The Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist serves as the VISN 16 Chief Communications Officer for the South Central VA Health Care Network (SCVAHCN) in Ridgeland, MS. The position reports to the Deputy Network Director and manages a diverse team of individuals making up the VISN Communications Unit.

Duties

The Chief Communications Officer serves as the primary staff advisor to the Deputy and Network Director regarding communication matters. He/She plans, directs, and executes the strategic communication plan for the VISN. Major duties of the position include but are not limited to: Managing the VISN Public Affairs Program; Initiating, developing and implementing innovative strategic public affairs programs and procedures; Planning, directing and executing campaigns to convey complex information about the VA; Developing strategies and approaches to inform and educate internal and external stakeholders; Providing technical and administrative supervision to the VISN Communications Unit; Determining emerging issues to capitalize on opportunities and minimize negative responses; Developing performance standards and evaluating work performance of subordinates; Identifying and providing appropriate training for all employees within the Communications Unit; and Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm 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#: Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist (Chief Communications Officer)/PD01452-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/06/2023. 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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Serving as the principal advisor to executive leadership on communication matters; Managing the Public Affairs program for a large and complex medical facility or region; Developing and executing a communications plan for a large public organization; and Coordinating and participating in media events such as new conferences, congressional summits, special events, and news releases for a large organization. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and ManagementCommunications and MediaCustomer Service 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 primarily sedentary. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VISN 16 South Central VA Health Care Network 715 S. Pear Orchard Road Ridgeland, MS 39157 US
• Name: Ashley Strack
• Phone: 501-615-3932
• Email: [email protected]