Director, Office of Public Affairs

Organization Location: Office of Public Affairs

Supervising Executive: Christopher Hanson, Chair

Area of Consideration:  All Sources (Public) 

Salary: This is a Tier 2 (NRC Pay Group B) SES position

Financial Disclosure:  This position is subject to Public Financial Disclosure Reporting requirements and NRC prohibited securities ownership restrictions

Qualifications:

You must have substantial supervisory or leadership experience which demonstrates the ability to successfully carry out the roles and responsibilities described above, typically evidenced by experience in progressively more responsible supervisory or leadership positions. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed below. Applicants who do not meet or do not demonstrate possession of the ECQs and PTQs in their application will be eliminated from further consideration.

All applicants must submit an online resume and online written statements (narrative or bullet format acceptable) describing your accomplishments against each of the ECQs. You must address each ECQ separately and are required to respond to all ECQs. Abbreviated responses to the ECQs, such as "significant experience" or "see resume" do not provide enough information and will not be accepted. You will not be considered for this position if you leave any of the ECQs and vacancy questions unanswered.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs):

Applicants must submit online written statements (narrative or bullet format acceptable) describing accomplishments that would satisfy the ECQs. You must address each ECQ separately and are required to respond to all ECQs. Note: Current career SES members, former career SES members eligible for reinstatement, and SES Candidate Development graduates (with Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Review Board (QRB) certification) are encouraged, but not required, to address the ECQs to be considered. Use the following approach to describe your accomplishments:

Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) Model

Use one to two examples of relevant experience for each ECQ. The number of examples is not as important as ensuring that your experience matches the ECQ criteria.

Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.

Context - Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to address a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).

Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.

Result - Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

Each accomplishment should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities; the scope and complexity of the programs, activities, or services you managed; program accomplishments; policy initiatives undertaken; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues you addressed; and the results of your actions. You should use action-oriented leadership words to describe your experience and accomplishments (e.g., Led the development and implementation of….) and quantify your experience wherever possible to demonstrate your accomplishments (e.g., number of employees supervised; size of budget managed; amount of money saved, etc.). Please limit your written statements to the space provide (8,000 characters) per ECQ. You must provide the names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of responsible individuals who can verify the information provided for each ECQ.

Additional information on the ECQs is available at http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp. Example ECQ statements are available at http://www.opm.gov/ses/references/GuidetoSESQuals_2012.pdf.

Executive Core Qualifications:

ECQ 1 - Leading Change: The ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision.

ECQ 2 - Leading People: The ability to lead people toward meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others, Team Building.

ECQ 3 - Results Driven:   The ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility.

ECQ 4 - Business Acumen: The ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management.

ECQ 5 - Building Coalitions: The ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating.

PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQs)

All applicants must submit online written statements (narrative or bullet format acceptable) of accomplishments that would satisfy the following PTQs. You must address each PTQ separately. Please limit your written statements to the space provided (8,000 characters) per PTQ, attached examples will not be accepted, please use the space provided.

PTQ 1 - Broad knowledge of communication principles, methods, practices, and techniques sufficient to direct the formulation, implementation and management of external communications policies, strategies, and programs for the purpose of increasing public awareness of, and confidence in, the agency’s major initiatives, policies, regulations, and goals.

PTQ 2 - Demonstrated ability to provide authoritative advice and counsel to senior officials on matters associated with external communications and public information functions and activities.

PTQ 3 - Knowledge and ability to maintain relationships with public information media (print, radio, television, social media, etc.)

Responsibilities:

As the  Director for Public Affairs you will provide authoritative advice and counsel to the Chair in carrying out his/her responsibilities as principal spokesperson for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and promoting and communicating the agency's policies and initiatives with the public and news media.  This includes directing the development, implementation, and management of external communications, ensuring implementation of a proactive public information program, and developing key strategies that contribute to increasing public confidence. You will be responsible for keeping the Chair and Commission informed of public interest in and news coverage of NRC's regulatory activities as well as providing timely, clear and accurate information on NRC activities to the public. Consult and advise the Chair, Commissioners, Executive Director for Operations (EDO), and other senior management officials on potential public reaction to agency policy, decisions, and actions.  

Duties may include, but are not limited to: 

• Serves as a primary spokesperson for the Chair; advises on strategies for communicating the agency's message,and represents the agency and the Chair in communications with the public and news media.
• Provides leadership, coordination, expertise and recommendations to develop consistent and timely external communications, strategies, products, and services, and to effectively utilize all communications tools and media to increase public awareness of, and confidence in, the agency's major initiatives, policies, regulations and goals.
• Provides communication policy advice and support for the Chair, Commissioners, Executive Director for Operations, and other senior management officials. Considers the communications aspect of policy determinations and makes recommendations accordingly.
• Briefs and advises senior level officials on the impact and success of communication campaigns and initiatives.
• Evaluates communications and outreach policies and activities, and recommends modification and adoption of policies and strategies to implement a pro-active and responsive program that will ensure dissemination and use of coordinated themes and messages.
• Provides timely, clear, and accurate information on NRC activities to the public and media through news releases, responses to public inquiries, fact sheets, brochures, interviews, web postings, social media posts, and videos.
• Directs and manages press conferences, press briefings, and interviews for the Chair. Ascertains the nature of expected press interviews, probable lines of inquiry, other applicable information considerations, and any other factors that will assist NRC program officials to provide responsive information to the public.
• Plans, develops, and analyzes a variety of informational material and services designed to focus national, regional, local, or specialized audience attention on NRC policies or programs. Uses information to provide material in various forms for oral and written presentations for the Chair. Such materials include, but are not limited to speeches, articles, editorials, correspondence for Chair signature, etc., addressing the full scope of agency policies and programs. In preparation for major speeches, articles, or other written material, works closely with the Chair and other relevant components within the agency.
• Reviews and evaluates speaking invitations for the Chair in accordance with established policies and precedents and presents conclusions and recommendations on whether and how to use the proposed platform for disseminating agency information. Defines possible benefits and disadvantages of participation and recommends accordingly.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with the news and information media, key officials, specialized groups interested in or affected by agency programs, and the public in order to create a meaningful exchange between them and the agency's officials, and to communicate and disseminate program information which results in an understanding of NRC's mission and activities.
• Implements corporate management strategies consistent with the Agency’s Strategic Plan.
• Develops and implements recruitment, development and retention strategies to achieve a high quality diverse workforce with the skills needed to accomplish program goals and objectives.  Identifies critical skill and training needs of the organization and identifies and implements human capital strategies to close critical skill gaps.  Ensures staff recruitment, development and retention strategies promote workforce diversity and diversity management.
• Requests and utilizes financial resources effectively and efficiently to accomplish agency mission and goals.
• Ensures that staff performance is managed effectively, performance plans identify key performance priorities and appraisal results indicate meaningful distinctions are made in staff performance assessments.