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Public Affairs Specialist

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
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This position is being filled under a stream-lined hiring authority, Title 21, Section 3072 of the 21st Century Cures Act. The candidate selected for this position will serve under a career or career-conditional appointment and be paid under the provisions of this authority. 

Additional information on 21st Century Cures Act can be found here: 

21st Century Cures Act Information 

Introduction 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the regulatory, scientific, public health and consumer protection agency responsible for ensuring all human and animal drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, foods, food additives, drugs and medicated feeds for food producing animals, tobacco and radiation emitting devices safe, and effective. 

 

The mission of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is to perform an essential public health task by making sure that safe and effective drugs are available to improve the health of people in the United States. CDER regulates over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including biological therapeutics and generic drugs. 

 

The Office of Communications (OCOMM) is a multi-faceted organization with responsibility for the overall communication efforts within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). The Office has a variety of responsibilities including advising Center leadership on communications strategies and providing leadership and direction for all Center internal/external communications. 

 

The Division of Health Communication (DHC) is a multi-faceted organization with responsibility for a full-spectrum messaging and outreach efforts within the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDER). The division has a variety of responsibilities including informing and educating CDER offices and programs about topics affecting their work, developing, and implementing appropriate messaging to external audiences (industry, health care professionals, media, patients, and consumers). DHC collaborates with all stakeholders on how to strategically communicate our messaging to obtain the most beneficial effect while managing the center’s relationships with trade press. DHC’s Trade Press Team works directly with reporters to answer questions on behalf of the center regarding FDA activities for specialized audiences, such as health care professionals, industry, or the science community.  

 

Duties/Responsibilities 

As a Public Affairs Specialist, the incumbent in the Division of Health Communication within the Office of Communication (OCOMM) is responsible for the coordination of trade press media relations activities for assigned “beat” areas of issue specialization that is reported in industry Trade publications. These media relation activities are instrumental in providing communications counsel and technical writing support to the CDER super offices.  

Band B: 

  • Assist with arranging press conferences, media briefings, media availabilities, interviews and other news events.
  • Develop and cultivate strong working relationships with all CDER offices and employees in order to collaborate on the development of communication materials.
  • Provide media relations advice to CDER staff and leadership about newsworthy and controversial issues involving CDER’s work and regulated products.
  • Facilitate media interviews with subject matter experts and assist in providing guidance to interview subjects on advisable conduct during media contacts.
  • Develop and maintain effective working relationships with the trade press and other external stakeholders and provide timely and accurate information.
  • Respond to questions and/or criticism from members of the trade press with supervisor input only when necessary or on a high-profile topic.
  • Work with CDER super offices, senior officials and the DHC Strategic Communication Team to develop clear, concise key message and reactive Q&A (Questions and Answers) and other communication documents.
  • Consult with photographers, illustrators, and audio-visual personnel to use photographs, illustrations, animation, video and/or sound files to help explain scientific concepts covered in written material.
  • Use new media/social networking tools and platforms to communicate to lay audiences about FDA programs, actions and accomplishments.
  • Serve as the point of contact for news media at advisory committee meetings, workshops, Congressional hearings or other meetings as required.
  • Conduct media training for CDER staff to improve subject matter expert interaction with reporters.
  • Monitor trade press publications and distribute relevant articles to CDER staff.

 

Band C: 

  • Arrange press conferences, media briefings, media availabilities, interviews and other news events.
  • Independently develop and cultivate strong working relationships with all CDER offices and employees in order to collaborate on the development of communication materials.
  • Provide media relations advice to CDER staff and leadership about newsworthy and controversial issues involving CDER’s  work and regulated products.
  • Facilitate media interviews with subject matter experts and provide guidance to interview subjects on advisable conduct during media contacts with minimal supervisor input.
  • Initiate, develop and maintain effective working relationships with the trade press and other external stakeholders and provide timely and accurate information.
  • Respond to questions and/or criticism from members of the trade press, with supervisor input when necessary, or on a high-profile topic.
  • Work independently, when appropriate, with CDER super offices, senior officials and the DHC Strategic Communication Team to develop clear, concise key message and reactive Q&A (Questions and Answers) and other communication documents.
  • Consult with photographers, illustrators, and audio-visual personnel to use photographs, illustrations, animation, video and/or sound files to help explain scientific concepts covered in written material.
  • Use new media/social networking tools and platforms to communicate to lay audiences about FDA programs, actions and accomplishments.
  • Serve as the point of contact for news media at advisory committee meetings, workshops, Congressional hearings or other meetings as required.
  • Conduct media training for CDER staff to improve subject matter expert interaction with reporters.
  • Monitor trade press publications and distribute relevant articles to CDER staff.
  • Coordinate internal trade press team processes including maintaining and organizing a shared inbox.
  • Update and maintain the Trade Press Standing Operating Procedure.
  • Maintain and update the internal CDER subject matter expert list.
  • Maintain an understanding of the trade publications the DHC subscribes to and coordinate for renewals at the appropriate times
  • Coordinate trade press team coverage throughout the day to be responsive to incoming media inquiries

 

Supervisory responsibilities: N/A 

 

How to Apply 

Submit resume or curriculum vitae with cover letter by November 8, 2024, to: CDER-OCOMM-AMT@FDA.HHS.GOV   On the subject line, please reference “Public Affairs Specialist-Band B”. Candidate resumes may be shared with hiring officials within CDER with a similar job vacancy. Candidates can opt out of this process by annotating resume with “do not share”.  

How I Will Be Evaluated 

Candidates may be evaluated based on an interview, review of requested work samples, writing samples, most recent performance evaluation(s), professional references, results of an oral presentation or work-related test. Failure to comply with any of the additional assessment requirements will result in removal from further consideration. 

Announcement Contact 

For questions regarding this Cures position, please contact CDER-OCOMM-AMT@FDA.HHS.GOV  

 

The Department of Health and Human Services is an equal opportunity employer with a smoke free environment. 

 

FDA is an equal opportunity employer.