PowerPoint, Mail, And Technical Journals; What Federal Writer-Editors Editors Do, Part 2.

The Federal government would grind to a halt without the services of writers and editors.

Think about it.  Who would draft regulations for publication in the Federal Register?  How would state and local governments, businesses, industry and the general public learn about the results of Federal research and activities of the bureaucracy?  And what about the thousands and thousands of letters and emails Federal agencies receive each day?

As noted in a previous post, the Federal government has separate career series for writer-editors and technical writer-editors.  This post examines recent vacancy announcements, describes the duties performed and the skills required.

We reviewed three jobs posted on www.usajobs.com:

• A PowerPoint jockey for the Department of Health and Human Service’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in Rockville, MD;
• A correspondence manager for the Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Washington, DC; and,
•  A technical writer for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, also in Washington, DC.

 Let's get started.

Communicating Substance Abuse Research Through PowerPoint

PowerPoint has a bad reputation.  Used properly, PowerPoint slides illustrate key concepts and enhances a speaker's comments  HHS’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is looking for a writer-editor with extensive experience in PowerPoint.

CSAT works with states and community-based groups to improve and expand existing substance abuse treatment services under the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program.  Its initiatives and programs are based on research findings and the general consensus of experts in the addiction field.

To communicate CSAT’s research findings and program activities, the Center relies heavily on PowerPoint presentations.  CSAT is hiring a writer-editor to analyze research and program activities and develop PowerPoint presentations, speeches and briefings for use in communicating within HHS and the public health care community.  The writer-editor will also edit and approve program reports, project summaries, monographs, and other print products.

Skills needed for the position include:

·         Experience reviewing, analyzing, and abstracting health data from reports, surveys, and other sources;

·         The ability to work with senior management, subject matter experts, representatives of external organizations, and others regarding the nature and content of public presentations; and

·         Experience in using advanced PowerPoint techniques to prepare discussion points, graphs, charts, trend lines, and other presentation materials.

The salary for the GS-13 position ranges from $89,033 to $115,742.

Responding To Congress and the Public

Someone’s got to answer the mail at government agencies.  And when the subject is immigration, you can be sure that there will be a lot of mail.  Correspondence management at Federal agencies is handled by executive secretariats, or “Exec Sec.”  Every letter or communication addressed to the agency or its top leadership – from citizen complaints to Congressional inquires – is logged in and farmed out for response.  Draft responses must be approved by the responding office, and usually the attorneys, before it is sent back to the front office for final review and signature.

ICE is hiring a writer-editor in its Executive Secretariat, who “will be responsible for providing professional, timely, and accurate responses to public, governmental, and congressional correspondence.”  

The writer-editor will conduct research and interviews within ICE to develop responses and coordinate approvals with all relevant offices.  This position is being advertised at three grades, GS-9, GS-11 and GS-12, depending on the level of responsibility given and supervision provided.  See my previous posting for details on how pay scales for writer-editors are developed.

A GS-9 writer-editor will be responsible for drafting responses for review by managers before the documents are circulated for clearance.  The salary range for a GS-9 is $51,630 to $67,114.

If hired as a GS-11, the writer-editor would independently research and prepare official responses to congressional and other official inquiries for signature by ICE leadership.  He/she would also coordinate and developing information between various resources in order to respond to congressional questions for the record, or detailed information regarding organizational responsibilities, practices, and procedures.  Salary range for a GS-11 is $62,467 to $81,204.

A GS-12 writer-editor in ICE’s Exec Sec is the office’s editorial guru.  In addition his/her other duties, a GS-12 would proofread outgoing correspondence, reviewing for spelling, grammar and style; and advise other offices on developing written products such as guidelines, regulations and policies.  Salary range for a GS 12 is $74,872 to $97,333.

Writing And Editing Technical Journals

Federal agencies issue reams of reports and journals.  The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, state and local governments, business and labor.

 The BLS publishes numerous products, including the Monthly Labor Review, a monthly journal providing the latest analysis, and research on employment, inflation, wages, compensation, productivity, staffing patterns in various occupational and industrial settings. 

The BLS is hiring a technical editor to work in the BLS’s publications office, editing articles, reports, booklets, periodicals, chart books, and brochures for print or electronic publication. He/she will also evaluate submissions to the Monthly Labor Review.  Other duties will include reviewing manuscripts, creating and editing charts and tables, and making the written product more reader-friendly.

Interpersonal skills are among the desired attributes of the writer editor.  The BLS is looking for an editor used to collaborating with others, being able to persuade and negotiate, and communicate orally through briefings, presentations and speeches.

The position is being advertised as a GS-9.

 A future post will discuss the value placed by Federal agencies on oral communications and other interpersonal skills.