This Visual Information Specialist is a member of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Public Affairs Office, under the supervision of the Public and Community Relations Assistant Manager. Responsible for all aspects of computerized graphic design and illustration in support of the VA Medical Center.

Duties

Responsible for all aspects of computerized graphic design and illustration in support of the VA. Provides design, layout and production for a wide variety of projects (fliers, posters, brochures, etc.) using layout skills, text, photos, graphics and illustrations. Scans or extracts digital images from various sources and prepares them for both print and Web publication. Tasks include: drawing, editing, color correction, scaling and enhancing images digitally and converting them to specific formats, Converts completed images to formats specific to the print and Web software used by editors and Webmasters. Takes guidance from graphic illustrations and recommend the best approach to complete task. Recommendations are considered expert and normally accepted with little variance. Illustrations require use of all commonly accepted artists media and requires research of a particular subject matter field and consultations with subject matter experts to fit intended purpose. Independently decide on format, presentation, standard or unique approaches and color treatment. Prepares preliminary and final layouts in form of sketches and final products for a variety of visual projects for public information, educational and operational purposes. Maintains a logical filing system of all files. Provides expert assistance to staff in preparation of conferences, seminars, briefings, curriculum, and publication materials, and/or any additional materials required to include suggesting layouts and appropriate illustrations/charts, providing guidance on font selection and assisting in color design. Follow national and local design guidelines and templates. Knowledge of or able to learn production techniques and equipment to produce final products. This position involves a high degree of coordination with leadership. program mangers, print vendors and staff. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: 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. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Visual Information Specialist/PD033380 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required TEMPORARY PROMOTION UP TO 120 DAYS. HAS POTENTIAL TO BE NON-COMPETITIVELY MADE PERMANENT, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE SELECTING OFFICIAL. (REFERENCE: VA HANDBOOK 5005/2 PART III CHAPTER 3). Has your manager approved this detail? Please submit documentation of approval as an attachment.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/10/2023. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying specialized experience includes: experience in the actual type of work for which application is made. Unpaid experience is creditable, provided the work done was of a quality level and demonstrated the ability required for the position. This includes planning the preparation and use of photographs, illustrations, drawings, and other art work, charts, diagrams, maps, slides, overlays and other kinds of visual material for use in communicating information through visual means. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: coordinate, plan, maintain, promote, design and produce computer-designed print and electronic visual information materials and photographically enhanced media, prepare arrangement or layout for graphic design projects, execute illustrations that involve themes or subjects, transform descriptions of items, monitor submissions to ensure grammatical and structural correctness as well as compliance with policies and procedures. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must Possess a Graduate Degree with a major study - commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, visual communication, or other fields related to the position. Some positions may also require subject matter knowledge of medicine, science or technical equipment. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical ReasoningCommunicationManages and Organizes InformationMultimedia Technologies 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 work required some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing, recurring lifting of moderately heavy items, or pushing carts of supplies. This work is typical of work involving personal production of installation of exhibits, illustration work "on location" or on-site inspection or supervision of one or more phases of the production of a visual product. Incumbent is also required to carry moderately heavy items such as file boxes and push carts of supplies. 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

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: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Pittsburgh VA Medical Center 1010 Delafield Road Pittsburgh, PA 15215 US
• Name: Christene Ammoscato
• Phone: (570) 824-3521 X24536
• Email: [email protected]