Public Affairs Specialist

United States Attorneys' Offices; Providence (RI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Attorneys' Offices seeks a Public Affairs professional to manage communications, media relations, and community outreach for the district. You will act as the press coordinator, preparing and disseminating information about programs and initiatives.

You will also support leadership with a variety of administrative tasks while coordinating with other agencies. The role requires experience in public communications and the ability to handle diverse writing projects for print and

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07.
• Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree (e.g., LL.B. or J.D.) in a related field (Public Relations, Broadcast Journalism, Communication).
• Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such degree, if applicable.
• Education completed at a college/university with accredited status, or foreign education considered equivalent in English translation.

Responsibilities

• Carry out public affairs, communications, community outreach, and litigation support for the district.
• Serve as press coordinator: collect, assemble, prepare, and disseminate information on district programs.
• Provide administrative and office support to the U.S. Attorney and leadership team.
• Execute campaigns to enhance understanding of the U.S. Attorney's initiatives.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with print and broadcast media representatives.
• Prepare written material including news releases, articles, brochures, reports, and legal correspondence.

Skills

Public affairs

Media relations

Communications

Community outreach

Litigation support

Education

Master's degree

J.D./LL.B.

Job description

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 26-RI-13069456-MS.

Duties

At the full performance level, you will be responsible for carrying out a variety of public affairs, communications, community outreach, and litigation support activities for the district. You will serve as the press coordinator, responsible for collecting, assembling, preparing, and disseminating information concerning the district's various programs; you will also provide a variety of ancillary administrative and office support services for the United States Attorney (USA) and the leadership team.

• Executing campaigns to enhance understanding of the United States Attorney's initiatives.
• Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with print and broadcast media representatives.
• Preparing and composing a variety of written material, to include articles, brochures, reports, news releases, letters, legal correspondence, etc., for publication and dissemination.
• Arranging and coordinating press conferences.
• Assisting personnel in other agencies and Departmental components in carrying out community relations activities.
• Examines, prepares and processes a variety of technical legal documents which are characteristically voluminous and moderately complex in format.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

GS-09: To be eligible at the GS-09 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level.

Specialized Experience

is defined as performing the following types of duties: developing news releases, fact sheets, talking points, and related materials for publication in print and digital media; establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with print and broadcast media; and conducting workshops, seminars, and other meetings with various audiences.

OR

Education

Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B. or J.D.) in a related field (e.g., Public Relations, Broadcast Journalism, Communication, & Radio/Television Media); OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.

OR

Combining Education and Experience

Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. To qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)-

The ICTAP provides 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 consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-

The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your 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 satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov

OR

Education

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

• Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.
• A relocation/recruitment incentive may be considered as appropriate based on qualifications.
• The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.
• Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement

Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

EEO Statement/Policy

The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.

Political Appointees (Current or Former):

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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. Learn more about federal 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.