Job Description

Summary You will serve as the Public Affairs Specialist is located in Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 20, VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, Washington. The Public Affairs Specialist (PAS) assists the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) with ongoing communication for local and national media; Veterans service organizations; congressional staffs; community groups; professional organizations. Responsibilities You will work with the PAO, conducts the public affairs program for the enterprise with responsibility for developing and providing staff direction involving all public information, internal communications, congressional relations, VSO engagement, and community relations activities. You will represent the VAPSHCS Executive Director by participating at public, civic or social events to improve perception of the VAPSHCS as a valued part of the medical profession, government, and community. You will develop and ensure the continuation of outreach strategies and marketing campaign. You will conduct special studies involving communications, organization, and operation of Medical Center functions. You will develop reports along with recommendations to the VAPSHCS Executive Director and other members of the Executive Leadership Team including implementation and monitoring strategies. You will conduct studies often consist of controversial and critical observations, interpretations, and findings that are independently presented with the resultant recommendations. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00 am-4:30 pm Telework: Ad-hoc only authorized. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Public Affairs Specialist/PD415510 and PD41550O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. General restriction on movement after competitive appointment 5 CFR 330.502. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 12/12/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements within the 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-12 Minimum Qualifications: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performs communication principles and observations to address media and public information objectives; Advises and makes recommendations for a wide array of conflicting and divergent information to assist program officials in an effective Public Affairs program; Provides marketing expertise in planning, developing, executing communication plans to support leadership and programmatic goals; Conducts writing, editing and reviewing communication tools such as press releases, feature stories, scripts, briefings, talking points, official correspondence; Developing and disseminating information materials to the general public and to specialized key groups; Performs publishing and managing content for social media, website and other digital platforms; Interacts and maintains working relationships with officials from various civic, congressional, media, Veterans and community groups.. (RESUME MUST SUPPORT THE EXPERIENCE CLAIMED. WE CANNOT ASSUME EXPERIENCE, SO BE CLEAR AND THOROUGH IN DESCRIBING EXPERIENCE AND INCLUDE START/END DATES; HOURS WORKED PER WEEK)There is no educational substitution at this grade level. GS-11 Minimum Qualifications: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Utilizes guidelines to developing written communication material concerning a range of organization's public affairs program; Analyzing information program materials and making recommendations for improving the delivery of information; Performs planning and execution of program assignment for an efficient and effective Public affairs program. (RESUME MUST SUPPORT THE EXPERIENCE CLAIMED. WE CANNOT ASSUME EXPERIENCE, SO BE CLEAR AND THOROUGH IN DESCRIBING EXPERIENCE AND INCLUDE START/END DATES; HOURS WORKED PER WEEK). OR, Substitution of education for experience: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related to the position. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of successfully completed graduate level education beyond a master's or equivalent degree and specialized experience. (First two years of graduate study is not qualifying for GS-11.) (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Communications and Media Organizational Stewardship Written Communication 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary in part involving working at a computer terminal, conferring with others, and attending conferences and meetings. Considerable standing and walking through VAPSHCS, the campus grounds, and off-campus buildings are required. Driving or riding in a vehicle is also required on a routine basis to attend outside meetings and special events which may involve lengthy meetings, both during and after regularly scheduled workhours. Travel to other VA facilities may be required periodically for meetings and education For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Part time, Work experience placement, Local area, Relocation, Monday to Friday,

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