Federal

Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Defense Education Activity ยท Department of Defense
๐Ÿ“ Alexandria, Virginia GS-15 $169,279 - $197,200/yr
Posted: Mar 2, 2026 Deadline: Mar 12, 2026 (Closed days left)

About This Position

About the Position: This position is located at the Pentagon War Annex in Alexandria, VA. The Pentagon War Annex is the location for the Washington Headquarters Services of the United States Department of War and a number of other DoD agencies.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job.

You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Competitive Service Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Civilian Employee Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act People with Disabilities, Schedule A Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below.

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).

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: Implement a four-step strategic process including Research, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation to guide the strategic direction for organizational/school public relations and communications; Manage the agency's global public affairs/communications programs for schools, districts and regions; Leverage social media and emerging digital channels to enhance a communications operation; Maintain working relationships and an ongoing two way dialog with military public affairs offices and community media assets to enhance the public communication, visibility, and outreach for the agency; and Direct the agency print/digital communications programs to best serve military-connected families in the functional areas of public information, media relations, and public engagement. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-14).

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. Accreditation in Public relations (APR) credential highly desired.

DINFOS public affairs training highly desired.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-14).

Major Duties

Serves as the Chief of Communications, DoDEA.

Responsible for the planning, initiation, direction, coordination, staff supervision, and review of the DoDEA Communications Program and school public relations program.

Directs the DoDEA Communications Program in the functional areas of public information and media relations; internal information; public facing website services and operation; marketing support; motion media/video services; and graphics services.

Serves as an official spokesperson for the agency when dealing with the media.

Provides advice and counsel on communications matters for the DoDEA Director, Chief Academic Officer, Chief Operating Officer, senior staff, Directors of Student Excellence and District Superintendents.

In consultation with HQ Program Managers, executes communications plans for DODEA's educational programs, priorities and initiatives.

Develops and is responsible for executing broad plans, objectives, and specific communications strategies for the DoDEA Communications Program.

Identifies areas in need of emphasis and leadership throughout DoDEA to meet DoDEA-wide communications needs.

Through subordinate supervisors and team leaders, supervises a group of employees engaged in Office of Communications functions.

How You Will Be Evaluated

This recruitment is using a Structured Resume Review assessment process. Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will review your resume, starting at your work experience.

SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume). Applicants passing the structured resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position.

To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Additional Information

Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. Be advised that effective Jan. 1 2018, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, most civilian employee relocation allowances became taxable.

The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for the additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. RITA does not apply to new government employees or employees returning from an overseas assignment for the purpose of separation from Government service. For more information, visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction.html.

Applicants with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should notify David Walton [email protected] This position is not covered by a bargaining unit. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/12/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application.

You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12885943).

Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section.

You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.

Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position.

Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your 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

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist for Internal/Merit Promotion Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply.

If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1.

Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement.

If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood.

The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letters, links to additional information) will not be reviewed.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We may not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration.

For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

  1. Other supporting documents: Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority.

You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration. Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.

You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.

You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist position at Department of Defense Education Activity?
The salary range for this position is $169,279 - $197,200/yr. This is a GS-15 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist job located?
This position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document require...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Mar 12, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
Yes, a Secret clearance is required.
What does GS-15 mean?
GS-15 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.