Visual Information Specialist

Summary

The mission of the Congressional & Public Affairs (CPA) is to facilitate effective working relationships between OIG, Congress and the media, acting as a liaison with Congress and the media to explain OIG initiatives and programs and to promote the activities of all OIG offices.

Duties

• The duties of the Visual Information Specialist GS-1084-14: Leads OIG's visual communication strategy - setting agency wide standards, advising senior leadership, and development of clear, compelling visual products. Designs and produces high-impact layouts, graphics, charts, illustrations, multimedia, and presentation materials; translates complex subject matter into accessible visuals; and maintains templates, style guides, and graphic standards. Manages multiple concurrent design projects from concept thorough final production-prioritizing workload, allocating resources, ensuring quality and timeliness, and aligning all outputs with communication objectives. Engages auditors, investigators, program officials, subject matter experts, senior leaders, internal offices, external partners, and media representatives to gather information, refine design concepts, negotiate decisions, and support effective information-sharing. Plans and drives long-term innovation in OIG's visual information program by evaluating emerging technologies, improving design capabilities and communication strategies, and performing additional duties that advance program effectiveness.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements, including education, and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. Time in Grade: For entry at the GS-14 level, you must have 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-13 grade level. Time-in-grade documentation: When applying for a higher grade, if your SF-50's effective date is within the past year (52 weeks), it might not adequately verify you have met the 1-year time-in-grade requirement. Therefore, you should provide an SF-50 that clearly verifies you meet this requirement-such as a step increase SF-50. (Appropriate examples of SF-50s includes Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, or any SF-50 with an effective date older than one year.) Applicants who have held a non-temporary General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must meet the time-in-grade restriction. You must also submit the most recent SF-50 dated within 52 weeks of the closing date for this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position. Education Requirements: This position has a Individual Occupational Requirement, as described below: Basic Requirements for Visual Information Specialist: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, visual communication, or other fields related to the position. Some positions may also require subject-matter knowledge of medicine, science, or technical equipment. 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 Specialized 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 planning the preparation and use of photographs, illustrations, drawings, and other art work, charts, diagrams, dioramas, maps, slides, overlays, and other kinds of visual material for use in communicating information through visual means. AND MINIMUN QUALIFICATION: In order to qualify for the GS-14, you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Mastery of communication principles, design methodologies, publication layout, and multimedia production sufficient to serve as OIG's technical authority for visual information. Ability to interpret and translate complex subject matter, such as audits, inspections, investigations, and policy analyses, into accurate and impactful visual materials for Congress, senior leadership, and the public. Expertise with advanced design tools (e.g., Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat Pro, Premiere Pro) and capability to produce original, high-quality visuals. Skill in influencing and persuading skeptical or uncooperative audiences to understand and adopt program results. Skill in the use of photography and videography equipment, including cameras, microphones, lighting setups, and teleprompters. Extensive knowledge of OIG mission areas, reporting requirements, and statutory oversight responsibilities. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position. 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) is qualifying. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience. Non-competitive hiring authority eligibility documentation, if applicable. For information related to Schedule A hiring authority for individuals with disabilities visit OPM's hiring information site. Political Appointment: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political appointees. If you are currently or have been within the last five (5) years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Noncareer SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

Due to the education requirement of this position, an unofficial/official transcript must be submitted at the time of application. If transcripts are not received, you will be rated as ineligible. You MUST provide unofficial/official transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Transcripts must include the following information: name of accredited institution, list of courses with grades and credit earned for each course, quarter or semester hours earned, degree conferred and date, and the name and address of the school. If selected for this position, you will be required to provide an official certified copy of your transcripts before a start date will be established. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Accreditation: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. If you fail to provide the required documentation, by the closing date of this announcement, you will not receive consideration.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about three (3) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.