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Position Title
Public Affairs Specialist
Agency
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Announcement Number
CMS-OC-20-10870029-DE Opens in new window
Open Period
Friday, August 21, 2020 to Thursday, September 3, 2020
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Do you claim Veterans’ Preference? (limit characters)
2. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP):
Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from the Department of Health and Human Services? If yes, confirm:
     • you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND
     • you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND
     • you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND
     • your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
 
To verify your eligibility, you must submit the following documents at the time of application: (1) Documentation showing abolishment of position or separation (i.e., Certificate of Expected Separation (CES), Agency certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation, Notice that your position is being abolished, Letter stating you are eligible for discontinued service retirement, Specific Reduction-in-Force separation notice, OR Notice of proposed removal because you declined a directed reassignment or transfer of function out of the local commuting area); (2) Your latest performance rating showing a rating of at least "fully successful" (level 3); AND (3) Your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), or equivalent personnel action showing your tenure, position occupied, and duty station.
(limit characters)
3. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP):
Are you a current career or career-conditional competitive service employee or a former career competitive service employee displaced from a position in a Federal agency other than the Department of Health and Human Services? If yes, confirm:
     • you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND
     • you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND
     • you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND
     • your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center
 
To verify your eligibility, you must submit the following documents at the time of application: (1) Proof of Eligibility (Reduction-in-Force separation notice, Notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of injury compensation termination, OR notice of disability annuity termination); (2) Your latest performance rating showing a rating of at least "fully successful" (level 3); AND (3) Your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), or equivalent personnel action, showing your tenure, position occupied, and duty station. NOTE: Your proof of eligibility must be dated within a year of the date of your application in order to meet ICTAP eligibility. 
(limit characters)
4.

Reasonable Accommodations for taking the online assessments are provided on a case-by-case basis only to qualified individuals with a disability covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.

Do you have a disability (physical or mental) that you believe will interfere with completing the online assessments and require a Reasonable Accommodation?

(limit characters)
Preferences
1. Select the locations you want to be considered for. You must choose at least one location. (limit characters)
2. If you are a male at least 18 years of age, born after December 31, 1959, have you registered with the Selective Service System? (limit characters)
3. In the last five years, based on the closing date of this announcement, have you served or are you currently serving as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee? You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed.
  • A political appointee is an appointment made by the President without confirmation by the Senate (5 CFR 213.3102(c)) OR an assistant position to a top-level federal official if filled by a person designated by the President as a White House Fellow (5 CFR 213.3102(z)).
  • A Schedule C appointee occupies a position excepted from the competitive service by the President, or by the Director of OPM, because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties (5 CFR 213.3301 and 5 CFR 213.3302).
  • A Non-career SES appointee is approved by the White House and serves at the pleasure of the appointing official without time limitations (5 CFR 317 Subpart F).
(limit characters)
4. Select the response or responses that best describe how you heard about this position INITIALLY or the VERY FIRST TIME YOU ENCOUNTERED CMS? This question is only designed to assist with recruitment planning efforts. (limit characters)
5. Please provide the specifics about how you heard about this vacancy announcement. For example - where exactly did you hear of this position; which job fair did you interact with CMS; if it was word of mouth, who did you hear it from, etc? Enter N/A if "Not Applicable". (limit characters)
Assessment 1
Thank you for applying for the position of Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-13, with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of Communication (OC), Media Relations Group (MRG). Your resume and the responses you provide to this assessment questionnaire will be used to determine if you are among the best qualified for this position. Your responses are subject to verification. Please review your responses for accuracy before you submit your application. (limit characters)
1. Select one statement from below that best describes your experience and/or education in order to meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position of Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-13.
(limit characters)
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided. (limit characters)
2. Develop communications strategies program polices and issues on a national level.
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3. Plan, develop, or execute announcements that effectively communicate an agency's programs or policies to the news media.
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4. Advise or make recommendations to an organization's officials on strategies for responding to media inquiries.
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5. Brief members of the news media on the agency's programs or policies.
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6. Provide media relations advice to leadership in responding to media inquiries.
(limit characters)
7. Attend meetings with senior leadership to understand agency issues or prepare for public announcements.
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8. Establish working relationships with internal or external customers, including the news media, to convey information to targeted audiences.
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9. Provide accurate information in response to news media inquiries regarding agency policies or issues.
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10. Review issues with subject matter expert's that may impact responses or agency priorities, programs, or policies to prepare for public announcements.
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11. Translate agency programs into written materials for release to the news media.
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12. Develop public information documents designed to reach national audience is on the organizations healthcare programs.
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13. Create written materials such as news releases, fax sheets, background information, or statements to inform the public about agency programs.
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14. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information included in this questionnaire is true, correct, and provided in good faith. I understand that if I make an intentional false statement, or commit deception or fraud in this application and its supporting materials, or in any document or interview associated with the examination process, that my eligibilities may be cancelled, I may be denied an appointment, I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 CFR part 731), or I may be fined or imprisoned (18 U.S.C. 1001), I understand that any information I give may be investigated.
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