS. You will work closely with various internal and external contacts and program experts across the agency to develop communication strategies that support CMS' mission and goals. You will also be responsible for the coordination of media relations activities for assigned "beat" areas.

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Hiring complete

Open & closing dates

03/05/2018 to 03/16/2018
Salary

$96,970 - $126,062 per year
Pay scale & grade

GS 13
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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:
- Washington DC, DC
Travel Required

Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed

No
Appointment type

Permanent
Work schedule

Full-Time
Service
Promotion potential

13
Job family (Series)
- 1035 Public Affairs
Supervisory status

No
Announcement number

CMS-OC-18-10152162-DE
Control number

492807400

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Arrange and manage media briefings, media availabilities, and other news-related activities.
Cultivate and maintain effective working relationships with the news media and other internal and external stakeholders.
Initiate, create, write, and edit materials, including news releases, press statements, fact sheets, and frequently asked questions about CMS programs, initiatives, policy, technical, and provider interests and issues.
Brief CMS officials to prepare them for interacting with the media and/or political entities.

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Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

In order to qualify for the GS-13, you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include: #1) writing and editing press releases, blogs, fact sheets, statements, summaries or remarks on behalf of the agency or agency leadership for the news media regarding healthcare or health policy; #2) interacting with reporters by responding to inquiries, managing interviews, and/or facilitating press calls and briefings; and #3) finalizing content of communications documents and distribution of materials to the media, public, or stakeholders.

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.

Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10152162

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes - 2268
Tour of Duty: Flexible
Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Not Required

CMS employees currently participating in 100% Full-Time Telework Program may be eligible to remain in the program. If an employee in this program is selected, the pay will be set in accordance with the locality pay for the applicable duty station. The listed salary range reflects the locality pay assigned to the duty location(s) listed in the vacancy announcement. For more information about pay based on locality, please visit the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Salaries & Wages Page.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

Additional Forms REQUIRED Prior to Appointment:

Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment and the Background/Suitability Investigation - A background and suitability investigation will be required for all selectees. Appointment will be subject to the successful completion of the investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. In addition, if hired, a reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. If selected, the Optional Form 306 will be required prior to final job offer. Click here to obtain a copy of the Optional Form 306.
Form I-9, Employment Verification and the Electronic Eligibility Verification Program - CMS participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. If selected, the Form I-9 will be required at the time of in-processing. Click here for more information about E-Verify and to obtain a copy of the Form I-9.
Standard Form 61, Appointment Affidavits - If selected, the Standard Form 61 will be required at the time of in-processing. Click here to obtain a copy of the Standard Form 61.

Additional selections may be made from this announcement for similar positions within CMS in the same geographical location. For Central Office vacancies, the "same geographical location" includes Baltimore, Maryland; Bethesda, Maryland; and Washington, D.C.

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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.

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.

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

If you meet the minimum qualifications and education requirements for this position, your application and responses to the online occupational questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and Selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:

Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of professional or scientific positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Once the announcement has closed, your online application, resume, and CMS required documents will be used to determine if you meet eligibility and qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Communications and Media
Oral Communication
Public Affairs
Written Communication

This is a competitive vacancy announcement advertised under Delegated Examining Authority. Selections made under this vacancy announcement will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given new appointments to the civil service; however, benefits, time served and all other Federal entitlements would remain the same.

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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.

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.
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

The following documents are REQUIRED:

1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/

2. CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Required documents may be necessary to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required documents. Failure to provide the required documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.

PLEASE NOTE: A complete application package includes the online application, resume, and CMS required documents. Please carefully review the full job announcement to include the "Required Documents" and "How to Apply" sections. Failure to submit the online application, resume and CMS required documents, will result in you not being considered for employment.

Contact Information: CMS HR Center Helpdesk
Phone: 1-888-423-2737 or 410-786-3936
Email: HRCenterHelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday from 8:00AM ET to 5:00PM ET (excludes all federal holidays)
Your complete application package, as described in the "Required Documents" section, must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 03/16/2018 to receive consideration.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION.

We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:
- Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
- Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
- Employer's name and address
- Supervisor name and phone number
- Start and end dates including month, day and year (e.g. June 18, 2007 to April 05, 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Salary
Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information WILL result in a finding of ineligible.
- 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 resume 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. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please send an email to the CMS HR Helpdesk (HRCenterHelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov). You may also contact the CMS HR Helpdesk at 1-888-423-2737 or 410-786-3936. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing should contact the CMS HR Helpdesk via 1-888-423-2737 using your relay service provider (Video Relay Services or Teletype Services). The decision to grant reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

Current Commissioned Corps Officers and boarded applicants interested in applying for this position must send their professional resume (not Curriculum Vitae) and cover letter to DSRWS-CC@cms.hhs.gov in lieu of applying through this announcement. You are to include the Job Announcement Number in the subject line and your current rank/application status in your email. Failure to provide this information may impact your consideration for this position.

CMS employees who are currently appointed under Schedule A authority and are interested in applying for this position must submit their resume, Schedule A documentation, transcripts (if positive education required or qualifying through education substitution), and cover letter (optional) to SpecialPrograms@cms.hhs.gov. You MUST include the Job Announcement Number in the subject line of the email to receive consideration for the position. For additional information regarding Schedule A authority click here.
Agency contact information

CMS HR CENTER HELP DESK

Phone

(888) 423-2737

Email

HRCenterHelpDesk@cms.hhs.gov

Address

Office of Communications
7500 Security Blvd
Woodlawn, MD 21244
US

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated to determine your eligibility and qualifications for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another email notification regarding the status of your application.

Within 30 business days of the closing date,03/16/2018, you may check your status online by logging into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Help

The following documents are REQUIRED:

1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/

2. CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Required documents may be necessary to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required documents. Failure to provide the required documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.

PLEASE NOTE: A complete application package includes the online application, resume, and CMS required documents. Please carefully review the full job announcement to include the "Required Documents" and "How to Apply" sections. Failure to submit the online application, resume and CMS required documents, will result in you not being considered for employment.

Contact Information: CMS HR Center Helpdesk
Phone: 1-888-423-2737 or 410-786-3936
Email: HRCenterHelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday from 8:00AM ET to 5:00PM ET (excludes all federal holidays)

Help

Your complete application package, as described in the "Required Documents" section, must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 03/16/2018 to receive consideration.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION.

We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:

Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
Employer's name and address
Supervisor name and phone number
Start and end dates including month, day and year (e.g. June 18, 2007 to April 05, 2008)
Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
Salary

Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information WILL result in a finding of ineligible.

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 resume 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. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please send an email to the CMS HR Helpdesk (HRCenterHelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov). You may also contact the CMS HR Helpdesk at 1-888-423-2737 or 410-786-3936. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing should contact the CMS HR Helpdesk via 1-888-423-2737 using your relay service provider (Video Relay Services or Teletype Services). The decision to grant reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

Current Commissioned Corps Officers and boarded applicants interested in applying for this position must send their professional resume (not Curriculum Vitae) and cover letter to DSRWS-CC@cms.hhs.gov in lieu of applying through this announcement. You are to include the Job Announcement Number in the subject line and your current rank/application status in your email. Failure to provide this information may impact your consideration for this position.

CMS employees who are currently appointed under Schedule A authority and are interested in applying for this position must submit their resume, Schedule A documentation, transcripts (if positive education required or qualifying through education substitution), and cover letter (optional) to SpecialPrograms@cms.hhs.gov. You MUST include the Job Announcement Number in the subject line of the email to receive consideration for the position. For additional information regarding Schedule A authority click here.

Agency contact information

CMS HR CENTER HELP DESK

Phone: (888) 423-2737
Email: HRCenterHelpDesk@cms.hhs.gov
Address: Office of Communications
7500 Security Blvd
Woodlawn, MD 21244
US

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated to determine your eligibility and qualifications for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another email notification regarding the status of your application.

Within 30 business days of the closing date,03/16/2018, you may check your status online by logging into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed.

Public Affairs Specialist

Summary

Overview

Open & closing dates

Salary

Pay scale & grade

Location

Travel Required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type

Work schedule

Service

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

Supervisory status

Announcement number

Control number

This job is open to

Duties

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Qualifications

Education

Additional information

How You Will Be Evaluated

Agency contact information

Next steps

Required Documents

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair & Transparent