FEMA Office of External Affairs, Incident Management Cadre of On-call Response Employee (IM CORE)

Job Announcement: FEMA Office of External Affairs, Incident Management Cadre of On-call Response Employee (IM CORE) FEMA’s Office of External Affairs (EA) is currently seeking candidates for twenty-two (22) IM CORE vacancies in a variety of position titles. These positions are authorized under the Stafford Act (P.L. 93-288) to perform disaster work and are funded by the Disaster Relief Fund. These positions are two-year, temporary appointments in the Excepted Service. IM CORE personnel are expected to maintain a constant state of readiness for the purpose of deploying and responding to major events. Potentially, IM COREs could be deployed up to 300 days per year (or to the greatest extent possible). According to the deployment directive, IM COREs are first to deploy to presidentially declared disasters. When not deployed, they are administratively attached to Office of External Affairs at FEMA Headquarters. Hiring Process: Those interested in this position should submit a resume to FEMA-EAPTB@fema.dhs.gov. In the subject line, please indicate the position(s) for which you are applying. The application period opens today, Monday, February 29, 2016 and will remain open until 8:00PM (EST), Monday, March 21, 2016. An External Affairs hiring panel will review all resumes and select candidates to be interviewed. Position Titles: Individuals selected for these positions will serve in a management role and serve as subject matter experts in their component. Primary duties for each position include, but are not limited to, the following: • External Affairs Officer (EAO)–Type III GS 11 – 3 vacancies o Develops External Affairs strategic communication plan and EA staffing plan. o Develops and releases approved information about the incident to news media, elected officials, incident personnel, and other agencies and organizations. o Directs and oversees the Joint Information Center, Congressional Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs, Planning and Products, and Private Sector. o Provides support to the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO), Command and General Staff involving communications with external audiences in accordance with FCO objectives. To qualify for this position, you must possess the following: o One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 federal level. Specialized experience is described as experience with the following:  Interpersonal/ verbal communication skills effectively interacting with internal and external parties at all levels of operations; skill in coordinating with state, local, tribal, territorial, and other federal agency officials to ensure unity of effort.  Supporting the FCO on External Affairs matters; experience advising top management officials on aspects of the public affairs program; recommending strategies for all aspects of the agency’s public affairs program.  Ability to plan, initiate, and implement comprehensive informational campaigns to enhance the understanding of the agency’s programs among the general public and specialized groups and organizations.  Implementation of the External Affairs Strategic Communications Plan. • Assistant External Affairs Officer –Joint Information Center (AEIC) GS 11 – 2 vacancies o Develops a specific strategy and plan for the handling of media relations activities, including responding to media queries, interview requests for the FEMA Administrator and potentially the Secretary of Homeland Security; preparing subject matter experts from various FEMA programs for media interviews. o Develops, maintains, and oversees a Joint Information Center (JIC) functional plan, including the staffing of a 24-hour news desk. o Oversees and directs interaction with various international, national, and local broadcast and print media. To qualify for this position, you must possess the following: o One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 federal level. Specialized experience is described as experience with the following:  Ability to develop and maintain a JIC functional plan.  Experience managing a media relations operation, including social media.  Skill in interpersonal communication in order to interact effectively with internal and external parties at all levels of operations; coordinate with other Assistant External Affairs Officers and other agencies. • Assistant External Affairs Officer –Planning & Products (AEPP) GS 11 – 3 vacancies o Advises the FCO and staff on products and strategic messaging, as well as compiling External Affairs reports for various stakeholders, including communications summaries to the Executive Branch of the federal government. o Oversees preliminary research and product development for all components of External Affairs: Congressional, Intergovernmental, Private Sector, and the Joint Information Center, as well as for the Disaster Survivor Assistance Cadre. o Provides translation support for outreach materials and coordinates event-specific messages from the federal government to the Joint Field Office. To qualify for this position, you must possess the following: o One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 federal level. Specialized experience is described as experience with the following:  Experience overseeing the development of a Strategic Communications Plan.  Experience developing and maintaining a Planning and Products functional plan.  Skill in interpersonal communication in order to interact effectively with internal and external parties at all levels of operations; coordinate with other Assistant External Affairs Officers and other agencies. • Assistant External Affairs Officer –Intergovernmental Affairs (AEIG) GS 11 – 3 vacancies o Coordinates with the External Affairs Officer, Headquarters, other Assistant External Affairs Officers (AEAOs), the state, tribes, local government and other agencies to assess the scope of the disaster and relevant EA issues. o Develops a specific strategy and plan for the handling of state, tribal and local government activities including inquiries and visits. o Coordinates all logistics for intergovernmental affairs briefings to including logistics, material and speakers. o Oversees state, tribal, and local government special event requests. To qualify for this position, you must possess the following: o One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 federal level. Specialized experience is described as experience with the following:  Skill in resolving intergovernmental issues and making effective decisions.  Ability to develop and maintain an intergovernmental affairs function plan.  Skill in interpersonal communication in order to interact effectively with internal and external parties at all levels of operations; coordinate with other Assistant External Affairs Officers and other agencies. • Congressional Affairs Manager (CGMG) GS 9 – 2 vacancies o Oversees congressional engagement. o Oversees completion of initial contact and one-on-one meetings with congressional offices and their members and staff. o Conducts congressional briefings to members and staff. o Maintain congressional inquiry and activity log. To qualify for this position, you must possess the following: o One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 federal level. Specialized experience is described as experience with the following:  Knowledge of federal statute, regulations, policies and procedures as they pertain to congressional affairs.  Skill in briefing congressional offices on federal statute, regulations, and procedures.  Ability to explain Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, Mitigation, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and other programs available during response and recovery. • Intergovernmental Affairs Manager (IGMG) GS 9 – 3 vacancy o Oversees state, tribal, and local government engagement. o Oversees completion of initial contact or one-one meetings with intergovernmental and/or tribal officials. o Prepares and delivers presentations at state, local, and tribal government meetings. o Provides disaster-related information and FEMA processes to members of state, local, and tribal governments. To qualify for this position, you must possess the following: o One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 federal level. Specialized experience is described as experience with the following:  Experience briefing state, tribal, and local government on federal statute, regulations, and procedures.  Knowledge of federal statute, regulations, policies, and procedures as they pertain to tribal relations.  Ability to explain Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, Mitigation, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and other programs available to state, tribal, and local governments during response and recovery. • Media Relations Manager (MRMG) GS 9 – 3 vacancy o Directs News desk operations. o Identifies and elevates trends in media coverage or inquiries as appropriate; resolves or elevates identified media issues. o Supervises the development and maintenance of media lists and the dissemination of information to media representatives. o Supervises the reporting of media relations activities. To qualify for this position, you must possess the following: o One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 federal level. Specialized experience is described as experience with the following:  Ability to supervise the gathering, compilation, analyzing, editing, and distribution of information to media outlets and senior leadership.  Ability to manage the media relations program; demonstrate effective supervisory and leadership principles; resolve problems or issues and make effective decisions. • Creative Service Manager (CTMG) GS 9 – 3 vacancies o Identifies products to support the Strategic Communications Plan (e.g., flyers, news releases, digital media outreach, etc.). o Prioritizes the product development schedule. o Oversees finalization of products for distribution; reviews and edits for accuracy. o Establishes product approval process and coordinates for distribution. o Ensures products meet current standards. To qualify for this position, you must possess the following: o One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 federal level. Specialized experience is described as experience with the following:  Experience identifying products in support of the Strategic Communications Plan.  Experience obtaining approval for proposed products.  Ability to prepare well-organized, written reports and other documents to support the Strategic Communications Plan.