Public Affairs Specialist (12 Month Roster)
Job description
Duties
WHAT IS THE COMMUNICATION AND LIAISON DIVISION?
A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions
Vacancies will be filled in the following specialty areas: Communication and Liaison - Office of Communications.
The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.
- Serves as liaison between the Agency and internal parties on significant and sensitive matters involving communication activities.
- Works with senior agency officials in the formulation of national policy and programs. Provides counsel and advice to senior officials on communication implications and internal interpretation of policies and decisions under agency consideration.
- Works in coordination with IRS executives and managers, operational tax administration experts, and National Communication counterparts to provide accurate, comprehensive and strategic internal communication on a broad range of complex issues. Determines the need for internal information campaigns to ensure employee awareness of initiatives supporting improved voluntary compliance with Federal tax laws. Prepares talking points and/or briefing papers.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Telework Eligible Positions: Telework eligible positions do not guarantee telework. Employees must meet and sustain IRS telework eligibility requirements (e.g., reporting at least twice a pay period to your assigned Post of Duty (POD)) and supervisor's approval to participate in the IRS Telework Program. Employees must also be within a 200-mile radius of their official assigned post-of-duty (POD) while in a telework status. As a reminder - If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. (Birth certificate showing birth in the U.S; Unexpired U.S. Passport; Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization; or Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240))
- Undergo an income tax verification and review of prior performance/conduct.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation, including a FBI criminal history record check (fingerprint check).
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies.
Qualifications
Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-12 Level:You must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Designing, planning, and directing or advising on the public affairs program in an agency or organization that requires a wide range of knowledge of communication requirements and techniques pertinent to the position to be filled. This knowledge is generally demonstrated by assignments where you analyze a number of alternative approaches in the process of advising management concerning major aspects of the public affairs program. Examples of experience includes developing and disseminating information materials to the general public or specialized target groups; writing annual reports to congress; speech writing; develop and write for the web.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-13 Level: To qualify for this position you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal government. Specialized experience is experience that is related to the work of this position and provides you with the competencies required for successful job performance. Examples of specialized experience include experience developing and implementing a comprehensive public affairs program that involves public information, internal information, media relations and community relations communication strategies for internal audiences that required a wide range of knowledge of communication requirements. This knowledge is generally demonstrated by assignments where you analyzed a number of alternative approaches in the process of advising management concerning major aspects of the public affairs program including exploring the target audience and creating messages to reach them using the appropriate channel(s).
For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.
Education
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
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 conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.
Additional information
- Subject to a 1-year probationary period (unless already completed).
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Additional jobs may be filled.
- The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum locality pay up to maximum locality pay for all duty locations listed. The range will be adjusted for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- Tour of Duty: Day Shift
This is an open continuous announcement which will be used to fill vacancies in the locations listed as they become available for the next 12 months contingent upon funding and space requirements. Applicants must apply and/or update their applications by 11:59 pm ET at the close of the following cutoff dates to be considered: Cutoff date(s): 5/12/2023, 5/30/2023, 6/30/2023, 7/31/2023, 8/31/2023, 10/2/023, 11/2/2023, 12/4/2023, 1/4/2024. This announcement may be amended to include additional cut-off dates within the 12 month period if needed, not later than 10 days prior to the additional cut-off date(s). Eligible applicants in the highest quality group who apply by the initial cut-off date will be considered first. If additional vacancies exist, applicants who applied after the initial cutoff date who place in the highest quality group will be considered next. Selections from this announcement may be made no later than (NLT) 5/12/2023.
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.
Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.
In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical competencies required to perform the job. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process, meet all qualifications, and receive a passing score on the required assessment(s). Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or on the application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment will result in your removal from consideration.
Rating: You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Communications and Media
- Interpersonal Skills
- Oral and Written Communication
- Problem Solving
Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of two quality level categories, CAT A/B, CAT C depending on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.
Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. Candidates, if required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring practices), will be interviewed in quality group order. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.
Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Qualified preference eligibiles who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more (CPS, CP) are placed at the top of the highest category on the referral list (except for scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). Remaining preference eligibles are placed above non-preference eligibles within their assigned category.
If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must receive a rating of category CAT C to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.
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.
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).- Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or to present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. We recommend that your resume not exceed 5 pages, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. If including Federal service experience, provide pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Your resume must NOT include photographs, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number. If your resume does not contain the required information specified, or contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position. (Cover letters are optional.) Please view Resume Tips.
- Online Application - Questionnaire
- Education - See Education Section above
- Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license
- Veterans' Preference (if applicable) - You MUST submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. If you are serving under active duty, provide certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of certification. The certification must indicate your dates of service, rank and that you will be separated under honorable conditions. Submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the form if you are a 10-point preference eligible. For more information on veterans' preference view FedsHireVets.
- Current and Former Federal Employees Documentation (if applicable) - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (Position Occupied/Block 34 should reflect "1" and Tenure/Block 24 should reflect "1" or "2").
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) (if applicable) - You MUST submit the required documentation as outlined at: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). If you are an IRS CTAP eligible, you can apply for jobs within and outside the commuting area. If you are a Treasury CTAP eligible can apply for jobs within the commuting area.
- Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) (if applicable) - If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click Interchange Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.
How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 03/08/2024 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on 03/08/2024.
To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11919762- To begin the application process, click the "Apply Online" button.
- You will be re-directed to USA STAFFING to complete your application process; answer the online questions and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, import documents from USAJOBS to the appropriate document types. If the document you need was not imported from USAJOBS, you may upload it directly into this application. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN).
- To complete, you must click the "Submit Application" button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/08/2024.
- After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to complete additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system and will be provided any necessary instructions at that time. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
- If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements.
- Note, set aside adequate time to take these assessments. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found in your USAJOBS account under Track my application link for the corresponding application.
- To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application and an option to Edit my 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. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the Track this application link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. 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/how-to/application/status/.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests (USA Hire Competency Based Assessments): If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_HireAgency contact information
IRS Laguna Contract External
Email
*HCOIRShiringextapp@irs.gov
Address
Communication and Liaison Communications
1111 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20224
USNext steps
Treasury believes in a working environment that supports inclusion; please view our reasonable accommodation policies and procedures at https://www.jobs.irs.gov/midcareer/reasonable-accommodation.html. We provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for the life of the assessment and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. If you fail any part of the assessment, you will need to wait 8 months from your test date to retake it. Due to a change in testing requirements, scores rendered prior to 12/1/2021 will no longer be valid.
Before attempting to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you should visit https://cdn.apps.pdricloud.com/cdn/v1/files/pub/inline/7e5/6/15/f/5f7a7b45-d373-4126-8738-aa5c07cadd92.html to determine if the computer you are using is likely to experience any issues during testing. If you have questions about the computer requirements, require technical assistance, accidently deleted the invitation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, or otherwise need the information re-sent (e.g., you feel you have not received it due to a SPAM filter), you should contact https://apply.usastaffing.gov/HelpTicket to request the invitation to be re-sent. Requests to re-send invitations to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments must be received by https://apply.usastaffing.gov/HelpTicket BEFORE the close of the Job Opportunity Announcement.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. If your email mailbox is full or blocked (SPAM) you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
- Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or to present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. We recommend that your resume not exceed 5 pages, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. If including Federal service experience, provide pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Your resume must NOT include photographs, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number. If your resume does not contain the required information specified, or contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position. (Cover letters are optional.) Please view Resume Tips.
- Online Application - Questionnaire
- Education - See Education Section above
- Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license
- Veterans' Preference (if applicable) - You MUST submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. If you are serving under active duty, provide certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of certification. The certification must indicate your dates of service, rank and that you will be separated under honorable conditions. Submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the form if you are a 10-point preference eligible. For more information on veterans' preference view FedsHireVets.
- Current and Former Federal Employees Documentation (if applicable) - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (Position Occupied/Block 34 should reflect "1" and Tenure/Block 24 should reflect "1" or "2").
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) (if applicable) - You MUST submit the required documentation as outlined at: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). If you are an IRS CTAP eligible, you can apply for jobs within and outside the commuting area. If you are a Treasury CTAP eligible can apply for jobs within the commuting area.
- Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) (if applicable) - If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click Interchange Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.
This job is open to
-
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
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The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
Open to U.S. Citizens/Nationals
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