The Public Affairs Specialist is assigned to the Communications & Media, Office of the Assistant Director, James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, VISN 8, Veterans Health Administration, Department Affairs, in Tampa, FL. The Public Affairs Specialist performs a variety of duties in an extremely complex medical facility, which is constantly evolving within a highly multifaceted and competitive geographic area.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Media and Stakeholder Relations: Establishes and maintains proactive contacts with media outlets, legislative offices, Veteran service organizations, and health care affiliates. Responds in a timely fashion to information requests from the media. Serves as spokesperson in media interviews and public presentations as needed. Presents educational programs and tours to media and the public, prepares and coordinates news conferences, briefings, and interviews. Trains and prepares subject matter experts for media interviews and presentations. Develops and coordinates events and tours with media and stakeholders, preparing information packages, planning and execution of logistics, and conducting tours and other related tasks for special visitors and dignitaries. Monitors accesses and evaluates public affairs trends and attitudes that may affect an organization's public image or policy. Observes and interprets individual and group attitudes toward an organization to provide input for public affairs program planning and delivery. Handles communication efforts when controversial, high-level issues impact the VA Medical Center, often during crisis and emergency situations; serves as backup Public Information Officer under the Medical Center Incident Command System. Social Media and Website Content Management: Maintains the Medical Center's social media presentence by creating and uploading content. Social communications ensuring quality, brand, and timeliness using best practices, trends and new approaches. Maintains awareness of agency policy and management initiatives and identifies opportunities to use the Internet and social media outlets to publicize initiatives and supports the planning, development and use of social media tools. Develops comprehensive plans and policies including key resources, milestones, goals, constraints, approvals, tracking, etc. Creates and modifies appropriate tools, flow, and metrics. Develops extensive channel/communication strategy (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) to grow the Medical Center's social media reach and web presence. Writing and Editing: Gathers, analyzes, and evaluates complex data to develop appropriate recommendations for senior management's consideration, applying a variety of analytical techniques to ensure optimal communication efforts in support of the agency. Works with others as a leader of a work team, interprets facts gleaned as a result of planning and carrying out studies and projects and conveys information about a project to colleagues. Develops and transmits informational materials to a variety of publics to enhance the understandi11g of projects and/or the organization for the appropriate and efficient delivery of the organization's mission. Makes sure editorial content meets established guidelines. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: 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. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-11: having one (1) year of specialized experience equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Public Affairs Specialist position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes having a mastery of the principles, methods, practices, and techniques of communication that enable the public affairs specialist to function as a professional and technical authority within agency to implement a comprehensive public affairs goal-oriented program involving public information, internal communication, and community relations; skills in developing and applying new approaches the most difficult and complex public affairs and communications problems; ability to write effective and engaging communications materials for both internal and external publics; to planning, integrating and evaluating the overall public affairs program; having comprehension and skill to analyze media and other's reaction to programs and policies in developing significant input to those program polices; capable of making on-the-spot presentations to audiences with opposing points of view or erroneous understanding of the Agency positions without criticizing other views or arousing hostility; designs and implements a marketing plan and ability to conceive and coordinate imaginative slide shows, videotapes, intranet/internet Medical Center home page and other audiovisual products. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE GS-11: must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Transcript Required) OR COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE GS-11: must have a combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. (Transcript Required) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Communications and MediaPublic Service MotivationSpeakingStakeholder Management IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: Work is generally sedentary with walking, standing, and bending required during presentations, visits, and tours of the Medical Center. Flexibility is required to accommodate events and activities occurring during other than normal business hours. Mobility is required in terms of staging and assisting staff with equipment and other materials. 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

IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address James A Haley Veterans Hospital 13000 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard Tampa, FL 33612 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]