Audio Visual Production Specialist (Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees)
About This Position
This position provides support to the Departmental Media Center thru the Director of Public Affairs in developing strategies to promote greater visibility and enhance the DOT mission-driven activities.
Qualifications
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include: Experience directing live and recorded studio technical operations, including multi-camera switching, signal routing, studio lighting, and audio mixing. Experience inspecting video waveforms, color space, and audio loudness to enforce compliance with broadcast television technical standards.
Experience coordinating with technical crew and post-production personnel to resolve signal distortion, equipment failures, and technical delivery errors. To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D.
OR
equivalent doctoral degree. You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.
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: Production: Producing a wide range of audiovisual products using many different production methods and techniques. Camera & Lighting Operation: Knowledge of cinematography, camera operations, lens selection, dynamic studio/field lighting, and audio capture equipment setups. Oral & Written Communication: Skill in expressing information effectively to direct casts/crews, pitch production concepts, consult with stakeholders, and document project requirements.
For all types of consideration, 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 For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/ Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Major Duties
The Audio Visual Production Specialist: Plans multimedia projects, collaborates with communications and program teams to develop multimedia content supporting campaigns, Department initiatives. Produces and edits video content Prepares reports and other materials for transmittal for senior staff. Operates and assists with professional camera, lighting, audio, and audiovisual equipment in studio and field environments.
The Office of the Secretary of Transportation, Office of Public Liaison is seeking managerial program support to research, develop and implement strategies that increase visibility and strengthen public engagement in support of Department of Transportation's mission-driven activities.
Conditions of Employment
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication.
Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
Education
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- photography, radio or television production, motion picture production, or other fields related to the position. Advanced training in a vocational school, technical institute, or art institute above the high school level in one of the fields listed above is creditable as general experience on a month-for-month basis.
OR
Experience in the actual type of work for which application is made. Unpaid experience is creditable, provided the work done was of a quality level and demonstrated the ability required for the position. This includes work directly connected with the production aspects of the field(s) of the position to be filled. TRANSCRIPTS are REQUIRED if you are substituting education for experience. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.
How You Will Be Evaluated
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume. Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYYβMM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable).
Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes. HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, the experience will not be considered for credit, which may result in an ineligible determination. Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position, must indicate interest in the assessment.
Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position. All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in two phases to determine how you move forward in the hiring process. Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience.
ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed. Applicants passing βPhase Iβ will move on to the βPhase IIβ of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Additional Information
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code Β§ 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R Β§ 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act.
Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, [email protected]. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL APPLICANTS: Submit SF-50 documentation proving your highest competitive grade, federal eligibility, and 52-week time-in-grade requirement. To pass HR validation, it's recommended to combine and upload these into a single PDF: Start Date: The SF-50 showing when you were originally appointed or promoted to the qualifying grade.
End Date: An SF-50 dated at least 52 weeks later (e.g., a Within-Grade Increase, promotion, or subsequent action) to prove a sequential 52-week period. Warning on Incomplete Documentation: Do not submit an award or current-year annual pay adjustment SF-50 by itself. These do not prove your original entry date or grade.
If your documents fail to conclusively prove a full 52-week history, you will be rated Ineligible. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
How to Apply
To be considered, you must submit all required resume details and applicable documents no later than 11:59 (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
Note: Uploading documents to USAJobs does not automatically attach them to this application.
You must review and verify that all files are successfully transferred to our system before final submission. Late or incomplete applications will be disqualified. To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/ If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: [email protected]
Required Documents
RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages.
Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time (e.g., Program Analyst, GS-343-11 | January 2009βPresent | 40 Hours/Week) and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience.
VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. If applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy). If claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability.
An SF-15 is desired, but not required. If applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) (https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/#veoa), you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act. Incomplete Documentation: Award or annual pay adjustment SF-50s do not prove grade entry dates.
If your documentation fails to conclusively prove a 52-week history at the lower grade, you will be rated Ineligible. NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.
DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all of the following documents: your most recent performance appraisal, the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade. Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager. . For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
SPECIAL ATTENTION: To be considered, you must submit all required resume details and applicable documents by the closing date of the announcement.
Note: You must review and verify that all files are successfully transferred to our system before final submission.