Public Affairs Specialist

📍 North Chicago, Illinois · 🏛 U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command · 💰 $45,538–$89,703 per year · 🎓 GS 5–9 · 🧭 Public Affairs (1035) · ⏳ Closes Nov 19, 2026 · 8 days left · 🗓 Posted Nov 10, 2026
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About this job

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Shortage and Critical Need to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. This will be a full-time permanent position.

Duties

As a Public Affairs Specialist, you will:

Research, collect, analyze, select information from a variety of sources to develop the full range of written products for the organization

Produce visual media and content to support organization's messaging efforts

Develop visual information products to support written work

Utilize desktop publishing tools to produce items for publication.

Serve as a photographer and photo/video editor for organization

Write news stories, feature articles, speeches, biographies, and other communication products

Ensure accurate use of grammar, syntax, spelling and style of products

*** These duties are described at the full performance level- GS-09. If selected at the GS-05 or GS-07 level, the position will be developmental and eligible for non-competitive promotion to the full performance level.

Qualifications

DEVELOPMENTAL: Management may select at any of the grade levels announced. This recruitment provides promotion opportunities to the target grade of the position, without further competition, when selectee is eligible and recommended by management. Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the experience and/or education requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. GS-05 Qualifications: Experience - GS-05: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must clearly describe the following experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Three years of progressively responsible general work experience with one year of that experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level, which includes the following: Reviewing written articles for proper grammar/clarity and correcting as necessary; Responding to routine requests for information concerning an organization's programs or services. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-04). OR Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you may qualify if your education meets the definitions below: Education: Successful completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as: Journalism, Public Affairs, Communication, Media, Writing, Rhetoric, English, History, Literature or Marketing. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.). Combination of Education and Experience for the GS-05: Possess the specialized experience for the GS-05, but less than one year; and possess some education above the high school level, but less that the required four years. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 36. Then, divide your total number of undergraduate semester hours by 120.. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.) GS-07 Qualifications: Specialized Experience: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of specialized experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled including: Writing documents (such as news stories, feature articles, speeches, biographies, other communication products) that will be reviewed and approved by senior staff before publication; Researching information provided for publication to ensure accuracy and factuality of information; Utilizing desktop publishing tools to layout/design articles for publication. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05). OR Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience, in order to qualify for this position, you may qualify if your education meets the definitions below: Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Journalism, Public Affairs, Communication, Media, Writing, Rhetoric, English, History, Literature or Marketing. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.). OR Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: (1) 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; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your 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 (b) 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. OR (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/). OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages. They should equal 100. QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUED BELOW IN EDUCATION SECTION

Education

CONTINUATION OF QUALIFICATIONS: GS-09 Qualifications: Specialized Experience: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of specialized experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled including: Writing final copy documents (such as news stories, feature articles, speeches, biographies, other communication products) for publication; Copy-editing/approving written material for others before publication/release; Uploading accurate/factual content to websites/social media sites to disseminate information to users; Utilizing desktop publishing tools to layout and design publications; Taking and editing photographs for use in various types of publications. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07). OR Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you may qualify if your education meets the definitions below: Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Journalism, Public Affairs, Communication, Media, Writing, Rhetoric, English, History, Literature or Marketing. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.) OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. They should equal 100. EDUCATION: FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ In order to qualify for this position, based on your education, education substitution, or combination of education and experience, you must have either completed the education requirement, or will complete this requirement within thirty (30) days from the closing date of this announcement. If you will not complete this requirement within thirty (30) days of the closing date of this announcement, you will be rated as Not Qualified for this position. You must provide appropriate documentation to reflect when you will meet the education requirement. Appropriate documentation includes: (1) Resume indicating your projected completion/graduation date; OR (2) Transcripts indicating your projected completion/graduation date; OR (3) A letter signed by the institution's registrar indicating your projected completion/graduation date.

Evaluations

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/19/2026 to receive consideration Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Applications are handled only on the official announcement. This page is a readable copy of the public announcement data — the official version controls if anything differs.

Apply on USAJobs (official) ↗

Required documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1. Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy. For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume. 2. Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

What to expect next

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking (as applicable) for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.

Other information

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest. The use of illegal drugs by Federal employees, whether on duty or off duty, is contrary to the efficiency of the service. The legalization and/or decriminalization of marijuana by some states has no impact on Federal law. The use and/or possession of marijuana remains illegal for Federal employees. Direct Deposit of Pay is required. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. This is a Professional Services Career Program position. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Recruitment/Relocation incentive may be authorized if determined to be in the best interest of the Federal Government and requirements are met. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.

Frequently asked questions

How much does this Public Affairs Specialist job pay?

The announcement lists a salary of $45,538–$89,703 per year (GS 5–9).

When is the last day to apply?

Applications close on Nov 19, 2026 — 8 days from today.

Where is this job located?

This position is located in North Chicago, Illinois with the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command.

How do I apply?

Applications are submitted through the official announcement on USAJobs. Use the Apply button on this page to go to the official posting — this site never takes applications itself.

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Data: USAJobs (U.S. Office of Personnel Management), retrieved 2026-11-11 · Announcement DABR-27-13113017-DHA · Official announcement. FederalJobs is unofficial and is not affiliated with OPM or the agency.
Public Affairs Specialist
Nov 19, 2026 deadlineApply