Communications Operations Specialist

Communicions Operions Specialist Department of Ste Department of Ste - Agency Wide Summary This position is loced in the the office of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) and Director of the Diplomic Security Service (DS/DSS), Department of Ste. As the law enforcement and security arm of the Department of Ste, DSS serves as the focal point for intradepartmental and external communicion on all law enforcement and security issues reled to the bureau's equities in the United Stes and abroad. Learn more about this agency Summary This position is loced in the the office of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) and Director of the Diplomic Security Service (DS/DSS), Department of Ste. As the law enforcement and security arm of the Department of Ste, DSS serves as the focal point for intradepartmental and external communicion on all law enforcement and security issues reled to the bureau's equities in the United Stes and abroad. Learn more about this agency Overview Help Accepting applicions Posted this week • Apply by 07/09/26 Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 9, 2026 This job will close when we have received 100 applicions which may be sooner than the closing de. Learn more Locion Arlington, VA 1 vacancy No mching locions found. Work site options Telework eligible Yes—as determined by the agency policy. Remote job No Relocion expenses reimbursed No Salary $143,913 - $187,093 per year Pay scale & grade GS 14 Promotion potential 14 Learn more about pay scale and grade Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job. Work schedule Full-time Appointment type Permanent Occupions and job series 1001 General Arts And Informion Supervisory stus No Federal service type This job is in the Competitive Service Drug test Yes Security clearance Top Secret Position sensitivity and risk Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance . The type depends on the job. Background check type Credentialing Suitability/Fitness Nional security Announcement number

M/DS-MPE-2026-0029

Control number 874691400 This job is open to Help Federal employees - Competitive service Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales. Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees whose job, agency or department was elimined and are eligible for priority over other applicants. Land and base management Current or former employees of a base management agency. Veterans Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference Military spouses Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty. Individuals with disabilities Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A. Family of overseas employees Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas. Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista Individuals who have served least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA. Special authorities Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring ph. Clarificion from the agency Stus Candides, Noncompetitive, Former Federal Employees with Reinstement Eligibility, Land & base management, VEOA, Individuals with Disabilities, Military Spouses, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Vista, Eligible Family Member, Special authorities, ICTAP, and CTAP. Duties Help Plans and develops stregic marketing plans for high priority official written stements, Department presentions, and articles regarding internional law enforcement and security issues. Develops and maintains stregic relionships with media stakeholders to facilite communicion and understanding regarding DSS's law enforcement and security issues. Develops and establishes clear and measurable communicions stregy objectives and performance metrics. Provides advice and recommendions on improving DSS law enforcement and security services content coverage to strengthen public understanding and introduce new communicion opportunities. Implement digital tools for project management, engagement analysis, and media management, including AI-driven solutions. Requirements Help Conditions of employment Incumbent subject to random drug testing.

U.S. Citizenship is required. Incumbent subject to random drug testing. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verificion check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, : www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/ Qualificions Applicants must meet all the required qualificion requirements described below by the closing de of this announcement.

NOTE:

Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing de of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements:

Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks the next lower grade to sisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstre the following: Experience developing, implementing, and managing comprehensive stregic communicions programs. Experience coordining communicions content and messaging stregies on law enforcement and/or security issues. Experience evaluing the effectiveness of stregic communicions programs and multimedia messaging campaigns. There is no substitute of educion for specialized experience for the GS-14 position. Educion Educion requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement. Additional informion To request a reasonable accommodion for additional time on the timed sections of the assessment, please submit your request using the "Request a Reasonable Accommodion" button within the Assessment Applicion. For all other reasonable accommodions the U.S. Department of Ste, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodions (OAA) OAA@ste.gov . OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicing reasonable accommodion (RA) requests for the Assessment Btery being used for this announcement. The following applies to all RA requests: RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only. Applicants submitting a RA request MUST tach supporting medical documention signed by a licensed, treing medical provider. The documention should describe the nure, severity, and expected durion of the condition, identify the relevant medical condition or diagnosis, and explain the basis for the requested extension. RA requests th do not contain supporting medical documention tachments the time of initial request may be subject to further review.

Note:

 the following documents do not, on their own, qualify for automic approval of the RA request: Schedule A letters, VA benefits letters, or SSA letters. Applicants MUST submit their applicion before the vacancy closes, even if pending an accommodion decision. Applicants are encouraged to carefully follow instructions reled to medical documention provided in the vacancy announcement prior to beginning the RA process. Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudiced to complete the assessment btery. Scores genered after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy. If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly OAA@ste.gov . If eligible, situional telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM's

CTAP & ICTAP

eligibility website for more informion. You must be red in the Well-Qualified cegory and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority considerion. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualificions, and demonstre proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position. Expand Hide additional informion Candides should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passione about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United Stes Constitution. Benefits Help 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 th are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window 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 informion on the specific benefits offered. How you evalued You evalued for this job based on how well you meet the qualificions above. The evaluion process consists of the ApplyGov Competency Based Assessments and a crediting plan for which applicants assigned a score between 70 and 100. A resume review conducted for minimum qualificion requirements, as described in the "Qualificions" section of this announcement, of the top qualified candides based on combined total score. Resumes longer than two pages deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Responses to questions th are not fully supported by your resume may result in a ring adjustment. You assessed on the following job-reled competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Non-Supervisory:

Oral Communicion, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Oriention, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management. Set aside least 2 hours to take the external assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. There are timed sections th must be completed within the allotted timeframe. Your score from the external assessment (i.e. Non-supervisory) will remain on file for 180 days, allowing you to apply for multiple DOS-announced positions without needing to retake the assessments. Top applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further considerion. The assessment is used to measure the degree in which your background mches the competencies and KSAs required for this position. Your qualificions evalued on the following competencies: Knowledge of communicions stregy and marketing principles. Ability to design special studies of stregic communicion content. Skill in advising on a comprehensive communicions stregy, policy, and integrion of communicion stregic plans. Ability to establish performance standards for the development of messaging activities. knowledge of multimedia principles, concepts, and techniques to maintain all digital systems. Applicants found to be among the top qualified candides referred to the hiring official for further considerion and possible interview. Qualified non-competitive candides must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further considerion and possible interview. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Oversting your qualificions and/or experience in your applicion may result in your removal from considerion. You may preview questions for this vacancy. Benefits Help 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 th are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window 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 informion on the specific benefits offered. Required documents Required Documents Help All required documents listed below, th are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automed system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing de of this announcement. 1. Resume limited to 2 pages showing relevant work/volunteer experience, educion and training. Include the start and end des (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualificion determinions and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions. Resumes longer than 2 pages deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. 2. Other Qualificion Documention (e.g., transcripts, certifices, certificions, etc.), if applicable. 3. Performance appraisal, if applicable. Most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the ring official and in original form) annual performance appraisal must be submitted by reinstement eligible applicants applying to a position with a higher grade or more promotion potential than previously held and current or former Land Management employees. All other current and former Federal employees are strongly encouraged to submit their performance appraisal for the hiring manager's considerion. If not available, you may provide a stement from you and/or your supervisor with an explanion along with your servicing HR Office contact informion. You may be requested to provide an appraisal to the hiring official if one was not provided with your applicion. To receive a promotion, the current Federal employee's most recent performance ring must be "fully successful" or an equivalent level or higher. Employees who are tentively selected to receive a promotion required to provide performance documention within 2 business days of request. Servicing HR Offices may be contacted to verify performance rings. 4. Most recent SF-50s (Notificion of Personnel Actions), if you are a current or former Federal employee (including those applying under a non-competitive, special hiring authority, or

ICTAP/CTAP

eligibles). The SF-50s must show: effective de, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required informion (e.g., promotion, within-grade increase, and separion SF-50s). Award SF-50s often do not show the required informion. 5. Veteran Documention, if applicable . Veterans who are preference eligible OR who have been separed from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions (honorable or general discharge) after 3 or more years of continuous active service may apply under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA). You must submit a DD-214 Certifice of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 preferred) showing the des you served as well as your type of discharge and qualifying service campaign medals OR if you are still on active duty, you MUST submit a certificion on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service des, expected de of discharge or release, and the character of service to show th your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected de of discharge or release must be no ler than 120 days after the certificion is submitted for considerion for this job announcement. Current Federal employees applying under the VEOA must submit a qualifying SF-50 to show time-in-grade requirements. If you are applying as a preference eligible with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, you must submit the documention required by the SF-15 (Applicion for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official stement from the Department of Veterans Affairs). For applicants claiming 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e., spouses, widows/widowers or mothers of veterans), a completed SF-15 must be submitted with the applicion with all required supporting documents listed on the form. For more veterans' preference informion, the USAJOBS Help Center . 6. Non-competitive or special hiring authority eligibility documention, if applicable . (e.g., Schedule A individuals with disabilities , RPCV or AmeriCorp VISTA volunteer , Fulbright/Gilman/CLS alumni, etc.) 7.

ICTAP/CTAP

documention, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separion notice, RIF separion SF-50 personnel action (ICTAP only, if available), most recent SF-50 (CTAP/ICTAP), certificion of expected separion, etc.) In addition, submit a copy of your current or last performance ring of record which must be least fully successful or equivalent and submit all required documents listed above th apply to you. 8. Current or Former Land Management Employee documention, if applicable . Visit the Forest Service's site for required documention. How to Apply Help Prepare your applicion in USAJOBS To start your applicion, click Apply and we'll walk you through the process to tach a resume and any required documents. During the applicion process you can review, edit, delete, and upde your informion. We'll automically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing de of this announcement to complete the applicion process. STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into

USAJOBS. STEP 2

Submit your resume. Please see the Required Documents section for specific informion th should be outlined in your resume. STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions. STEP 4: Submit all required documention applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section. To learn how to view the stus of your submitted supporting documention and applicion, the Applicion Instructions section of our agency's Civil Service selection process site . Technical assistance with your on-line applicion is available through the Help Desk fedhirehelp@applygovernment.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET Alterne Applicion Procedures If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alterne applicion procedures to submit your applicion package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET least 2 working days prior to the closing de of this announcement. The applicion package for alterne applicion procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no ler than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing de of this announcement. Paper applicions and informion sent by mail will not be accepted. Agency contact informion Ashley Garcia Phone 000-000-0000 Fax 000-000-0000 garciaam5@ste.gov Address U.S. Department of Ste Not accepting applicions by Mail Charleston, South Carolina 29405 United Stes Next steps After all applicion packages are received, we will review applicions and evalue applicants' qualificions. Then, in approximely two weeks after this announcement closes, we will refer candides, as described in the "How You Will Be Evalued" section, to the hiring manager for selection considerion. Your applicion stus upded up to four times during the following hiring phases: After applicions are received. After applicions are assessed to determine qualificions. After candides are referred to the hiring manager. After a selection is made. For the selected candides who receive a tentive job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigion th generally takes an average of least two to six months. Fair and transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Financial suitability New employee probionary period Privacy Act Reasonable accommodion policy Selective Service Signure and false stements Social security number request Required Documents Help All required documents listed below, th are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automed system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing de of this announcement. 1. Resume limited to 2 pages showing relevant work/volunteer experience, educion and training. Include the start and end des (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualificion determinions and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions. Resumes longer than 2 pages deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. 2. Other Qualificion Documention (e.g., transcripts, certifices, certificions, etc.), if applicable. 3. Performance appraisal, if applicable. Most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the ring official and in original form) annual performance appraisal must be submitted by reinstement eligible applicants applying to a position with a higher grade or more promotion potential than previously held and current or former Land Management employees. All other current and former Federal employees are strongly encouraged to submit their performance appraisal for the hiring manager's considerion. If not available, you may provide a stement from you and/or your supervisor with an explanion along with your servicing HR Office contact informion. You may be requested to provide an appraisal to the hiring official if one was not provided with your applicion. To receive a promotion, the current Federal employee's most recent performance ring must be "fully successful" or an equivalent level or higher. Employees who are tentively selected to receive a promotion required to provide performance documention within 2 business days of request. Servicing HR Offices may be contacted to verify performance rings. 4. Most recent SF-50s (Notificion of Personnel Actions), if you are a current or former Federal employee (including those applying under a non-competitive, special hiring authority, or

ICTAP/CTAP

eligibles). The SF-50s must show: effective de, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required informion (e.g., promotion, within-grade increase, and separion SF-50s). Award SF-50s often do not show the required informion. 5. Veteran Documention, if applicable . Veterans who are preference eligible OR who have been separed from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions (honorable or general discharge) after 3 or more years of continuous active service may apply under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA). You must submit a DD-214 Certifice of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 preferred) showing the des you served as well as your type of discharge and qualifying service campaign medals OR if you are still on active duty, you MUST submit a certificion on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service des, expected de of discharge or release, and the character of service to show th your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected de of discharge or release must be no ler than 120 days after the certificion is submitted for considerion for this job announcement. Current Federal employees applying under the VEOA must submit a qualifying SF-50 to show time-in-grade requirements. If you are applying as a preference eligible with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, you must submit the documention required by the SF-15 (Applicion for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official stement from the Department of Veterans Affairs). For applicants claiming 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e., spouses, widows/widowers or mothers of veterans), a completed SF-15 must be submitted with the applicion with all required supporting documents listed on the form. For more veterans' preference informion, the USAJOBS Help Center . 6. Non-competitive or special hiring authority eligibility documention, if applicable . (e.g., Schedule A individuals with disabilities , RPCV or AmeriCorp VISTA volunteer , Fulbright/Gilman/CLS alumni, etc.) 7.

ICTAP/CTAP

documention, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separion notice, RIF separion SF-50 personnel action (ICTAP only, if available), most recent SF-50 (CTAP/ICTAP), certificion of expected separion, etc.) In addition, submit a copy of your current or last performance ring of record which must be least fully successful or equivalent and submit all required documents listed above th apply to you. 8. Current or Former Land Management Employee documention, if applicable . Visit the Forest Service's site for required documention. How to Apply Help Prepare your applicion in USAJOBS To start your applicion, click Apply and we'll walk you through the process to tach a resume and any required documents. During the applicion process you can review, edit, delete, and upde your informion. We'll automically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing de of this announcement to complete the applicion process. STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into

USAJOBS. STEP 2

Submit your resume. Please see the Required Documents section for specific informion th should be outlined in your resume. STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions. STEP 4: Submit all required documention applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section. To learn how to view the stus of your submitted supporting documention and applicion, the Applicion Instructions section of our agency's Civil Service selection process site . Technical assistance with your on-line applicion is available through the Help Desk fedhirehelp@applygovernment.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET Alterne Applicion Procedures If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alterne applicion procedures to submit your applicion package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET least 2 working days prior to the closing de of this announcement. The applicion package for alterne applicion procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no ler than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing de of this announcement. Paper applicions and informion sent by mail will not be accepted. Expand Hide how to apply Agency contact informion Ashley Garcia Phone 000-000-0000 Fax 000-000-0000 garciaam5@ste.gov Address U.S. Department of Ste Not accepting applicions by Mail Charleston, South Carolina 29405 United Stes Next steps After all applicion packages are received, we will review applicions and evalue applicants' qualificions. Then, in approximely two weeks after this announcement closes, we will refer candides, as described in the "How You Will Be Evalued" section, to the hiring manager for selection considerion. Your applicion stus upded up to four times during the following hiring phases: After applicions are received. After applicions are assessed to determine qualificions. After candides are referred to the hiring manager. After a selection is made. For the selected candides who receive a tentive job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigion th generally takes an average of least two to six months. Expand Hide next steps Fair and transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Financial suitability New employee probionary period Privacy Act Reasonable accommodion policy Selective Service Signure and false stements Social security number request Overview Help Accepting applicions Posted this week • Apply by 07/09/26 Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 9, 2026 This job will close when we have received 100 applicions which may be sooner than the closing de. Locion Arlington, VA 1 vacancy No mching locions found. Work site options Telework eligible Yes—as determined by the agency policy. Remote job No Relocion expenses reimbursed No Salary $143,913 - $187,093 per year Pay scale & grade GS 14 Promotion potential 14 Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job. Work schedule Full-time Appointment type Permanent Occupions and job series Supervisory stus No Federal service type This job is in the Competitive Service Drug test Yes Security clearance Top Secret Position sensitivity and risk Jobs require a and some require a . The type depends on the job. Background check type Announcement number

M/DS-MPE-2026-0029

Control number 874691400