Federal Bureau of Investigation

POSITION OVERVIEW

This position advertised has been exempted from the federal civilian hiring freeze.

Current FBI employees are ineligible to apply if serving under the same conditions as that for which is advertised, including:

• Appointing organization (FBI)
• Type of position (full-time, part-time, etc.)
• Same or higher grade
• Duty location (city or state)
• Type of appointment (permanent, temporary, etc.)

Job Opening: 62443

Opening Date: November 25, 2025

Closing Date: December 9, 2025 at 11:59 pm (ET)

Job Title

Public Affairs Specialist, GS-12

Full Performance Level

GS-12

Division

El Paso Field Office

Location

El Paso, TX

Working Hours

8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Hours may vary based on the needs of the office.)

Job Type

Full Time/Permanent

Who May Apply

All U.S. Citizens

Number of Positions Available

1

Questions

Email: HR Specialist Autumn Hartzell at ashartzell@fbi.gov

Salary

$88,621.00--$115,213.00

Additional selections may be made from this announcement to fill positions within the same division when the position includes substantially the same duties, responsibilities, and qualifications.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must have (or be able to obtain) a valid driver’s license
• Some travel may be required

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Work is primarily sedentary, although some physical effort may be required. May be required to stand for long hours in indoor and outdoor locations. May be required to lift gear up to 20 pounds. May be subject to weekend or overnight deployment, as required. Occasional travel may be required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is often performed in a typical office setting or similar surroundings. May also be required to work in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings as needed, including at crime scenes, joint information centers, and emergency operations centers.

MAJOR DUTIES:

• Reviews requests for information, interviews, or access from the media, entertainment industry, special interest groups, the general public or employees.
• Prepares or edits organizational publications with factual information involving a complex array of sensitive issues for internal and external audiences, including employee newsletters and reports.
• Remains updated on national issues, current events, and late breaking news affecting the Bureau and coordinates the dissemination of information, priorities, jurisdiction, and mission to the national and international news media, the general public, and other individuals and organizations.
• Remains updated on national issues, current events, and late breaking news affecting the Bureau.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with the national media and other specialized groups including those with indifferent or opposing goals.
• Evaluates and analyzes requests from the media to interview FBI officials, particularly those at the highest levels regarding topics that are of a sensitive and/or controversial nature.
• Writes and disseminates to local and national print and broadcast media representatives, national news releases and statements on issues of national significance that reflect the official position of the Director.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EVALUATIONS

Please ensure that your specialized experience and requirements are clearly identifiable in your resume. Your application will be evaluated using the FBI’s Candidate Rating Procedures. Your resume and supporting documents will be reviewed to verify that you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement and will be compared against your responses to the online assessment questionnaire. If your self-assessment in the vacancy questions is not supported by details in your resume or supporting documents, you may be disqualified from the Most Competitive category. Veterans’ preference will be applied. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

If you are deemed Most Competitive, you will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

All applicants will be rated on the following Competencies:

• Communication
• Communications and Media
• Customer Service
• Initiative
• Interpersonal Ability
• Problem Solving/Judgment

Please make sure your specialized experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume.

Specialized Experience (SE)

GS-12: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of SE equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

• Established and maintained relationships with the national media and other specialized groups including those with indifferent or opposing goals.
• Proactively reviewed, conducted research, and gathered information from various sources on potential issues.
• Wrote and disseminated national news releases and statements on issues of national significance that reflect the official position of an organization to local and national print and broadcast media representatives.
• Released factual statements involving a complex array of sensitive issues.
• Responded to requests for information from the media or designated an appropriate spokesperson or information source.

Education

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience.

HOW TO APPLY

For detailed instructions related to applying, uploading documents, withdrawing an application or updating your application, please review instructions on How to Apply. If applying online is a hardship, please use the contact information listed in the vacancy announcement prior to the closing date for assistance.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

To apply to this position, interested applicants must provide a complete application package by the closing date which includes:

1. A two-page resume that outlines relevant work experience and associated start and end dates. Resumes exceeding two pages will not be considered.
2. A complete assessment questionnaire
3. Other supporting documents (if applicable):
   • College transcripts, if qualifying based on education or if there is a positive education requirement
   • Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50; not applicable to current FBI employees
   • Most recent Performance Appraisal; not applicable to current FBI employees
   • Veterans: DD 214; Disabled Veterans: DD 214, SF-15, and VA letter dated 1991 or later
   • Memorandum for Record (MFR): Work performed outside assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on an SF-50, i. e., back-up duties), has to be documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished no credit will be given for time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation:
     • Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties.
     • The month/year work began
     • Frequency worked (i.e., daily, monthly, etc.)
     • Specific duties performed

Attach the Memorandum for Record to your application in the “Cover Letters and Attachments” section of My Career Tools on the Careers Home page. Please upload the attachment as type “Other.”

While applicants might see these documents in their profile, HR Specialists may be unable to access them. Therefore, all applicants MUST upload another copy to ensure that staffing units can review the complete application.

Please note: Failure to provide the necessary and relevant information required by this vacancy announcement may disqualify you from consideration. Incomplete applications will not be supplemented with additional requests for information; your application will be evaluated solely on the information you submit. You must complete the application process and submit all required documents by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the announcement’s closing date.

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The Most Competitive candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of your status throughout the process.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The FBI is in the Executive Branch of the federal government. It is one of the components of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The FBI is the principle investigative arm of the DOJ. All FBI positions are in the excepted service.
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens and consent to a complete background investigation, urinalysis, and polygraph. You must be suitable for Federal employment; as determined by a background investigation.
• Positions with fitness for duty requirements or those that require international travel may require proof of certain vaccinations.
• If you are selected, you will be required to serve a two-year probationary period. Probationary employees are precluded from being considered for all job opportunities until 12-months of their 24-month probationary period has concluded. Probationary Employees may be considered for competitive vacancies that are advertised within their respective division or field office after serving 90 days within the FBI.

Veterans' Preference

If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume and application. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency.

Nepotism

Nepotism is the act of favoring relatives in the hiring process and is prohibited by law. Public officials are prohibited from hiring or promoting relatives or relatives of officials in their chain of command, as well as actively or indirectly endorse a relative’s appointment or promotion. During the hiring process, all selected candidates and FBI hiring managers will be required to certify they are not related to anyone involved in the hiring process.

Reasonable Accommodation

The FBI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application and/or hiring process, please contact the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Affairs (OEEOA) Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Program by email at REASONABLE_ACCOMMODA@fbi.gov, phone at 202-324-2158, or fax at 202-324-3976. This email address is for reasonable accommodation requests only. Do not send applications or unrelated inquiries to this address, as they will not be considered.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The FBI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for this vacancy. Unless explicitly authorized by law, selection will be made without regard to, and there will be no discrimination because of, color, race, religion, national origin, marital status, parental status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, age (40 or over), sex, pregnancy and related conditions, or on the basis of personal favoritism, or any other non-merit factors.

Benefits

The Bureau matches your dedication with a commitment to professional growth, a supportive work environment, and a robust benefits package that prioritizes you. As a member of our team, you’ll enjoy comprehensive health and life insurance benefits, paid vacation, sick leave, and federal holidays. For more details about benefits available to all federal employees, visit the Office of Personnel Management’s website.

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