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This Communications Specialist position is located in the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), Office of the Assistant Director (OAD). For more information, click here.
10/18/2022 to 11/01/2022
$106,823 - $164,102 per year
The salary above is based on the OPM Washington, DC area locality pay range. The salary may vary based upon the duty station of the selected person.
GS 13 - 14
Yes - The position is designated as Remote Eligible. The duty station will be determined based on the incumbent selected.
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Not required
No
Permanent
Full-time
Competitive
14
No
No
GEO-2023-0002
683796800
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.
Current or former Federal employees with competitive status obtained through a permanent Federal competitive service appointment OR individuals with eligibility for noncompetitive special appointing authority OR ICTAP/CTAP eligibles OR veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act.
The primary purpose of this position is to develop and implement a strategy in coordination with the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA) to communicate information about the Directorate's support of research and education in the context of the overall mission of the National Science Foundation. Specific duties include the following:
It is NSF policy that NSF personnel employed at or IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to & including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment & referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions
Experience refers to paid/unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) & other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, & skills & can provide valuable training/experience that translates directly to paid work. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade/equivalent.
You must meet eligibility & qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire & any external assessment that is included.
All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
This position is in the bargaining unit represented by AFGE Local 3403.
To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience will include the following areas: interpreting government policies, scientific materials, and related facts in order to convey information to varied audiences using a wide range of resources; developing and implementing communication strategies, plans, and products for an organization; writing and editing articles and other written communication materials; writing talking points for public events and other such appearances; and experience writing for and using the Internet, social media, and web pages to communicate information to the public, media, and internal audience; working and interacting with various stakeholders, both independently and as part of a team.
To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes a combination of the following areas: developing communication strategies and products for an organization; writing and editing speeches, talking points, press releases, articles and other written communication materials concerning subjects related to science and engineering; leading organization’s programs for public events, press conferences and other such appearances; providing authoritative advice to senior management for improving the delivery of program information to the public; and experience using the Internet, social media, and web pages to communicate information to the public, media and internal audience.
Education may enhance skills required for this position; however, no substitution of education for specialized experience may be made at this level.
This position has been designated as remote eligible and the selected candidate may work at an approved alternate work site location, with no requirements or expectations to report to the NSF building on a regular/recurring basis. The employee's duty station will be designated as the location where the individual regularly performs their official duties and pay will reflect that Locality Pay Area.
Relocation Expenses will not be paid.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):
ICTAP and CTAP provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least “Very Good” on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources
Veteran's Preference:
If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the VA letter or other required documentation as specified on the SF-15.
NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.
For additional information on the NSF eRecruit system, please visit our NSF eRecruit Applicant Guide.
This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.
The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Ratings will be assigned based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire. In some cases, additional assessment processes may be used.
Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your score. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the selecting official.
Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At NSF, this means a score of 90.0 or higher.
In the merit promotion selection process, formal performance appraisals may be considered if voluntarily submitted by the applicant.
Competencies
If you are an NSF employee on or eligible for a permanent, competitive service position or you are an NSF employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior Federal permanent, competitive service, you need not submit documents to confirm status. All applicants are required to provide a resume, in any format they choose. Cover letters are optional.
If you are not an NSF employee as described above, but you are eligible under merit promotion, under an Interchange Agreements, under a non-competitive authority, or under a similar authority, you will be required to submit supporting documentation. This will typically require the submission of one or more of the following documents:
1. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50s) or comparable federal agency forms to verify your eligibility for reinstatement and/or grade/step/salary if you are a current or former permanent federal civil service employee.
• SF-50 must indicate that appointment is/was to a competitive service position with permanent tenure or conditional tenure within the last three years; OR, to a similar position in the excepted service at an agency that has an Interchange Agreement.
• An example of a comparable agency form is a personnel action from a DOD Non-appropriated Fund organization or from the US Postal Service for a current and continuing appointment without a break in service.
• Documents that are NOT comparable and NOT acceptable substitutes for a SF-50 include a SF-52, a Performance Appraisal form, a Personnel Action Request (PAR), or a Request for Personnel Action (RPA).
2. Performance appraisals and awards may be considered during the evaluation process if voluntarily submitted.
3. DD-214 (Member-4 copy); and if applicable, an SF15, the Department of Veterans Affairs Notice of Compensable Disability Rating (VA Letter) from applicants requesting consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), Veteran Recruitment Act (VRA), or the disabled veterans appointing authority.
4. Schedule A Certification – from applicants requesting consideration under the Schedule A appointing authority for disabled applicants.
5. Other – Documentation which verifies you are eligible to be appointed to a permanent position in the federal competitive civil service.
If you are requesting consideration under a Special Hiring Authority listed below, you must submit the required documentation as outlined in the regulation or Executive Order. Please also annotate your application to reflect that you are applying under a special hiring authority. If you are requesting consideration under a Special Hiring Authority not listed below, please email eRecruit@nsf.gov or reach out to the point of contact listed on the vacancy announcement.
• Returned Peace Corp Volunteers
• Certain Military Spouses (Executive Order 13473)
• Former Overseas Employees
• Foreign Service Employees
• Career Service Employees
• Postal Rate Commission Employees
• Government Accountability Office (GAO) Employees
• Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Employees
If you are requesting special employment consideration under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or
CTAP, you must submit documentation provided by your current or former employing agency verifying your eligibility for that program. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Your application should be submitted online and must be completed and all required documents successfully uploaded before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the closing date. You must answer all of the job-related questions to ensure full consideration for this position. For more detailed information, please review our NSF eRecruit Applicant Guide.
If you are unable to apply electronically, please use the Contact Information below for special instructions on how to submit your application materials. Hearing impaired individuals may call TDD (703) 292-5090 for assistance.
WARNING! Applications submitted online must have a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
You may check the status of your application at any time on the USAJOBS website
Applicants should click ‘Track this Application’ in the Applicant Dashboard to receive application updates.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/683796800. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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