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FLO Specialist (Communications & Outreach) GS-12

Employment Opportunity in the Family Liaison Office

  • The Family Liaison Specialist (Communications & Outreach Officer) GS-301-12, in GTM/FLO, is an Excepted Service, full-time, Schedule A, two-year limited appointment, with potential to be extended up to a maximum of five years; GS-12 is the full performance level for this position. This appointment is not in the Competitive Service. The selected candidate will receive a two-year Non-Career term appointment with benefits, including Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS), Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), and Federal Employees’ Health Benefits (FEHB). Application deadline is 11:59 p.m. EDT, June 1, 2021.

Summary

The position is located in the Family Liaison Office (GTM/FLO), Bureau of Global Talent Management, U.S. Department of State. The incumbent for this position serves as a team lead, reports to the Division Chief and is responsible for management of the Communications and Outreach portfolio in GTM/FLO. This includes developing and implementing new communication and outreach strategies and plans, content development and management for all platforms, and program evaluation. The incumbent advises GTM/FLO management on the best means to communicate with GTM/FLO’s diverse worldwide client base.

This position is located in Washington, DC, and may require some travel.

About FLO

GTM/FLO was established in 1978 to improve the quality of life of Foreign Service employees and their family members. GTM/FLO assists both employees and family members in the areas of family member employment, education, crisis support, unaccompanied tours, and expeditious naturalization. In addition, GTM/FLO provides support to evacuees from overseas missions, is the functional office for the worldwide Community Liaison Office program, and organizes Washington, DC, and overseas training workshops annually. GTM/FLO produces a variety of publications and electronic media, and its staff participate in numerous presentations in Foreign Service Institute (FSI) courses, to other agency personnel, and to post communities overseas. Further information about GTM/FLO is available via www.state.gov/flo.

GTM/FLO not only serves employees and family members from the Department of State, but also fields questions and makes referrals for many agencies with personnel abroad including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Key Requirements

  1. U.S. Citizenship.
  2. Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  3. Conditions of Employment – E-Verify: Verification of Employment in the United States is required.
  4. Domestic or international travel required.

 Major Duties

  1. The incumbent is responsible for designing, planning, and directing a communication and outreach program to inform and educate U.S. Department of State Foreign Service and other agency employees serving overseas and their family members about GTM/FLO’s programs and services.
  2. Consulting with subject matter experts within and outside of GTM/FLO, as well as representatives of other Department of State offices and outside agencies, the incumbent develops, proposes, and implements action plans and analyzes and evaluates their effectiveness in meeting established goals and objectives of communicating GTM/FLO’s mission and programs; recommends outreach and marketing decisions affecting the long-term and short-term goals, ensuring individual program objectives and milestones are accomplished within the overall program objectives.
  3. The incumbent designs and manages a marketing and branding strategy for GTM/FLO programs to include developing and disseminating informational materials, including a weekly newsletter, to the GTM/FLO client base within a domestic or foreign setting; providing information of particular value and interest to agency employees, and to employees and family members of other agencies; prepares communication for distribution to CLO offices and staff at overseas missions to keep them acquainted with FLO.
  4. The incumbent employs all types of media to achieve communication goals, including print and electronic visual media and social media, often coordinating efforts with appropriate entities at the departmental level (such as the Foreign Service Institute and State Magazine) and external entities (such as the Foreign Service Journal and organizations including the American Associates of the Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW) and the Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF).
  5. The incumbent advises and assists all GTM/FLO personnel in carrying out outreach activities and evaluating program effectiveness; collects, reviews, and analyzes program information data and provides comprehensive assessment of the program, and its effectiveness in informing GTM/FLO clients about GTM/FLO’s mission and programs.
  6. The incumbent attends outreach events with bureaus within the Department of State and other Federal agencies to coordinate, explain, and market the GTM/FLO program. Presents formal briefings on existing and proposed initiatives to high-level officials and to GTM/FLO clients.

Qualifications (ranking factors)

The successful candidate must have:

  1. A minimum of three years living in a Foreign Service community abroad as an Eligible Family Member (EFM) or Member of Household (MOH), with knowledge gained regarding socio-economic factors affecting Foreign Service family members, particularly via first- hand experience regarding the realities of family member employment and career development overseas. Please provide start and end dates for qualifying periods;
  2. Experience overseeing marketing and outreach campaigns that raised awareness and increased demand amongst target audiences.
  3. Ability to gather, evaluate, and interpret complex data and written material in a professional capacity and the ability to write and edit clearly and concisely on both technical and non-technical topics for diverse, targeted, and multiple audiences.
  4. Experience with and expertise in external communications to include: developing online content (websites and social media) in a professional setting and familiarity with Foreign Service online communities; and designing presentations and delivering information to adult audiences.
  5. Mastery of, or ability to use, computer software, including Microsoft (MS) Word, MS Publisher, MS PowerPoint, SharePoint, and photo and graphics software to produce online and print communications.
  6. Ability to lead a team in communications and outreach.

In addition to the six ranking factors above, you must be a U.S. Citizen as of the closing date of this announcement.

Availability is a key factor.

How to Apply

Interested individuals may submit one of the following:

  • Application for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff;
  • Family Member (DS-174);
  • or Federal resume (see important instructions for submitting a resume at the end of this announcement).

Note: there is no vacancy announcement number; please reference the position title: Family Liaison Specialist (Communications & Outreach) GS-301-12.

In addition, each candidate must submit a supplemental statement that addresses each of the qualifications/ranking factors listed above. List each ranking factor and describe in detail how your experience (paid or unpaid), education, or special training aligns with each factor. The supplemental statement should include your name, statement regarding U.S. citizenship status, and the title and grade of the position for which you are applying. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note that because all GTM/FLO positions are in the Excepted Service, neither past nor current federal or executive order eligibility is required. However, applicants with government employment status or eligibilities should document this in the application to assist the reviewer in determining the level of skills and abilities of each candidate.

Summary of Required Application Materials

You must include ALL of the following. If ANY item is missing or incomplete, your application cannot be considered:

  1. DS-174, Federal resume, or any other format that contains ALL of the required elements listed in paragraph 11 of this announcement. Note: these forms or formats can be found on the internet. The DS-174 should not be submitted via eForms. Please submit the DS-174 as an email attachment.
  2. Supplemental Statement addressing EACH of the Qualifications and Ranking Factors IN DETAIL. The supplemental statement should list each qualification/ranking factor and a brief summary of how the applicant meets each particular qualification. A cover letter should not be substituted for the supplemental statement.
  3. For Federal employees, including former employees and those in the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corp (FSFRC) or Intermittent No Work Scheduled (INWS) status:
    1. Most recent Performance Appraisal Report or Employee Evaluation Report (EER) (even if several years old), or, if one does not exist, Form DS-1812 or equivalent form from another federal agency; and
    2.  Most recent SF-50 (even if several years old)
  4. For applicants without Federal employment experience, performance appraisals are optional.
  5. Veterans must demonstrate proof of eligibility by submitting their DD-214 (member copy 4), SF-15, and VA Letter (if applicable).

Submitting a Resume

There is no specified resume format; however, applicants must provide certain information on their resumes to evaluate their qualifications and determine if the legal requirements for Federal employment have been met. If a resume format is used, it must contain the following information for the applicant to be considered for the position:

Personal and Education Information
  1. Full name, mailing address (with zip code), email, and day and evening phone numbers, including area code;
  2. Country of citizenship (most Federal jobs require U.S. citizenship);
  3. Veteran’s preference (proof of eligibility is required);
  4. Highest Federal civilian grade held, including series, beginning, and ending dates;
  5. High school diploma or GED acquired, plus the name, city, and state of high school or educational institution; and
  6. Name and state of colleges and universities attended; major fields of study; type of any degrees received (if no degree, show total number of credits earned, and indicate whether they are in quarter or semester hours).
Work Experience and Other Qualifications

Applicants must provide information on their work experience, both paid and non-paid, that is related to the position for which they are applying, including:

  1. Job Title (series and grade if Federal employment);
  2. Duties and accomplishments;
  3. Employer’s name and address;
  4. Supervisor’s name and telephone number (indicate if we may contact your current supervisor);
  5. Starting and ending dates of employment (month/year);
  6. Hours worked per week;
  7. Salary;
  8. Any other qualifications, including: job-related training (title and date of course), skills (e.g. languages, typing speed, and computer software/hardware), current licenses, or honors, awards, and special accomplishments (e.g. honor societies, publications); and
  9. Date available.

Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify)

U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If an employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

Submitting Applications

Send applications to GTM’s Office of Talent Services (GTM/TS) via GTMSSFLO@state.gov with the subject line “LAST NAME Family Liaison Specialist (Communications & Outreach) GS-301-12.” Include the applicant’s name in the title of any email attachments (Last, First, Middle Initial). Attach the required documents to the e- mail; do not send a picture of the documents or links to the Cloud. Application submissions and vacancy related questions should be submitted to GTMSSFLO@state.gov.

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. EDT, June 1, 2021. 

Evaluation Method

The determination of basic eligibility is based upon review of the federal application or resume and supplemental statement. It is imperative that the information provided be detailed to allow accurate evaluation of eligibility and background as they relate to the qualification requirements listed in the announcement.

Privacy Act Information

The Office of Personnel Management and other Federal agencies rate applicants for Federal jobs under the authority of sections 1104, 1302, 3301, 3304, 3320, 3361, 3393, and 3394 of title 5 of the United States Code. The information requested is needed to evaluate your qualifications. Other laws require inquiring about citizenship, military service, etc.

Questions

Please contact Ana Kolodzinski, Division Chief, GTM/FLO at KolodzinskiAV@state.gov.

U.S. Department of State

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