Ombudsman NF-05

This position serves as the Ombudsman for Stars and Stripes Central, and is located in Washington, DC. To better expedite the hiring process, we recommend including full contact information (name, address, phone number, email, etc.) for professional and personal references on your resume. Incentives and Bonuses Incentives will not be paid.

Major duties
Protects the Stars and Stripes’ First Amendment rights and its ability and obligation to provide a free flow of news and information to the DoD military community.
Reports to the Publisher, Executive Editor and Director of the DMA allegations of censorship or complaints of news management or of unequal treatment by DoD officials.
Monitors news coverage for fairness, accuracy, timeliness and balance, investigates allegations of violations of these standards and assertions of censorship or inappropriate news management and recommends corrective actions.
Writes special columns, blogs, etc. for publication by Stars and Stripes regarding readers concerns about Stripes journalism, editorial integrity, editorial journalism operations, the news organization s mission and general journalistic issues.
International travel is required. Complies with EEO, JER and MCP programs.

Qualifications
Resumes must be two pages (or less). Resumes should clearly demonstrate the applicant's relevant experience, skills, knowledge and abilities as they pertain to this position. A qualified candidate must possess the following: 1. Extensive experience as a journalist; over 10 years' experience as a senior editorial leader. 2. Ability to work credibly, fairly, and impartially with all parties in the news process-editors, writers, subjects of coverage, and readers. 3. Demonstrated ability to evaluate opposing viewpoints. 4. Knowledge and abilities acquired through the performance of duties of the caliber described above. 5. One year equivalent to at least next lower grade level. 6. Excellent communication (written and verbal) and presentation skills. Preferred Qualifications: 1. Knowledge of the DoD and the military services, including the Combatant Commands' organization and operations. 2. Recognition as a distinguished journalist as evidenced by receipt of awards or serving as an officer of a nationally accredited journalistic society for editors or journalists or senior executive in a media organization. 3. Familiar with changing news consumption practices and news ecology related to digital content and social media influences. 4. Familiar with U.S. Congress committees and processes.

How to apply
You may submit your application package using one of the two methods identified below: 1. Electronically (preferred) at https://www.usajobs.gov/ and search for Announcement number O1NAFHT-26-13090080. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 11/09/2026 to receive consideration. Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to include in your application. Reminder: Federal agencies are required to limit resumes to two (2) pages or less. Please review the Required Documents section of this announcement for more details. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account and designate the document type when submitting your application. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that the application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Click this link to preview the application:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13090080. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found at https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us. To verify of check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account. Once logged in, the Welcome screen lists your applications, your application status, and the date it was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. 2. Manually: Please refer to the "Additional Information" section of this announcement for instructions on how to request a paper application.