Public Affairs Specialist

400 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20024, USA
Posted on  

Job Description

Duties

As a Public Affairs Specialist, you will:

  • Support the agency's internal information program through dissemination of written and multimedia vehicles (photography, videography, design) with responsibility for informing all employees about issues of interest to the agency. Provide writing, editing, and technical assistance in the development of digital signs, web content, electronic newsletters, employee messages and other agency publications.
  • Develop employee messages and other products (intranet content, newsletters, digital signage, brochures, pamphlets, etc.) to enhance employee understanding and support of the agency's mission, strategy, priorities, and activities. Support the internal information program by producing, editing, and manipulating all forms of digital content, including audio and video files, podcasts, electronic photography, and digital signage.
  • Serve as principal photographer and photo editor for public affairs visual information and other internal specialized products as requested. Write cutlines describing photos and subjects, properly labels images, and include metadata when necessary. Manage, care for and take accountability for photographic equipment, supplies, and materials. Create and maintain digital photo library recording the OCC's mission, history, challenges, and successes.
  • Participate in and contribute to the full range of responsibilities and tasks managed by Public Affairs and Congressional Relations. These tasks may include proofreading and editing materials, coordinating the production of communication materials, and providing communications expertise and support for initiatives in other OCC business units.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time.

There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:

  • Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back,
  • FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and
  • SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information).
  • Complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • Complete a background investigation (unless already completed).
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Travel occasionally to attend conferences and/or training.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • Click here for important information about OCC ethics standards, such as the requirement that new hires divest their bank securities.
  • Successfully complete a background investigation that includes criminal history, financial history (including a credit check) and other information.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:

You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the next lower level in the Federal service. To qualify for the NB-IV level, you must have specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level, NB-III or GS-7 level, in the federal service.

Examples of specialized experience for this position include:

  • Disseminating information through written and multimedia vehicles (i.e., photography, videography, design); AND
  • Assisting in the development of internal communications (i.e., digital signs, web content, electronic newsletters, or publications).

OR

Education:

You must have graduate education that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Qualifying education includes: Master's or equivalent graduate degree; 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related or above. One year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study.

OR

Combination of Education and Specialized Experience: Have a combination of graduate level education from an accredited college or university AND specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the NB-III level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. One year of full time graduate education is considered to be number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of fully-time study. If the number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.

The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.

To receive any credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate the number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

Education

Please see Qualifications section for education.

Additional information

  • This position is included in the bargaining unit.
  • Salary range includes 25.04% geographical pay.
  • If you are a current OCC employee who previously received a waiver determination permitting you to retain bank securities due to extenuating circumstances, please note that this determination may be rescinded if the nature of your duty's changes. We strongly suggest that you discuss the potential implications of any change in duties on a prior securities determination with your ethics official.
  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more positions.
  • The candidate selected for this position may be credited with directly related non-Federal experience for annual leave purposes if eligible and considered appropriate.
  • Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information and instructions.
  • If you are among the best-qualified applicants referred for consideration, you will be required to submit at least three photo samples and complete one (or more) job-related structured interviews.
  • Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  • Click "Print" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  • The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at, FairChanceAct@treasury.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.

  • 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Rating:

Your application will be evaluated in the following areas:

  • Advising
  • Business Technology
  • Photography
  • Strategic Communications
  • Written Communication
Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality categories (Outstanding, Excellent, or Qualified) depending on your responses to the online questions regarding your experience, education and training related to this position. Your rating will be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference eligibles in that category.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must be rated as well-qualified to receive special selection priority. "Well-qualified" means that in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective placement factor(s), if applicable, you must be assigned to the Outstanding or Excellent category.

  • 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.

  • Required Documents

    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.

    A complete application includes: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). Note: Please ensure that all bank, financial, and other confidential or sensitive information is removed/redacted from each document.

    RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please review Resume Tips.

    VETERANS DOCUMENTATION: If you are applying under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) or another veterans' hiring authority, or are claiming veteran's preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing type of separation and character of service (e.g. DD-214 Member 4 Copy) and if applicable, VA letter. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. You can find additional information about Veterans' Preference at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

    CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) or INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.

    EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

    OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS: In addition, you may submit the following:

    • Cover letter
    • Recent performance evaluation (be sure to redact/remove all sensitive information prior to submitting)

    If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

    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.

  • How to Apply

    The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, you must contact us by noon Eastern Standard Time on the announcement's closing date. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Lelia Jordan at Lelia.Jordan@occ.treas.gov or 202-445-0246 to obtain an alternative application.

    If you require a reasonable accommodation for disability during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Kelly Battista by phone at 202-704-9488 or by email at Kelly.Battista@occ.treas.gov. Treasury provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the announcement's closing date to request accommodation. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. Ms. Battista is not the point of contact for questions about the vacancy announcement.

    To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12361001.

    A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the Announcement to receive consideration.

    • 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.

    Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. If you are among the best-qualified applicants referred for consideration, you will be required to submit at least three photo samples and complete one (or more) job-related structured interviews.

    Agency contact information

    Lelia Jordan

    Phone

    202-445-0246

    Email

    Lelia.Jordan@occ.treas.gov

    Address

    Office of Public Affairs
    400 7th Street SW
    Washington, DC 20219
    US

    Next steps

    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/.

    Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

  • Fair and Transparent

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

    • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
    • Reasonable accommodation policy
    • Financial suitability
    • Selective Service
    • New employee probationary period
    • Signature and false statements
    • Privacy Act
    • Social security number request

Required Documents

A complete application includes: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). Note: Please ensure that all bank, financial, and other confidential or sensitive information is removed/redacted from each document.

RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please review Resume Tips.

VETERANS DOCUMENTATION: If you are applying under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) or another veterans' hiring authority, or are claiming veteran's preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing type of separation and character of service (e.g. DD-214 Member 4 Copy) and if applicable, VA letter. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. You can find additional information about Veterans' Preference at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) or INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS: In addition, you may submit the following:

  • Cover letter
  • Recent performance evaluation (be sure to redact/remove all sensitive information prior to submitting)

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.


Help

This job is open to

  • The public

    U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals; No prior Federal experience is required.

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