Summary

Are you interested in a rewarding and challenging career? Join the Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), where professionals strengthen the integrity and effectiveness of SBA programs. Through audits, investigations, and oversight, our team promotes accountability, transparency, and mission success while fostering a collaborative environment committed to serving small businesses and the American public.

Duties

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This position will serve as a Communications Specialist and, as such will:

• Leads the development and execution of agency-wide strategic communications initiatives that support organizational priorities, executive leadership objectives, audits, investigations, outreach, and public awareness programs.
• Conducts digital communications and content strategy by overseeing websites, social media, multimedia products, publications, branding, and emerging technologies to improve stakeholder engagement and organizational effectiveness.
• Serves as a senior communications advisor to executive leadership by developing speeches, briefings, testimony, leadership messaging, strategic correspondence, and other high visibility communication products for internal and external audiences.
• Conducts complex research, analysis, and stakeholder engagement to assess communication trends, public perception, organizational priorities, and emerging issues, providing recommendations that inform executive decision-making and strategic planning.
• Leads cross-functional projects and public affairs initiatives by coordinating with internal and external stakeholders, managing high-visibility communications, supporting media relations, improving business processing, and implementing strategic organizational initiatives.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen
• You must successfully complete a background investigation.
• You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities, as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE STATEMENT:

GS-14: One year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal government) performing duties such as: leading the development and implementation of strategic communications plans and initiatives that support organizational priorities and executive leadership objectives; serving as a senior communications advisor by preparing executive-level speeches, briefings, testimony, talking points, strategic correspondence, and other high-visibility communications; directing digital communications programs, including websites, social media, multimedia, publications, and other digital platforms to improve stakeholder engagement and organizational effectiveness; conducting complex research, analysis, and evaluation of communication strategies, stakeholder needs, public perception, and emerging issues to provide recommendations that influence executive decision-making; leading cross-functional projects involving communications, public affairs, organizational initiatives, or special projects while coordinating with senior leaders and internal and external stakeholders; and developing and implementing communication policies, standards, governance, performance measures, or program improvements to enhance organizational effectiveness.

Experience refers to 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

TIME-IN-GRADE: If you are a current career or career-conditional federal employee applying for promotion under Merit Promotion you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks in positions at the next level lower than the position being filled.

All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 08/11/2026.

Education

Education may not be substituted for experience for this position.

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments

Career and InterAgency Career Transition Assistance Programs: Are programs that applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job in their current agency (intra-agency, i.e. SBA employees only).

Inter-Agency Career Transition Assistance (ICTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job at another agency (inter-agency; i.e. not applying to their current or former agency).

You are eligible for CTAP/ICTAP if:

1. You are a current federal employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee meaning you have received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF).

2. Your agency, or the agency to which you are applying, is accepting applications from within or outside of the permanent workforce.

3. The position to which you are applying MUST BE in the Local Commuting Area of the position of record from which you are being displaced.

4. You meet the qualifications and other requirements of the job for which you are applying. This includes being rated as well-qualified for the position (score of 85 or better based on your responses to the competencies and associated questions listed within the assessment)..

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.