Public Affairs Specialist.

Offices-to-go; Washington (District of Columbia); In loco; USD 70.000 - 100.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

The Department of Justice seeks a Public Affairs Specialist (GS-1035-11/12) in Washington, DC, to advise leadership, coordinate media engagements, and shape communications across the department. The role requires expertise in public relations and media response, and duties scale with grade level.

Responsibilities include organizing interviews, handling inquiries, and maintaining media relations, with emphasis on accurate messaging and policy alignment.

Competenze

• One year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent.
• Experience planning or managing public relations programs and drafting content for news releases.
• Knowledge of Department policies and guidelines.

Mansioni

• Advise organization management on public affairs matters and communications strategies.
• Organize media interviews, press conferences, and provide supporting materials.
• Monitor and respond to media inquiries; coordinate with stakeholders.
• Represent the organization in media interviews and maintain relationships with media representatives.

Conoscenze

Public relations planning

Media inquiries research

News content drafting

Formazione

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

Descrizione del lavoro

Duties

The duties and responsibilities for a GS-1035-Public Affairs Specialist-11/12 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Deals with a myriad of entities such as print, radio, television, internet media, law enforcement agencies, government officials, and private industry
• Advises and assists other departmental components on communications strategies and resolving issues to align public affairs messaging across the Department
• Develops and maintains a thorough knowledge of Department policies, guidelines, and internal regulations
• Evaluates program effectiveness, advises leadership, and recommends modifications as needed
• Organizes and coordinates media interviews with Department leadership, and develops and provides supporting materials as needed
• Organizes press conferences and other media events to enhance the Department's law enforcement initiatives
• Responds in writing and/or orally to information requests from the media, specialized groups, and general public.
• Uses traditional and social media content to monitor and analyze international, national, regional, and local news stories that directly affect the Department
• Represents the organization in media interviews and press conferences with agency officials, government representatives, and stakeholder associations
• Establishes and maintains effective relationships with media representatives, Department stakeholders, and across the public affairs community

The duties listed above are generally written for one grade level. If the position is advertised at multiple grades, the duties will be adjusted in difficulty, complexity, and level of supervision, for higher or lower grades, as appropriate.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period. See “Additional Information” section for specific details.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Public Affairs Specialist, at GS-1035-11/12, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below.

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: 1) Assisting in planning or managing public relations programs; 2) Conducting research in response to media inquiries; AND 3) 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: 1) Advising organization management or decision-makers on public affairs matters; 2) Representing an organization in an official capacity during media interviews, press conferences, or meetings; AND 3) 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.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below.

Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Career Transition Programs ()

These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

• Meet
• Be rated well-qualified for the position [with a score of 85 or above OR rated Highly Qualified] based on the competencies listed above; and
• Submit the appropriate documentation to support your

Probationary Period:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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:

DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy:

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. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here:

Selective Service:

If you were born male, on or 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. Additional information is found at:

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs:

The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code

• 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R
• 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.

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.

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.

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.