Department of Justice

Public Affairs Specialist

Minneapolis, Minnesota Full time

Public Affairs Specialist

Department: Department of Justice

Location(s): Minneapolis, Minnesota

Salary Range: $96616 - $125606 Per Year

Job Summary: For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/ As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to All U.S. Citizens and Nationals under 26-MN-12856216-DE.

Major Duties:

  • If selected, you will perform a range of public affairs and community outreach duties that involve the United States Attorney's Office (USAO). Typical work assignments will include: Working with Assistant United States Attorneys to draft and/or review press releases regarding cases, matters and other initiatives of the USAO in order to inform and educate the public about the work of the USAO. Creating and executing campaigns to enhance understanding of the United States Attorney's Office's initiatives. Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with print and broadcast media representatives. Preparing magazine and newspaper articles, brochures, news releases, booklets etc., for publication and dissemination. Arranging and coordinating for press conferences. Conducting special events, workshops, meetings, and seminars. Creating and facilitating presentations to a variety of audiences. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications: GS-12: To be eligible at the GS-12 level, you must meet one full year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level. Resumes must include specific example(s) of specialized experience. Specialized Experience is defined as planning, organizing, and executing communication strategies to carry out public affairs activities and to promote program or services of an organization; experience independently drafting, editing, and preparing communications materials (i.e., news releases, fact sheets, brochures, blogs, web pages, etc.); experience managing an organizations content and interactions on social media platforms (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) Selective Placement Factor: A selective placement factor is determined to be essential for successful performance in this position. Those candidates who do not meet the following selective placement factor will be rated "not qualified" for the position. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/20/2026 to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.) 3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12856217 You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, contactAlex Klein-Conrad at 612-664-5676 or alex.klein-conrad@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process. You must specify in your questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility. Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) - VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either be a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Application Deadline: 2026-01-20