Public Affairs Specialist

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys•Billings, MT

About The Position

The Public Affairs Specialist provides substantive legal and public affairs support to the District of Montana. The role communicates information about United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) initiatives, programs, and operations to the public, news media, federal agencies, and other interested groups. It includes planning and carrying out media and community-relations activities, with assignments increasing in complexity as training and experience progress.

Requirements

Be a U.S. Citizen or National.
Meet the GS-11 qualification requirements through at least one of the following: specialized experience, qualifying education, or a combination of education and experience.
For specialized experience, have one full year equivalent to the GS-9 level, such as experience arranging public-affairs events; developing and implementing public-information programs; speaking to law-enforcement, public, civic, or special-interest groups; applying media regulations to press activities and handling media inquiries; serving as a subject-area point of contact; or disseminating information orally.
Alternatively, have a related doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a doctorate, or a related LL.M. Graduate education must be from an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for the position.
Alternatively, have a combination of qualifying specialized experience and education totaling 100% of the requirements; graduate education used for this combination must exceed two full years.
Meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the announcement closing date and before placement.
Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the announcement closing date.
Undergo satisfactory pre-employment adjudication, including fingerprint, credit, and tax checks and drug testing; continued employment is subject to a favorable background investigation.
Register for Selective Service if applicable.
If selected, may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
Academic degrees and coursework must be from an accredited or pre-accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education must be shown to be comparable to U.S. accredited education, with required documentation in English or accompanied by an English translation.

Responsibilities

Arrange press conferences concerning litigative cases of public interest by contacting appropriate local and national media representatives.
Participate in developing news releases, brief media representatives, and prepare written material for dissemination and publication.
Plan, direct, and execute statewide and national campaigns conveying complex and controversial information about USAO initiatives, programs, and operations.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with local and national news media and specialized groups interested in USAO programs.
Advise personnel in other federal agencies and Departmental components on community-relations activities concerning USAO programs.
Prepare magazine and newspaper articles for publication in national publications.
Develop articles for Departmental distribution and other media, and organize press conferences and other media events to strengthen the program’s law-enforcement message.