Technical Writer-Editor

Summary This position is part of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ). You will design, develop, produce and maintain operational and policy manuals, job aids, training materials, and other scientific and technical communication. Responsibilities The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. The duties may include, but are not limited to: Identifies and develops technical, policy, scientific, and procedural manuals and associated content , to include determining information needs for a variety of audiences. Determines the adequacy of manuals and applications, and notes serious deficiencies such as incomplete coverage, illogical development of ideas and concepts, or inaccurate scientific information. Ensures the editorial quality, readability, and logical and appropriate presentation of manuals and associated content which are addressed to a wide variety of audiences. Reviews and ensures that content drafted by others for the Agency meets established standards; analyzes and evaluates identified errors or deficiencies in written PPQ and CBP communications. Assesses whether technical or scientific matters can be clearly understood; and determines whether findings support recommendations and overall program conclusions. Analyzes content, organization, and presentation, and when written content is unclear or requires extensive rewriting to meet program requirements, provides recommendations; tracks the progress. Instructs PPQ employees on the art of effective writing and editing and periodically reports to the appropriate supervisors on the extent of counseling and instructions required. Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Editing and proofreading scientific documents, written personally or by others, for clarity, accuracy, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and plain language to develop adequate, findable, and useable writing products that interpret and explain complex scientific information appropriate for the intended audience Designing, developing, and maintaining operational and policy manuals, job aids, training materials, digital content for information systems and other scientific and technical communication or developing and edit technical content for web-based audiences Developing complex or official rule making documents (Federal Register or equivalent documentation, public notices, proposed rules and final rules, policy/procedure documents, etc.), either as drafts, proposals, final versions or for public/stakeholder comment OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in the fields of Communications, Marketing, Public Administration, Organizational Management, Library Science, Advertising, Public Relations, Journalism, English or related field. OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education Please see above for education qualification requirement information. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected. Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection. Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.