The Public Affairs Specialist (Writer/Editor) position is located in the Office of Veterans Access to Care, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), VA Central Office. The incumbent is to plan, direct and execute national campaigns to convey complex information concerning Agency programs, research on program-related areas, responsibilities, and activities. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Planning, organizing and directing an agency nation-wide strategic communications program in support of high-level projects, programs and strategies. Such programs use a variety of communications techniques and methods, including print and electronic media to convey the agency mission and vision. Activities and programs include media relations, agency information, and community relations services for the agency.
• Developing master level messages and themes and rationale as they relate overall to the mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs and recommending participation in specific forums for release of information and preparing speeches, briefings and testimony for the same.
• Ensuring the Strategic Communications Plan is in concert with the DVA Vision and all applicable DVA guidelines and policies.
• Responding to media and Congressional queries, to include issues of a sensitive nature or which may be subject to misunderstanding if not properly explained, or which may draw adverse public attention.
• Providing expert advice to executive Agency-level personnel on DVA messages and themes.
• Designing methods and processes to codify the public affairs education process to ensure high-level leaders maintain currency with agency, themes and messages.
• Providing input on the relevance of the DVA Vision and makes specific recommendations on information or process improvements.
• Performing highly complex research functions to research issues, histories and trends and all other pertinent data to establish a planning baseline for the Strategic Communications Plan.
• Researching highly complex issues pertinent to the agency leadership and recommending advanced research strategies for issues that require a deeper scope of analysis than is readily available.
• Assessing the specific requirements of sensitive issues and personally interfaces with high ranking officials within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Preparing, reviewing or coordinating speeches, presentations, and written and electronic information materials for general and targets audiences.
• Keeping high level agency officials informed on matters of public affairs interest and advises as to possible courses of action; informing the civilian workforce and retiree community of events, conditions, and policies that affect them.

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.
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required,
• Subject to a background/security investigation.

Physical Requirements: Work is usually performed sitting at a desk, in news conferences, briefings, meetings, etc.; or riding in an automobile or public transportation. There may be occasional brief visits to field sites; however, no special physical demands are involved in performing the work.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/07/2017.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current, permanent 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.
Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement and current employees applying under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA).

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Integrating diverse points of view in a communication plan in establishing and maintaining mutual understanding with various agency publics; planning, designing, executing and evaluating an overall program in terms of results achieved and objectives met while independently determining the methods and approaches to be used; interpreting and adapting existing precedents and using them as a foundation for developing new approaches that coordinate and integrate various aspects of the agency's mission in creating a unified public affairs strategy or plan; developing and interpreting guidelines in the public affairs area; developing new methods, strategies and communication plans covering a complete spectrum of Agency programs; presenting information on a wide variety of subjects using the full array of written and oral presentation formats and techniques.

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.

A full year of work is 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited based on time 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience.

After you have met the minimum qualifications and been referred you will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position:

• Communications and Media - Mastery of communication principles, methods, practices and techniques; analytical methods; and interpersonal relations practices. Skill in applying such mastery in developing and applying new approaches to the most difficult and complex public affairs problems of an agency by developing or evaluating information programs enhancing understanding among publics opposed or indifferent to agency programs.
• Writing - Knowledge and skill sufficient for presenting ideas in written materials in new ways that will increase understanding among publics with varying levels of comprehension of agency programs and policies, or opposition or indifference to the agency's program objectives.
• Creative Thinking - Knowledge and skill sufficient for making on-the-spot presentations to audiences with opposing points of view or erroneous understanding of agency positions to achieve a more balanced perspective among these publics.
• Interpersonal Skills - Knowledge and skill sufficient for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with individuals having opposing points of view and conflicting interests and explaining a position while not criticizing other views or arousing damaging hostility.
• Problem Solving - Knowledge and skill sufficient for analyzing conflicting data and summarizing recommendations or program changes giving consideration to various points of view and specifying the reasons for acceptance or rejection of the input.