Public Affairs Specialist

Bureau of Prisons / Federal Prison System; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Bureau of Prisons seeks communications professionals to serve as authorized spokespersons and manage public information tasks for a large federal agency. You will help develop and coordinate messages across offices and respond to media inquiries with accurate information.

The role covers crafting strategies, overseeing audio/video production, print layout, graphic design, and social media content for broad public audiences.

Qualifications

• Experience as a spokesperson or point of contact with news media and the public.
• Experience coordinating public information activities across multiple components.
• Experience planning, managing, and directing audio/video production and graphic design.
• Experience monitoring media coverage and briefing senior leadership.

Skills

Spokesperson experience

Public communications

Media relations

Strategic communications

Public speaking

Tools

Video production

Graphic design

Social media content creation

Job description

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Education

GS-13 and GS-14: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.

Experience

GS-13:

• Experience serving as a spokesperson or point of contact with news media and the public on complex, sensitive, or controversial matters, developing and implementing communication strategies to respond to inquiries and preparing press releases, briefing materials, or talking points for senior leadership on organizational policies, programs, and positions.
• Experience coordinating public information activities across multiple organizational components or facilities to ensure consistent messaging and compliance with organizational policy, maintaining regular contact with field offices to provide guidance on responding to public inquiries, and disseminating information through various communication channels including publications, reports, and electronic media.
• Experience planning, managing, and directing audio and video production, print layout, graphic design, or social media content for a large organization, exercising independent judgment in conceptualizing videos and event productions and managing integrated procurement and production programs for complex communication missions.
• Experience monitoring and analyzing news sources, media coverage, and public communications to identify issues affecting the organization, providing daily briefings to senior executives on relevant topics and initiating or developing appropriate responses to selected issues for executive approval and dissemination.

GS-14:

• Experience serving as an authorized spokesperson for an organization's Director or senior executive leadership on all matters relating to agency programs, policies, and positions across a vast array of topics, working directly with executive leadership to ensure accurate and timely dissemination of information and coordinating public information activities with Department-level or other external agency public affairs staff.
• Experience independently planning, developing, and implementing comprehensive communication strategies to respond to highly controversial, complex, and sensitive inquiries that could significantly impact organizational operations and mission, developing and coordinating strategies designed to obtain public support and effectively communicate leadership positions and serving as liaison with news media representatives developing major news stories about the organization.
• Experience exercising broad authority and independent judgment in planning, directing, and managing sophisticated visual information activities including audio and video production, print layout, graphic design, and social media content for an entire agency or large organization, establishing priorities and allocating resources for agency-wide communication programs and managing integrated procurement and video production programs for extremely complex missions.
• Experience serving as a management official with significant authority to make determinations that further program objectives; exercising independent judgment and discretion on a regular basis with primary duties having significant effect on the formulation or execution of management policies or programs and identifying operational or program issues and initiating corrective action or recommending solutions with limited review or revision.

AND

Selective Factor

• Two (2) years of experience in audio/video productions and post production proficiencies, graphic design, and social media content strategies.

To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience.

Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.