Public Affairs Specialist

You have the possibility to negotiate your salary with the employer because they do not reveal it until the job offer. The employer is currently seeking candidates for a position in Hawaii, but is open to the possibility of hiring remote workers from other areas. With Small Business Administration, you can find full time jobs that align with your career goals, but make sure that the company culture and work expectations match your preferences. One of the qualifications required for this job vacancy is the completion of High School. A job opportunity for the role of Public Affairs Specialist was advertised on September 16, 2023, and it will remain open until October 13, 2023. This job requires the worker to work at Maui County, Hawaii, Maui County, Hawaii.

Employer: Small Business Administration
Location: Hawaii Island, HI; Kahoolawe Island, HI; Kauai Island, HI; Lanai Island, HI;Maui Island, HI; Molokai Island, HI; Niihau Island, HI; Oahu Island, HI
Function: Administrative
Industry: Government and Public Services
Hours: Full Time

Summary

You will serve as a Public Affairs Specialist for the Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of Disaster Recovery & Resilience (ODR&R), Field Operations Center West - FOCW in Citrus Heights, California. This position provides information to ODR&R's internal and external customers (media, the public, business and civic organization, etc.) and appropriate government offices at the Federal, state and local levels concerning the SBA Disaster Recovery Program.

Duties

As a Public Affairs Specialist at the GS-1035-12, some of your typical work assignments may include:

• Plans, organizes, and prepares press releases, photos, flyers, presentation. Coordinates and evaluates written and oral DR&R communications directed to specific targeted audiences within the public, the media or government, according to guidelines established by the SBA Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL) and the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (OCLA).
• Keeps abreast of legislative, regulatory, and programmatic changes, their impact on the disaster loan program and any repercussions on loan applicants or recipients. Serves as a disaster program information link to members of Congress and their offices, andstate and local public and elected officials.
• Writes and edits correspondence for DR&R Center management addressed to public officials and private organizations about individual loan cases or general disaster program information; provides explanations and written materials. Responses to Congressional inquiries and ensures consistent and timely responses within a 14-day timeframe.
• Participates in the development and coordination of social media campaigns. Takes part in the planning, building and implementation of social media strategy. Researches, writes, and edits content for external audiences in a variety of formats, including blogs, success stories, campaign messaging, scripts, digital tiles, videos, and SBA disaster loan program material for social media promotion.
• Performs a variety of production and administrative tasks associated with digital and social media and web content projects. Prepares materials and other assets for dissemination on the Agency website and social media sites. Proactively plans for publication and dissemination of information through multiple channels. Implements media outreach and engagement strategies that include developing digital campaigns which support agency events, SBA programs and services and outreach.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Your primary residence is considered your official duty station.
• If selected, employees work on an intermittent (on-call) work schedule. This means that employees are in a pay and duty status only when activated to respond to workload needs, especially in response to heightened disaster activity. When no longer needed, employees return to a non-pay status until the next event necessitates additional staff.
• However, depending on the workload and/or level of disaster activity, your work schedule may be changed to full-time. Subsequently, if the workload decreases, your work schedule may be changed back to intermittent.
• Mandatory Overtime: In order to respond quickly and efficiently to disaster survivors, substantial compensated overtime hours may be required while on assignment (up to seven days a week and twelve to fourteen hours a day).
• A valid driver's license may be required.
• This position is not included in a bargaining unit.

TRAVEL STATEMENT- You may be required to travel to a disaster site during increased disaster activity for extended periods with little or no advanced notice. If so, you may encounter hazardous working and/or living conditions; i.e., no water or electricity and/or minimal lodging facilities. Travel expenses are compensated based on SBA policy and Federal regulations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government travel credit card.
• Favorable background investigation and credit check are required.
• Credit score below 500 may negatively impact consideration in the hiring process.
• This position is not included in a bargaining unit.

Qualifications

Generally, time in Non-Pay status is not creditable towards the specialized experience requirement listed below.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You may qualify based on experience.

Experience: To receive credit, you must indicate the month and year as well as the average hours worked per week for each employer. Average work hours must be stated on the resume to quantify each period of work experience or that experience will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement.
You must address the specific specialized experience required for each grade level of this position on your resume or application or you will be rated "Ineligible" for that grade level.

GS-12: To qualify you must have at least 1 full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skill, and ability to perform successfully in this position. This experience may have been gained in a Non-Federal service position. In addition, this Specialized Experience must demonstrate the following:

* Expert knowledge creating engaging content (text, image, graphics and video) that can be shared across social media channels to drive engagement and build brand awareness; and* Independently manage X (formally known as Twitter) to engage in online conversations, chats, webinars, and live events; and* Understanding of social media metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns and adjust strategies accordingly; and
* Expert knowledge to use video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, iMovie, or Final Cut Pro to create engaging video content for social media; and
* Planning, organizing, and preparing written and oral communications, such as press releases, presentations, articles, photos, flyers, etc. for dissemination to various types of media outlets, social media platforms, brochures and periodicals; and
* Acting as spokesperson by making public appearances, preparing presentations, talking points or speeches for local news conferences/events, and town hall meetings or other targeted audiences for the purpose of explaining an organization's programs, policies, and procedures to the media, government officials, business leadership and the public.

Education

GS-12: There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Qualification Standards: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Group-Standards

Additional information

If selected for this position, you will be eligible for benefits. The above link is provided for your reference to explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees.

If you work or are expected to work at least 90 consecutive days and 130 hours per month, you will become eligible for health insurance benefits only.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Communications and Media
• Computer Skills
• Customer Service
• Organizational Awareness
• Writing

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To ensure that you find legitimate job postings and avoid scams, there are several things you need to keep in mind when applying for jobs online. Verify the legitimacy of the employer before sharing personal information. It's crucial to ensure that you're on the correct liquidscapes.info website before taking any actions. Don't ignore any red flags or warning signs when you come across a job posting that seems suspicious or too good to be true. Be cautious of job postings that offer commission-based pay without any base salary or hourly wage. Be cautious of any job posting that asks for your personal bank account information, no matter how legitimate it seems. Any job offer that requires you to pay for training or materials is likely a scam. If a job posting only offers interviews via text or email, be cautious. Connect with the employer to verify the job's authenticity and ensure that they are hiring. Before applying for any job, make sure to research the company to ensure that it's a place where you can thrive and succeed.

Application of Veterans' Preference: The Category Rating process protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-veterans within each quality category. All the veterans must be selected before any non-veterans within each category.

For this position, disabled veterans who meet minimum qualifications for this position and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% (CPS & CP) are placed at the top of the Best-Qualified category regardless of which category they would otherwise be assigned to.

Preference eligibles who do not have a service-connected disability of 10% or more (XP or TP) are placed at the top of their quality category.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our 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.

Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume showing hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed.
2. Completed Questionnaire

• Preview at: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12109468

3. Other supporting documents, such as:

• College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
  • Unofficial transcripts may be submitted during the application process; however, official transcripts will be required if selected.
• Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 or other Member Copy showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
• Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)

DO NOT SEND YOUR RESUME OR ANY APPLICATION DOCUMENTS TO THE AGENCY CONTACT.

Your latest resume submitted for this position will be used for qualification determinations and supersedes previous submissions.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:
1. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP):
If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, provide a copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (which must show at least a "fully successful" rating or equivalent), and proof of eligibility, i.e., a RIF separation notice or Certification of Expected Separation, and SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location.In addition to meeting all qualification requirements and selective placement factors (if applicable), CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the Well-Qualified criteria with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above for the position in order to be given priority consideration. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is also on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: CTAP/ICTAP. http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
2. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.
3. If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. After submitting an online application, you will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page.

The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/.

Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

Agency contact information

Ofemarie Coloma-Brice

Phone

(916)735-1500

Email

ofemaria.coloma@sba.gov

Address

Field Operations Center West - FOCW
6501 Sylvan Road
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email.

To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.

Now that you have read the entire job posting, are you ready to make a decision? Recruiters value accuracy and completeness over speed, so don't rush the process. If you are confident that you meet the qualifications and expectations of this job, we invite you to apply. If you have any concerns or questions about this job posting, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.