DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Department: Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Location(s): Bethesda, Maryland

Salary Range: $143913 - $187093 Per Year

Job Summary: Join the team! This position is located in the Headquarters Office of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Office of Communications. The Office serves as the Commission's spokesperson to the national and local media, develops and disseminates news releases and blogs, and organizes press events. This Office also has the responsibility for developing and maintaining relations with consumer organizations and federal, state and local health, safety and consumer agencies.

Major Duties:

• The Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist serves as the Deputy Director, Office of Communications and principal advisor to the Director, Office of Communications regarding the full range of the Commission's public affairs program. Build integrated public affairs and communications campaigns across earned, owned and paid channels to promote product safety and elevate the profile of the agency. Help develop clear messaging for agency priorities to drive a proactive narrative and strategically engage with reporters. The Deputy Director: Coordinates with the Director on press inquiries that have a national or policy-level impact and develops proactive press plans for recall announcements. safety campaigns, and other agency priorities. Coordinates with the Director to arrange and assist the Chairman with press events and broadcast, radio and print interview requests. Participates in the overall formulation of Commission product safety policy and contributes to the design of Commission responses to product safety hazards, particularly through outreach efforts identified as an effective or appropriate approach. Establishes and maintains working relationships with state and local governments and fosters cooperative relationships with approved organizations and associations to exchange program information. Assists the Director in the formulation and dissemination of blogs, press releases, and other communications products related to Commission actions and activities. Identifies immediate and long-term requirements for publications, exhibits, videos, and other informational material. Actively participates in long-range planning and budgeting of Office operations, including performance budget reports, operating plans, and annual reports. Oversees the planning and implementation of public information programs at the regional, state, and local levels and monitors their overall execution. Assists the Director by assigning, monitoring, and reviewing the work of subordinates based on selective consideration of the assignment complexity and difficulty and employee capability. Assists in the establishment of performance standards and evaluations of subordinates' performance. Recommends disciplinary action and training for subordinates, and selection of new employees for the office. Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: All applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: GS-14: 1) Planning, designing, leading and executing national and grassroots media relations and/or public education programs; 2) experience managing a multi-dimensional, high-productive public relations or public information office; 3) developing, writing and editing various types of complex materials, including reports, speeches, and briefing papers for senior executives; and 4) experience with contracting and budgeting. Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position by the closing date of this announcement.

How to Apply: This vacancy announcement is being advertised simultaneous to vacancy announcement 1600CM-2026-0002 (Merit Promotion). Applicants who wish to be considered under both announcements must apply separately. You MUST apply on-line through USAJOBS. Your application must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. Uploaded resumes must include the following: applicant contact information and educational and professional background information including dates of employment and education, salary (and Federal grade level, if appropriate), and work schedule (i.e., FT/PT). Incomplete applications will not be considered and you will not be contacted to provide any missing information. To begin the application process, select the "Apply On-line" button to the right on this screen. Then follow the prompts to login/register, submit all required supplemental documents, and complete the application process. If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Help Center. If experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Continue to Agency Site' button): please email recruitapps@cpsc.gov between normal business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET; except federal holidays). If receiving any kind of error message, please provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text number.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-23