External Affairs Specialist

Philadelphia, PA, USA
Posted on  

Job Description

External Affairs Specialist (Stakeholder Relations)

Department of Homeland Security


Philadelphia, PA

$79,239 - $122,493 a year

Part-time

Duties

Summary

When disaster strikes, America looks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Please visit www.fema.gov for additional information.

The ideal candidate will have experience coordinating between public and private sector organizations in an emergency management environment with a proven track record for success. This position starts at a salary of $79,239 (GS-12, Step 1) with promotion potential to the $122,493 (GS-13, Step 10). Apply for this exciting opportunity to become a member of the Region III team within FEMA.

Promotion Potential: Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

Responsibilities

In this position, you will have experience coordinating between public and private sector organizations in an emergency management environment with a proven track record for success. Typical assignments include:

Developing, coordinating, disseminating and evaluating emergency management communications strategies, tactics and products to support proactive, cross-audience communications activities designed to reach private sector stakeholders; state, local and tribal officials; and other external audiences.

Engaging private sector and intergovernmental organizations in emergency management planning and operations, to include supporting participation in preparedness efforts such as exercises and community preparedness initiatives, mitigation initiatives and emergency response and recovery activities.

Developing communications tools, techniques and protocols including capability to reach and maintain regular contact with intergovernmental organizations. Such capability shall support crisis communications needs as well as preparedness and readiness messaging.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional non-emergency travel may be required.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

13

Who May Apply

This job is open to…

U.S. citizens

Status candidates may also apply under FEMA-18-BT-237593-MP

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) Monday, July 30, 2018 OR at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date the 200 th application is received, whichever comes first.

Questions? This job is open to 1 group.

Job family (Series)

0301 Miscellaneous Administration And Program

Requirements

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.

You must successfully pass a background investigation.

Selective Service registration required.

You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.

Please review "Other Information" section for additional key requirements.

Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.

Qualifications

The qualification requirements listed below must be met within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

You qualify for this position at the GS- 12 level (starting salary $ 79,239 ) if you possess the following :

One full year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 level, that demonstrates: 1) Developing partnerships within the private sector and intergovernmental (state, local, or tribal) stakeholders; and 2) Engaging with federal, state, tribal or local government organizational structures in order to support emergency management planning efforts (examples can include participation in preparedness efforts such as exercises, community preparedness or mitigation initiatives, emergency response and recovery activities); and 3) Assisting with planning, organizing and implementing communications programs and engagement strategies to build strategic partnerships.

You qualify for this position at the GS- 13 level (starting salary $94,225) if you possess the following :

One full year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 level, that demonstrates: 1) Developing partnerships within the private sector and intergovernmental (state, local, or tribal) stakeholders; and 2) Engaging with federal, state, tribal or local government organizational structures in order to support emergency management planning efforts (examples can include participation in preparedness efforts such as exercises, community preparedness or mitigation initiatives, emergency response and recovery activities); and 3) Developing communications tools or techniques in order to reach and maintain relationships and foster best practices with private and intergovernmental organizations.

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 provides valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

NOTE: Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. For a brief video on How to Create a Federal Resume, click here .

Current or former FEMA Reservists/DAE employees: To accurately credit your experience for these intermittent positions, make sure to list the dates (from MM/YY to MM/YY) of each deployment, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

Additional information

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust clearance as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined ( Mythbuster ), review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit the OPM website at https://www.opm.gov/investigations/background-investigations/ .

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment , and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

DHS uses E-verify, an internet based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify , including your rights and responsibilities.

This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

All candidates must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time.

A one year probationary period is required for new Federal competitive service employees and new supervisors and managers.

If selected for this position you will be required to attend a one week Emergency Manager Orientation in Leesburg, Virginia. Travel is at FEMA’s expense and will occur from Sunday to Saturday.

Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the documentation that is required, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

This is a Bargaining Unit position.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use your responses to the job questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education and training. The competencies needed to perform this job are:

Technical Proficiency

Communication

Customer Service

Representing the Agency

Teamwork and Cooperation

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:

Best Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.

Well Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference .

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Eligibles : If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM’s Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be placed in the "well-qualified" category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance

Public Trust - Background Investigation

Required Documents

Required Documents

Your resume.

Your responses to the job questionnaire - You will be directed to the online job questionnaire once you begin the application process for this position.

Are you a veteran? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or other acceptable documentation (i.e., a letter from your Command reflecting rank, dates of service, and type of discharge), which verifies veteran’s status and type of discharge prior to the closing date of this announcement. Those applying for 10-Point preference may fill out the SF-15 and/or provide documentation that demonstrates preference eligibility. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty service under honorable conditions, within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. This must indicate your dates of service, expected release dates, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable or general conditions. View more veterans' information .

Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)? Submit:

a copy of your agency notice,

a copy of your most recent performance rating, and

a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location

Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.

Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

Position Title

Type of Appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee)

Agency

Beginning and ending dates of appointment

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Benefits

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. Learn 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.

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