PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. For the GS-7, you can qualify with one of the following: EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-5 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Assisting in writing and developing articles, news releases, and social media posts; drafting reports, talking points, briefing packets and power point presentations; assisting others in the use of social media, radio, television, newspapers, fact sheets, and/or the internet within an organization; and researching organizational programs, activities and/or functions for the preparation of communications to general audiences. -OR- EDUCATION: One full academic year of graduate level education (18 semester/27 quarter hours) in an accredited college or university. Such education must demonstrate the Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the duties of the position. Examples of majors that would be considered to demonstrate the KSAs include Public Affairs, Public Relations, Journalism, English, Communications, Business Administration, Marketing, Political Science, or Public Policy. Transcripts must be provided. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. -OR- SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (S.A.A.) with a bachelor’s degree: S.A.A. must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled based on example courses listed above for Education. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. Class standing — Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) — Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B” or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B+” or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society — Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed at this link: Association of College Honor Societies (external link). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. For GS-9, you can qualify with one of the following: EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Writing and developing articles, feature stories, news releases, and social media posts; composing reports, talking points, briefing packets and power point presentations; planning, designing and preparing visual informational material (i.e., infographics, brochures, or interpretive panels) related to a program. Providing guidance and oversight on communication programs. Analyzing and evaluating data and making appropriate recommendations; interpersonal relation skills sufficient for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships. – – OR- EDUCATION: Master’s degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education (36 semester/54 quarter hours) leading to a master’s degree. Such education must demonstrate the Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the duties of the position. Examples of majors that would be considered to demonstrate the KSAs include Public Affairs, Public Relations, Journalism, English, Communications, Business Administration, Marketing, Political Science, or Public Policy. Transcripts must be provided. You may also qualify with a LL.B. or J.D., if related to the position. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. 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. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
Explore a new career with the BLM – where our people are our greatest natural resource. This position is located in the Colorado State Office in Lakewood, CO. Information about Lakewood and the surrounding area can be found here. We expect to fill two vacancies at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.