Clarification from the agency

First consideration will be given to SAVAHCS employees and CTAP, ICTAP, and RPL employees.. Second consideration will be given to VISN 22 employees only.

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Major duties include:

• Serves as the expert consultant to management for the development of communication plans and implementation strategies that broaden the reach and deepen the impact of the services provided by SAVAHCS.
• Advises senior leadership on potential public reactions to complex and controversial programs, policies, and plans, devising strategic stakeholder communications to maximize transparency and mitigate risk to the organization.
• Develops and executes a communication plan with consistent messaging to Veterans, employees, and the public, establishing both short and long-term goals and objectives.
• Creates and develops support materials for communication campaigns.
• Identifies emerging issues to capitalize on opportunities and minimize negative response which may impact program management.
• Serves as the staff advisor on all public affairs matters and exercises staff responsibility over those functions and activities.
• Makes recommendations regarding actions and relationships with other federal and state agencies, special interest groups, individuals and various media.
• Manages the public affairs program, with responsibility for planning, designing and executing all program activities to inform and education the general and specialized public groups regarding National, Network and facility programs, activities, issues and services.
• Functions as a subject matter leader and adviser in public affairs, communications, and marketing/branding to all facility leaders.
• Serves as Congressional liaison for SAVAHCS.
• Participates in network workgroup/committee, comprised of facility PAO and other stakeholders, sharing best practices, responding to emergent issues, and participating in strategic planning activities.
• Plans, directs, and executes campaigns to convey complex information concerning the VA's programs, program related activities, responsibilities, and action.
• Develops communications strategies in a wide variety of media to inform and educate employees, visitors, citizens, elected officials, educational institutions, media, interest groups, promoting a message of mutual understanding and minimizing adverse reactions for VA policies, programs and decisions.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with members of the media, Congressional and legislative representatives, Veteran Service Organizations and other specialized groups interested in the organization's programs and field offices.
• Keeps stakeholders informed of VA activity; maintains knowledge of sensitive issues likely to cause reactions if appropriate groups are not notified in a timely and transparent fashion.
• Coordinates news conferences, special media events, press releases, and facilitates feature stories as appropriate.
• Responds to requests for information from the news media, elected officials, special interest groups and the general public, providing detailed responses and explanations of negative comments, answering questions regarding negative publicity and potentially controversial activities or performance issues in written or oral form.
• Represents the VA in numerous publics and private forums and events, including but not limited to federal, state, and local government agencies; private organizations; educational institutions; and other entities.
• Works with nationally elected officials, international groups, dignitaries, media organizations, and constituency groups that may or may not view the VA or SAVAHCS in a positive manner.
• Establishes regular communication schedules with Congressional staff and replies to all requests for information to the Network in an expeditious, professional and courteous manner.
• Oversees the SAVAHCS Outreach Program, identifying underserved areas throughout southern Arizona to increase visibility and market penetration.
• Serves as a purchase card approving official and ensures that cardholders comply with Federal and VA Acquisition Regulation and policies as well as local procedures, including but not limited to the following: socioeconomic goals, mandatory sources, Central Contractor Registration (CCR), Federal Procurement Data Systems(FPOS),Item Master File, Vendor File and Unauthorized Commitment and Delinquent Obligation.
• Monitors purchases to ensure that cardholders conduct daily purchase card reconciliation within the required timeframe and that reconciliations are correct.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist/PD13725O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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 or trial 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, 02/09/2026.

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-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 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.

Preferred experience: Veterans Health Administration Public Affairs, written communication editor.You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• 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. Specialized experience is experience in managing a public affairs program, coordinating effective communication activities, programs and policies across multiple organizations, public speaking, and serving as a consultant to management for the development of communication plans and implementation strategies. Examples include the following listed below.
• 1. Developing and executing effective verbal and written and communication to internal and external stakeholders through various modalities and outputs.
• 2. Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships and liaising with internal and external stakeholders.
• 3. Conducting workshops, seminars and training
• 4. Directing, developing, implementing, and overseeing the Public Affairs Program for media relations, public information, media campaigns, and outreach.
• 5. Monitoring and Identifying data and information and ensuring VHA mission is communicated in a timely and efficient manner
• 6. Executing of Emergency management planning and communication actions
• 7. Supervisory duties to include evaluating employee performance, holding staff accountability, leading people and business acumen. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Leadership Strategic Thinking Communications and Media Communication Emergency Management.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Analytical Reasoning
• Communications and Media
• Creative Thinking
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Performance Management

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: Work is generally sedentary but may require some walking, standing, bending, carrying/traveling with items such as books and portable laptop.

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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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.