The incumbent serves as the Deputy Director to the Executive Director for VHA's Office of Communications. Plays a key role in assisting Executive Director with planning, managing, and evaluating a broad array communications services that provide direct support to the Office of the Under Secretary for Health and direction or support to VHA Headquarters programs and field operations.

Duties

THIS IS A TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT NOT TO EXCEED ONE YEAR. The selectee will be given a temporary promotion if eligible or be placed on a lateral detail if already serving at the advertised grade level on a permanent basis. If temporarily promoted, the temporary assignment may be ended earlier or extended for up to one (1) year based on management's needs. The incumbent performs the following major duties and responsibilities: Knowledge of the production, communication and dissemination of information and ideas to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media. Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. Specifies goals and obstacles to achieving those goals, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses the best alternative in order to make a determination, draw conclusions or solve a problem. Oversees policy development and governance activities relating to the communications that support and facilitate the ability of VHA facilities to establish eligibility for VA sponsored health care benefits. Monitors and evaluates the impact of these policies on both employees and veterans, and continually reviews them to ensure they are consumer friendly. Excellent communication skills to establish and maintain effective work relationships with a broad range of people that often espouse divergent viewpoints and conflicting priorities; and to present highly complex data and information to audiences of senior managers and executives, special interest groups such as Veterans Services Organizations, general public and members of congress, etc. Understands where the organization is headed and how to make a contribution; takes a long-term view and recognizes opportunities to help the organization accomplish its objectives or move toward the vision. Reviews for communications purposes an established an ongoing program that continuously refines VHA's formal plan that includes veterans to choose/continue to choose a VA health plan. Develops tools to determine why veterans avoid or underutilize VA facilities and works with operating officials to remedy these deficiencies. Works to proactively highlight VA's services and superior performance. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8a.m. - 4:30p.m. 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 Program Specialist- Temporary Promotion Detail/PD015820 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/30/2023. 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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. 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 will qualify based on your experience and/ your approval as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-14 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Broad knowledge and understanding of policies, missions, and operating programs of large diverse health care organizations. Mastery of communication principles, methods, practices and techniques; analytical methods; and interpersonal relations practices. Skill to apply this mastery in developing new methods and approaches in planning, integrating and evaluating the overall communications program for VHA. AND Supervisors approval (Include attachment) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Leadership: Assists the Executive Director with planning, managing, and evaluating a broad array of communication services that provide direct support to the Office of the Under Secretary for Health. Project Management: Assists in establishing a VHA corporate communications plan that addresses both the Relations Program and VHA's Corporate Identity, including image and visibility. Problem Solving: Advising Top Management: Knowledge and skill sufficient for advising top management officials on aspects of the public affairs program, recommending strategies for all aspects of the agency's public affairs program; and establishing standards for the development and evaluation of public affairs activities. Problem Solving/Reasoning: Oral and Written Communication: Excellent Oral and written communication skills to prepare a wide variety of written products such as complex reports, memoranda, program recommendations, reprogramming justification, etc. Human Resources Management: Ability to supervise in order to set priorities, assign work, evaluate work of subordinates, and develop subordinates for increased responsibility and succession planning. Leadership: Ability to provide strong leadership and direction to subordinates to ensure success of production operations within scope of responsibilities. 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, although some slight physical effort may be required. Work is performed in a normal office environment. 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 VHA Servicing Human Resources Office - 1 2402 Wildwood Ave Suite 301 Sherwood, AR 72120 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]