Public Affairs Specialist

Summary The position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Central Virginia VA Health Care System (CVHCS), within the Assistant Director service line, at Fredericksburg VA Clinic. As the Public Affairs Specialist (PAS) for the Office of Strategic Communications, the PAS has the responsibility for the medical center's communications both internally and externally in conjunction with the Chief's directions. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Establishes and maintains proactive relationships with local, regional, and national media outlets, legislative offices, Veteran Service Organizations, and healthcare affiliates. Coordinates media promotional efforts for medical center programs and initiatives with various media outlets. Drafts and disseminates news releases, feature stories, fact sheets, and responses to media inquiries. Actively pitches and places stories with media outlets and manages social media and web content. Supports the Chief with communication efforts during controversial or high-level issues, including crisis and emergency situations. Serves as the alternate Public Information Officer under the Hospital Incident Command System during disasters and emergencies. Prepares and delivers timely risk/incident communications, coordinating with Incident Command and the Chief to ensure message accuracy and consistency. Provides leadership and direction for the Office of Strategic Communications program in alignment with the Chief's guidance. Advises the Chief on media campaigns and communication strategies to increase awareness of VA programs, services, events, technologies, and research. Builds integrated communication plans across internal and external channels, aligning messaging with organizational priorities and leadership guidance. Assesses program effectiveness, recommending improvements based on evaluated information from various sources and public affairs trends. Plans, develops, and produces print, visual, web-based, multimedia, and video materials tailored to diverse audiences, ensuring brand, accessibility, and policy compliance. Manages the content lifecycle, including drafting, editing, approvals, publication, and archiving. Plans and executes special events, such as ceremonies, research showcases, and Veteran outreach, including logistics, run-of-show, and stakeholder coordination. Coordinates high-profile visits with elected officials, VA leadership, and partners, managing security, media, and protocol considerations. Supports outreach to non-enrolled Veterans, partnering with Service Organizations and community groups to raise awareness and facilitate access to care. Develops budgets, writes statements of work (SOWs), and directs or coordinates supporting staff and contractors for various events and services. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00 am-4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Public Affairs Specialist/PD50171A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/09/2026. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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 and/or education as described below: 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: experience with written and oral material, such as; speeches, news releases, news and feature articles, intranet/internet social media skills, responses to inquiries that effectively convey information concerning programs and functions to any major organization; experience briefing news media representatives on organization's programs and activities and their impact on various public and private activities; experience effectively interacting and dealing with a variety of publics including news media representatives, Federal, State and Local government officials and the organization's program officials; experience gathering and interpreting data and making recommendations on public affairs strategies and policies, submitting reports and obligations in a timely manner, performing duties and responsibilities under limited supervision oversight. NOTE: Evidence of specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Please provide such documentation on resume. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED - If you do not submit a copy of your transcript, your application will not be processed). OR, Combination: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.) 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 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration