Public Affairs Specialist

US Offices, Boards and Divisions; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

US Offices, Boards and Divisions is seeking candidates for GS-11/GS-12 level positions in the Federal Service. The role requires one year of specialized experience at GS-09 or GS-11 equivalents, with the ability to advise, represent in media contexts, and respond to media inquiries.

Education options include Ph.D. or equivalent, or three years of graduate study, or a combination of education and experience meeting the 100% requirement. A cutoff date of 11/05/2026 applies.

Qualifications

• Must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service.
• Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. in a field related to the position.
• Combination of Education and Experience: compute percentage of requirements and total must be at least 100%.
• For GS-12, one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service.
• Must meet all qualification requirements by the announced cutoff date 11/05/2026.
• Resume must support responses to the questionnaire and the qualification requirements.

Responsibilities

• Advising organization management or decision-makers on public affairs matters.
• Representing an organization in an official capacity during media interviews, press conferences, or meetings.
• Responding to inquiries from members of the news media.

Skills

Public affairs

Media relations

Policy advisement

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

Graduate education beyond 2nd year

Job description

Specialized Experience: For the GS-11

You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is defined as:

• Assisting in planning or managing public relations programs;
• Conducting research in response to media inquiries;
• Drafting content for news releases, fact sheets, informational pieces, or talking points.

OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages

Specialized Experience: For the GS-12

You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is defined as:

• Advising organization management or decision-makers on public affairs matters;
• Representing an organization in an official capacity during media interviews, press conferences, or meetings;
• Responding to inquiries from members of the news media.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the 11/05/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.

See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit your application, you will receive notification indicated whether or not the USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 11/05/2026 to complete the assessment which is part of your application.