Public Affairs Specialist
What you'd do
This position is located in any field division, Office of Field Operations (FO), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and is responsible for planning, organizing, and developing communications strategies and media plans for mass media in support of the field division and the ATF mission.
Major duties
The major duties of the Public Affairs Specialist position include, but are not limited to, the following: Evaluating and determining effective methods of disseminating information that highlight programs and enforcement activities. Ensuring policies and views are consistent with public presentations and recognizing instances in which it is necessary to institute steps to resolve divergent public expression. Staying up to date and current with criminal enforcement and industry operations developments, with particular emphasis on matters that affect the public, legislative relationships and major program matters of immediate concern. Working with senior management to develop guidelines to ensure appropriate public information techniques are utilized. Communicating both orally and in writing to represent the organization with the media at conferences and meetings.
What you need to qualify
Minimum Qualifications Specialized experience is demonstrated experience, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Experience must be in the normal line of progression or must be related to the work of the position advertised and must be reflected in resume. To qualify for the Public Affairs Specialist position at the GS-13 grade level, candidates must meet the following specialized experience by the closing date of this announcement. Candidates must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience must include all of the following. Planning, organizing and developing programs for and determining effective dissemination of information through appropriate mass communications media; and Responding to unscheduled media inquiries concerning ongoing investigations, conducting press conferences, arranging interviews, resolving complaints in general; and Providing specialized training for specific division needs. Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume. After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement (08/03/2026) to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.
Before you apply
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