Public Affairs Specialist (Strategic Communications and Engagement)

Public Affairs Specialist (Strategic Communications and Engagement)

Department: Department of Energy

Location(s): Portland, Oregon

Salary Range: $113549 - $147615 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is in the Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Engagement (DKS) group of Communications (DK) organization, Workforce and Strategy Office (D), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The employee serves as a strategic communications specialist responsible for providing a full range of strategic communications support.

Major Duties:

• About the Position - Portland This position is located in Portland, OR which boasts huge spans of amazing trees, foliage, landscape, and everywhere you look you can appreciate beautiful greenery! It is known as the most bike-friendly city in America, has a train system that greets you at the airport spanning across the city, and is home to the Portland International Rose Garden, the oldest in the country! Portland is the one place where you will find lively festivals, energetic music, mouthwatering food, and for you basketball fans, the Portland Trail Blazers are a 7 minute walk from the HQs building! There is always something new to experience in this eco-friendly town! As a Public Affairs Specialist (Strategic Communications and Engagement), you will: Develop strategic communication and stakeholder engagement plans that build awareness, inform, and educate internal and external audiences about BPA's business, priorities, policies, initiatives, issues, programs, projects, and activities. Develop complex program or project specific communication plans by considering such items as specific topics or aspects to emphasize, the appropriate level and type of involvement for any given issue, the most effective media type and communication channel to use to reach and engage target audiences, and what type of information various groups want or need. Write, edit, and co-develop articles, announcements, email communications, social media posts, and other content in support of client or agency communication goals and strategies. Meet with clients to develop and update communication plans, and to ensure information and messages are delivered to stakeholders and audiences in a clear and concise manner, and that communication strategies are meeting client needs and supporting Agency goals. Support the planning, organization and execution of internal and external engagement meetings and events, campaigns and stakeholder engagement opportunities; collaborates with executives, managers and subject-matter experts to plan and implement meetings, events and activities that reflect the Agency's highest priorities and supports Agency communication and engagement goals. Research, develop and implement new ways to gather feedback and input from BPA's various audiences, and designs and implements new methods and approaches to inform and engage audiences based on that feedback.

Qualifications: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS A qualified candidate's resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-12, in the Federal service. Specialized Experience is defined as: 1) Planning, developing, coordinating and producing communications that build awareness, educate, promote, and engage target audiences about organizational programs, initiatives, projects, events, and activities; 2) Managing and executing strategic communications to inform stakeholders of policies, programs, projects, and activities that both support and promote the organization's mission, responsibilities, and goals. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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. Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration. CTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/account. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can reuse the URL sent to you via email and also found in your USAJOBS account under the "Track my application" link for the corresponding application. You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; 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. If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-20