Interested candidates should be passionate about the ideals of our American republic, committed to upholding the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, and committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government. Hiring decisions will not be based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Current Federal employees asking to be considered under Merit Promotion procedures must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Candidates must meet all of the specialized experience requirements outlined below in order to be deemed as qualified. Specialized Experience GS-12 Candidates must have one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1. Experience planning, developing, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating public affairs activities. 2. Experience developing and preparing press releases, media advisories, public information materials, communication summaries, fact sheets, FAQs, briefing materials, and digital communication content. 3. Experience responding to media inquiries. GS-13 Candidates must have one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1. Experience planning, developing, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating public affairs activities. 2. Experience developing and preparing press releases, media advisories, public information materials, communication summaries, fact sheets, FAQs, briefing materials, and digital communication content. 3. Experience responding to media inquiries. 4. Experience providing recommendations regarding communication timing and messaging approaches. GS-14 Candidates must have one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1. Experience planning, developing, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating public affairs activities. 2. Experience developing and preparing press releases, media advisories, public information materials, communication summaries, fact sheets, FAQs, briefing materials, and digital communication content. 3. Experience responding to media inquiries. 4. Experience providing recommendations regarding communication timing and messaging approaches. 5. Experience designing communications approaches intended to increase understanding among audiences that may be skeptical, indifferent, highly critical, or possess competing policy interests. SME REVIEW At the time of application you are required to take an external skills-based assessment which is based upon government-wide recognized competencies and consistent with OPM Merit Hiring Plan requirements and the Chance to Compete Act. Should you receive a passing score of 70 or higher, your application will be reviewed by subject matter experts to determine if you meet the OPM qualification requirements for this position. COMPETENCIES This position requires professional knowledge of public affairs concepts, communication principles, media relations practices, public information dissemination methods, and strategic communication techniques sufficient to independently execute complex communication assignments. The incumbent applies broad knowledge of communication planning and implementation principles to develop and deliver communication products and public outreach activities concerning highly technical and policy-oriented subject matter. Skill developing stakeholder communication materials, coordinating communication review processes, preparing executive briefing materials, and evaluating communication effectiveness. Knowledge is applied to independently develop communication solutions for complex assignments where standard communication approaches are insufficient. Skill developing communication methodologies capable of influencing understanding among diverse audiences. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.