A developmental position, located in the Office of the Director, George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, composes a career ladder structure to the full performance level of Public Affairs Specialist, GS-671-11. Primary purpose is to plan and implement a public affairs program of a major medical facility and surrounding clinics in large catchment area. Work to include focus on Public Affairs Specialist duties related to the CERCLA, similar to duties of full performance level.

Duties

Major Duties include but are not limited to: *GS-9 serves in developmental capacity; key functions will be similar those described below (full performance level of target position) Coordinating the development and implementation of communications strategies, policies, and plans integrated within existing communication campaigns supporting our mission to better serve Veterans Coordinating new content placement and publishing Experimenting with ways to use communication approaches to position the VA as a strong community partner Tracking, measuring and analyzing web performance goals Coordinating with stakeholders to identify requirement for new web content development Identifying key social media sources Developing a set of best practices and devise recommended rules of engagement for the use of web, media, social media; documenting the process based on the results that are achieved Monitoring activity and making recommendations based on strategy and trends Using technical expertise to develop and integrate social media platforms into Web application frameworks Working with other internal groups to ensure media activities are consistent with internal procedures while supporting their efforts Responsible for web content (internal and external), postings, revisions and additions to the site Reevaluating and reorganizing how the website, looks, reads, and operates; creating a public affairs media kit for external internet page Responsible for creating a listserv and email groups Ensuring the VA's website is relevant and engaging through the use of pictures, video, and sound Knowledge of 508 compliance and closed captioning Preparing responses to inquiries from interested groups and the general public concerning policies and activities of the medical facility public involvement program Writing news releases and articles regarding the medical facility mission, functions, programs, and policies to print and broadcast media representatives Organizing and coordinating print and broadcast media interviews with staff members Making arrangements with the media involving medical facility activities Special event planning and coordination Assisting with weekly bulletin and quarterly patient newsletter Organizing outreach materials/displays and bulletin boards Communicating internally through email messages and phone calls Serving as backup to Public Affairs Supervisor in their absence Primary point of contact for the communications plan associated with the EPA Superfund CERCLA project; Coordinating with CERCLA Remedial Program Manager ensuring outreach and media activities are consistent with internal procedures while supporting efforts in implementing 700S 1600E PCE Plume Community Involvement Plan Solely responsible for developing strategic internal and external messaging protocols and implementation Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: 7:30a-4:00p, Monday-Friday 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. Position Description/PD#: Public Affairs Specialist/PD117880 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/23/2023. 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 9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS 7 and GS 9 for 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: GS-9: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS 7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Utilizing various office automation software programs to prepare news releases; informing the public about current programs through multiple media outlets; communicating information with knowledge of current agency regulations and policies; printing material to be widely distributed. I have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B or J.D., if related; OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the graduate level. GS-11: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Coordinating organizational events for completing purpose of mission; establishing working relationships with local media with special interest representatives concerned with local agency within the geographic area; conducting tours and other related tasks for special visitors and dignitaries; planning and participating in press releases/news conferences; written communication skills and techniques including the ability to write effective, clear, and concise user instructions, policy memoranda, reports, and project documentation. Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Combination: Applicants may also combine specialized experience and education to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the graduate level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationsCreative ThinkingCustomer ServiceInterpersonal SkillsWriting 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 is generally sedentary and does not require unusual physical effort. Occasional requirements will include walking for 0-60 minutes in community settings; standing during presentations/briefings; visiting CERCLA investigative sites similar to a construction site. 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 VA SALT LAKE CITY HCS 500 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84148 US
• Name: Victoria Becoat
• Phone: 970-263-5042
• Email: [email protected]