Department: Department of the Air Force
Location(s): Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
Salary Range: $143913 - $187093 Per Year
Job Summary: Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information. The primary purpose of this position is to provide public affairs advice, authority, technical expertise, and management support to the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs conducting Air Force public affairs mission worldwide, and provide policy and program guidance.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Administrative and Management Positions for the GS-1035, Public Affairs Series. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-13, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes communication principles, methods, practices, and techniques; analytical methods to serve as the technical authority on specific matters within the organization; and skill in applying these principles and methods in managing a public affairs program involving media operations, community engagement, think tank/civic outreach, planning and execution of nationally prominent events, command information, visual information, communication planning/research/analysis, public affairs career field force development, force management, force integration, standardization and evaluation, emerging technology/social media, public affairs resource management, and/or contingency planning and operations. FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-13 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: 1. Mastery knowledge of the communication concepts, principles, policies, practices, methods, applications, techniques, standards, and trends applicable to researching, planning, developing, coordinating, leading, and evaluating broad public affairs and visual information programs and stratifying requirements, strategies, and assets to perform the mission. 2. In-depth knowledge of missions, roles, functions, organizational structures, relationships, and operational planning objectives of Air Force and DoD organizations. 3. Expert skill in methods and techniques to develop and evaluate written materials; to research and analyze concepts; to analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, recognize valid solutions, and offer meaningful recommendations; to extend existing principles to new and unusual applications; to conduct innovative program evaluations; and to prepare advisory materials on matters of importance for audiences of various levels of understanding and interest. 4. Highly skilled with the ability to independently manage short and long term projects and to cultivate and sustain positive working relationships to project completion. 5. Demonstrated skill in communicating effectively with tact and diplomacy, orally and in writing, to advocate agency positions; to respond to criticism of the agency's function or performance; to logically and effectively explain programs, functions, and activities and gain understanding of the organization's efforts by concerned publics; to negotiate complex issues, programs, and functions with people having varying levels of understanding of Air Force and public affairs programs and activities; and to maintain good working relations. 6. Ability to evaluate and assess program effectiveness at all echelons of command, prepare reports on accomplishment of program objectives, lead a detailed planning effort, and develop recommendations while representing a wide variety of organizations and viewpoints. 7. Ability to analyze, plan, organize, direct, and adjust activities and functions to meet program requirements and objectives within available resources while meeting time-critical deadlines, often under high pressure, politically sensitive conditions. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
How to Apply: The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/07/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12951831 To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. A complete Application Questionnaire 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here. PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.
Application Deadline: 2026-05-07