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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

This position is located within the Veteran Affairs (VA) Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) within the Office of Communications and Community Development. The position serves as the Congressional Liaison at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and reports to the Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist. The incumbent serves as the central reception, dissemination, coordination, and monitor point for all correspondence and tasks from internal and external stakeholders.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/23/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 23, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$99,800 - $129,742 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CBSU-12977942-26-MD
Control number
873379300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Federal employees (serving on a career/career-conditional appointment or covered under OPM's Interchange Agreement); Reinstatement/Transfer Eligibles, 30% Disabled Vets, VRAs, Severely Handicapped; Preference eligible veterans or veterans separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three or more years of continuous active service.

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Duties

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Major duties include but are not limited to: The Public Affairs Specialist maintains proactive contacts with media outlets, legislative offices, veteran service organizations and health care affiliates. Actively pitches and places stories with local and national media outlets. Advises senior level management on development of media campaigns, communication plans, and strategies, as appropriate. Plans web-based, multimedia and video materials to convey information about VA to a variety of stakeholders.

  • Develops and maintains cooperative and harmonious relationships with groups, organizations and other health care providers in the local community, and at the state, and national level as indicated; fosters positive relations with the media.
  • ensures that issues raised by customers and/or representatives are adequately addressed; actively promotes productive relation with, and recognizes the contributions of other service organizations.
  • Participates in top management discussions, decisions, and policymaking and provides program direction to other executives, managers, and personnel.
  • The incumbent collaborates with various national, regional, state, and community partners in the development of joint procedures, systems, business analyses and initiatives.
  • The incumbent represents the ECHCS at community functions and on committees, providing
    strategic guidance and coordination of strategic initiatives between VA and various partners.
  • Provides information and expertise to ensure compliance with applicable directives, regulations, codes, and policies; assures and enforces compliance with policies and requirements concerning release, copyright of program material, distribution of library materials, and technical standards covering production and presentation activities.

Work Schedule: Monday -Friday - 8:00am -4:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad Hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Public Affairs Specialist/PD136710
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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 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 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, 06/23/2026.

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 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 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 11 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 where you were responsible for applying advanced communication and analytical practices, methods and techniques to the solution of complex public affairs problems; planning, developing, and producing a variety of materials and publications (including print, visual, Web-based, multimedia, and video materials) to achieve understanding of various points of view or concepts; advising leadership on the development of communication plans and strategies; establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with local media representatives and community groups; and coordinating and implementing special events, ceremonies, outreach campaigns, tours, and other activities to generate public awareness of organization's mission.
Preferred Experience:
  • Experience Working w/ High Level Elected Officials
  • Experience advocating for Patients/Veterans
  • Worked across/with multiple service lines
  • Ability to manage multiple projects at once
  • Experience working with and briefing executive leaders
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Critical Thinking
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Support
  • Education and Training
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Veteran and Customer Focus


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: The incumbent's work is generally carried out in an office setting with occasional travel as needed to attend public events. Occasionally, the incumbent may be required to travel to VAMC outpatient clinics, VISN 19 Network Office, and other VISN 19 and VHA facilities. The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required, such as walking through the entire facility or carrying folders or manuals up to 5 pounds.

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/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.


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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

Interested in a career that offers a balance of work and family life? Look no further! The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) offers a balance of professional and clinical complexity that stimulates growth yet also allows the professional an opportunity to enjoy life outside of work. If you are interested in a career that offers an integrated patient-centered approach while providing compassionate and state of the art care to Veterans, we welcome you to apply. By serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans, we fulfill President Lincoln's promise, "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan. " The new, state of the art campus is in Aurora, CO, just east of Denver. The city's central location makes it ideal for accessing the surrounding mountain ranges for outdoor activities or enjoying the rich art and cultural diversity of the area. Denver Metro offers a perfect mix of social activity, modern businesses, and family life making it an ideal location to start a career, raise a family, or ease into retirement. ECHCS offers a teaching hospital with state-of-the-art technology, education, and research, making it an ideal career choice for many clinical and administrative professionals. The facility has numerous specialized programs in addition to the comprehensive health care provided to our Veterans

Agency contact information

VISN 19 HR Contact Center
Phone
719-227-4600
Email
V19USAJOBS@VA.GOV
Address
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
1700 N Wheeling St
Aurora, CO 80045
US

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