Public Affairs Specialist

Overview The public affairs program markets South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) mission, services, and activities to the potential Veteran patients, their families, staff, volunteers, members of the media, and local, state, and federal elected officials and community groups. The Public Affairs Specialist is assigned to the Office of Public Affairs reporting to the Chief, Public Affairs. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/24/2026. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS‑12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑11. 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. 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 as described below. Specialized Experience Managing high‑visibility public affairs operations for a large, complex healthcare or government organization, including independently developing and executing communication plans, media strategies, and stakeholder engagement efforts. Serving as an organizational spokesperson or Public Information Officer, providing rapid, accurate, and coordinated responses during crises, emergent events, or sensitive issues, and advising senior leadership on communication risks and messaging. Producing a wide range of communication products, news releases, feature stories, talking points, speeches, newsletters, and digital content with demonstrated ability to translate complex healthcare, research, or policy information for diverse audiences. Leading digital communication efforts, including managing official social media platforms, web content systems (e.g., Drupal, TeamSite), digital campaigns, and analytics to increase engagement and ensure timely, accurate, and compliant information delivery. Planning and coordinating high‑profile events, Very Important Person (VIP) visits, congressional engagements, and public forums, including logistics, protocol, briefing materials, and cross‑departmental coordination with executive leadership. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at #J-18808-Ljbffr PVH (Tommy Hilfiger/Calvin Klein)