Videos

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

The Strategic Communications and Customer Experience Officer for the Board of Veterans' Appeals will serve as a key member of a team of dynamic professionals in a fast-paced environment and is responsible for developing strategic communication plans and products that drive engagement across a diverse stakeholder community. The employee advises, recommends, develops, and delivers key messaging and executes comprehensive plans to engage a variety of public and private sector stakeholders. The Officer provides the Chairman of the Board, and other senior executives, with assistance in writing and developing materials that ensure coordination internal and external to the organization.

• Advising management on the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and functions associated with strategic communications and engagement;
• Coordinates internal and external communications to employees, stakeholders, Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors;
• Conducting outreach and providing navigational support and networking among customers and stakeholder groups;
• Creating agendas to connect stakeholders and resources across the country to allow for the objective assessment of program initiatives;
• Collaborating with stakeholders to facilitate the exchange of information and perspectives between the Veteran community and the VA on a local and national level to share information on access to care, benefits, and services;
• Developing and executing a comprehensive customer service program that provides Veterans with a high-quality, individualized experience;
• Executing a cross-functional, matrixed communication and engagement strategy, maintaining robust and productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders;
• Collaborating with Board leadership and consulting with other VA offices to identify and articulate controlling themes for communications, messaging, and engagement;
• Synchronizing Board communications with VA public affairs and media relations and developing strategic communications, a communication plan, and engagement strategy that aligns with VA policy and guidance;
• Coordinating Board communications, public affairs, and media relations outreach with private and public stakeholders, business interests, and congressional liaisons;
• Facilitating, managing, drafting, and tracking press releases, presentations, meetings, events, and social media;
• Preparing the Chairman for all strategic and key leader media engagements;
• Representing the Board in dealings with programs that support Veterans and improving access to information for Veteran services;
• Performing outreach activities to provide information on VA services and benefits, local events/activities, etc.;
• Developing and implementing initiatives that improve the Veteran and employee experience;
• Maintaining strong working relationships with community stakeholders, some of whom have opposing points of view and conflicting interests;
• Facilitating the collection and analysis of survey data and advising Board leadership on how best to improve the appeals process in response to feedback;
• Examining survey data to identify trends and other insights related to appeals;
• Ensuring improvements are responsive to Veteran comments and needs;
• Performing related duties as required.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized.
Telework: 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.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

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

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS GS-14: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in Federal service. Specialized experience includes: providing persuasive presentations of ideas and clear exchange of information; organizing and analyzing data to locate areas that require immediate improvement; developing written communications, such as press releases, presentations, and social media content, that convey complex information in a clear and concise manner; coordinating communications, public affairs, media relations, outreach, and events with public, private, and stakeholders; preparing draft responses to inquiries and reviewing accuracy information for release; and advising organizational leadership on all matters related to public policy/affairs, and community, local, or Federal legislative bodies. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Communication
• Project Management
• Stakeholder Management

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.

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; religious; 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.

Physical Requirements: The work of this position is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Occasionally, visits to VA headquarters, which may involve extensive walking and/or use of local transportation/shuttle vans may be required. No special physical demands are required. Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. Occasional travel may be required.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.