Summary This position is in Region 7, Immediate Office Division, Public and Government Affairs Branch, Communications Section. About Region 7 This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis. *EPA offers work-from-home and work schedule flexibilities as described in the Benefits section. Responsibilities You will: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of the organizational unit, ensuring that they comply with legal and regulatory requirements and meet customer needs. Exercise supervisory personnel management responsibilities. Represent the Agency with a variety of functional area organizations. You will spend less than 25% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements. One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section. This position is designated as Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date. You must meet time in grade requirements no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement. If you are selected, you must complete (or have already completed) a 1-year supervisory or managerial probationary period. Upon acceptance of an initial appointment to a supervisory or managerial position with the EPA, you agree to complete all elements of the EPA Successful Leaders Program. This development program is designed to enhance leadership skills and abilities and meet the Agency's goal of providing new leaders with the skills and tools you need to be successful. If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter. #LI-DNI Qualifications NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To qualify for the GS-14 level, you must have 1 year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level defined as organizing and/or performing public affairs activities such as coordinating media interviews, developing communications strategies, coordinating outreach events, and/or communicating information through a range of media such as print, television, radio, web, and/or social media; and coaching, mentoring, or leading others. Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: Knowledge of communication principles, analytical methods, and interpersonal relations practices to provide supervision and oversight to a staff of Public Affairs Specialists. Skill in analyzing public reaction to agency programs and policies in developing recommendations to significantly modify environmental protection programs and policies. Skill in written communication. Skill in developing and applying new approaches to the most difficult and complex public affairs problems by developing or evaluating information programs. Ability to lead staff by evaluating work performance and giving advice, counsel, and instruction. Ability to integrate diverse points of view in communication plans. Skill in oral communication. 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. *If you have part-time work experience, read this: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures. Education Additional Information Are you a Displaced Federal Employee? If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information on the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures NOTE: To be entitled to selection priority, you must be rated well-qualified (i.e., you must have a score of 87 or higher--see the How You Will Be Evaluated section). Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA. If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility. This position is not in the bargaining unit.