USAJOBS - Job Announcement

Help

You will serve as a Public Affairs Specialist in the Office of Media Relations. The individual plans, participates in, and executes NHTSA's high-profile public information programs directed toward the news media, industry media, consumer organizations, and the public.

Help

Hiring complete

Open & closing dates

06/17/2021 to 06/28/2021
Salary

$87,198 - $113,362 per year
Pay scale & grade

GS 12
Location

1 vacancy in the following location:
- Washington, DC
Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required

Occasional travel - Some travel is required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed

No
Appointment type

Permanent
Work schedule

Full-time - Full Time
Service

Competitive
Promotion potential

13
Job family (Series)

1035 Public Affairs
Supervisory status

No
Security clearance

Other
Drug test

No
Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness
Announcement number

NHTSA.NCO-2021-0009
Control number

604929700

Help

Clarification from the agency

Open to current and former Federal employees with competitive status, VEOA Applicants, AND All U.S. Citizens.

Help

As a Public Affairs Specialist, you will:

Develop, write and edit highway safety related web content, blogs, speeches, bytes and b-roll scripts, public service announcements, statements, editorial content fit for publication, and press releases related to highway safety.
Research, write, and edit content for news conferences, and major mass media traffic and highway safety campaigns.
Establish and maintain liaison with program offices within NHTSA, other federal departments, and private organizations to plan and implement inter-agency information dissemination related to highway safety.
Responsible for maintaining relationships with key media organizations and trade publications to gamer continued coverage for the agency.
Participate in briefings with the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, and the Office of the Secretary's top officials on news conferences and special events.

Ideal Candidate Statement

The ideal candidate for this position is driven, reliable, adaptable and able to provide consistently excellent, effective customer service in a timely manner while maintaining a high level of quality and productivity in a deadline driven, fast-paced environment. The individual can establish and maintain effective external working relationships with industry media, national and regional media outlets, industry associations, as well as internal working relationships with DOT and NHTSA staff, including Senior Officials. The ideal candidate can craft clear and effective messaging and outreach aimed at the public that can be disseminated through a variety of media channels and platforms; respond quickly to media inquiries; support NHTSA’s social media team by preparing and reviewing materials to posted on a variety of social media platforms; produce related concise and on-point briefing materials, talking points and background information by working with leadership and program offices; and coordinate press releases and media advisories with Office of the Secretary’s media team and where needed works closely with OST’s senior officials on news conferences, campaigns, and special events.

The ideal candidate is resourceful and excels under tight deadlines and pressure situations that require providing timely and accurate information and reflects professionalism. The individual is the consummate team member who works cooperatively and effectively with other media team members and is eager to take on challenging assignments and projects.

Help

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the Grade 12, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

Experience providing sound, policy-based media statements in a fast-paced, multi-tasking media relations office.
Experience in drafting factual media statements in response to breaking news and under very tight deadlines; and experience in pulling together information from many sources to present accurate information to the public in a timely manner.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

Demonstrated knowledge and experience as a full-time credentialed journalist or public relations professional. Strong writing and grammar skills for communicating to the public and media. Experience explaining and writing information fit for publication in newspapers, magazines, blogs or news websites, and/or newsletters daily under very tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Experience writing published news stories, editorials, writing press releases, statements for attribution, and blogs. Experience communicating verbally with reporters and/or editors and responding to questions and providing information requested in an accurate and timely manner.
Demonstrated knowledge and skills as a journalist or public affairs professional working under very tight deadlines acquiring information about different subjects and in analyzing, selecting, and presenting the information in a style, manner, and format that is accurate and suited to the requirements of the designated medium. Extensive experience working with reporters and/or editors daily and has a strong relationship with national and regional reports, as well as automotive beat reporters. Incumbent must ensure that the information presented is an accurate expression of the agency and department policy on various highway and vehicle safety issues.
Demonstrated knowledge of the news industry and skills as a full-time journalist or public relations professional.
Demonstrated ability to communicate with managers, peers, and customers at all levels.

For all types of consideration, 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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

This vacancy may be used by any DOT agency to fill similar positions within 90 days.

Benefits

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.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.

To compete with U.S. Citizens: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of four categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze, which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.

To compete with other competitive status government employees: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position, must indicate interest in the assessment. In eligibility question 14: select Yes/Other/Former Incumbency of a Position brought into the Competitive Service. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

All applicants: Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated on your behalf or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.

To preview questions please click here.

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.

RESUME - All applicants must provide a resume created within USA Jobs Resume Builder, that shows relevant experience, education and support the required specialized experience. Formatted resumes can by uploaded later in the application process.

TRANSCRIPTS are REQUIRED if there is a stated education requirement for the series OR if you are substituting education for experience. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.

If you have already qualified and worked in the federal service in this series, you may provide an SF-50 in lieu of transcripts.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS/INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and forwarded to the selecting official in consideration of your application. To receive credit, submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months (i.e. performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.).

VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility.

If applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
If claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
If applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) (https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/#veoa), you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act.

FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50, current SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks’ time-in-grade requirements. https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/service/SF-50/

NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.

DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85 or falling in the Gold Category) and provide all of the following documents:

your most recent performance appraisal,
the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.

If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office

Phone: 000-000-0000
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address: DOT, NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMIN
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. Qualified candidates will be assigned a category, not including points that may be assigned for veterans' preference. If the vacancy is advertised under status, your application will be scored on a scale between 70 - 100. The most highly qualified candidates are then referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If the vacancy was advertised under category rating, then the appropriate veteran's preference will be applied. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Help

RESUME - All applicants must provide a resume created within USA Jobs Resume Builder, that shows relevant experience, education and support the required specialized experience. Formatted resumes can by uploaded later in the application process.

TRANSCRIPTS are REQUIRED if there is a stated education requirement for the series OR if you are substituting education for experience. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.

If you have already qualified and worked in the federal service in this series, you may provide an SF-50 in lieu of transcripts.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS/INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and forwarded to the selecting official in consideration of your application. To receive credit, submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months (i.e. performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.).

VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility.

If applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
If claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
If applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) (https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/#veoa), you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act.

FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50, current SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks’ time-in-grade requirements. https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/service/SF-50/

NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.

DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85 or falling in the Gold Category) and provide all of the following documents:

your most recent performance appraisal,
the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

Help

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.

If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office

Phone: 000-000-0000
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address: DOT, NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMIN
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. Qualified candidates will be assigned a category, not including points that may be assigned for veterans' preference. If the vacancy is advertised under status, your application will be scored on a scale between 70 - 100. The most highly qualified candidates are then referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If the vacancy was advertised under category rating, then the appropriate veteran's preference will be applied. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Public Affairs Specialist (Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees)

Summary

Overview

Open & closing dates

Salary

Pay scale & grade

Location

Telework eligible

Travel Required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type

Work schedule

Service

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

Supervisory status

Security clearance

Drug test

Position sensitivity and risk

Trust determination process

Announcement number

Control number

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Duties

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Qualifications

Education

Additional information

Benefits

How You Will Be Evaluated

Benefits

Required Documents

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair and Transparent

Required Documents

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair & Transparent