This position is located in the Office of the Director at VA Central California Health Care System - Fresno VA Medical Center in Fresno, CA. The Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist serves as the Section Chief of the Public Affairs Program and is responsible for the effective management of an internal and external communication program and the development and maintenance of market programs.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist VACCHCS's top Public Affairs Specialist who is responsible for the management of the Public Affairs Program for the Healthcare System. The incumbent serves as the Healthcare System spokesperson and often represents the Medical Center Director at events of a public, civic, or social nature and participates in a variety of events dealing with improving the perception of the VA, VHA, and the Healthcare System. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Directing and supervising the development, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of the Public Affairs Program Serving as the primary media spokesperson for the Healthcare System, representing the Medical Center Director and responding to local and regional inquiries, interpreting national VA policy and events, and evaluating their impact locally Generating interest in the VA Healthcare System and the health field by serving on community taskforces, participating in health fairs, and cooperating with other health agencies in public relations efforts Anticipating, analyzing, and interpreting public opinion, attitudes, and issues which might impact the organization Enhancing and maintaining integrated working relationships with employees, employee groups, representatives from the media, Veterans service organizations, community groups, governmental officials, and other health care institutions on local, regional, state, and national levels, respectively Serving as an advisor to management at all levels in the organization regarding policy decisions, courses of action, and communication recognizing the Healthcare System's social responsibility Developing Public Affairs Program policies and communication plans considering topics, the emphasis to place on them, need-to-know requirements of various groups, and the most effective media to use in communicating information to their intended audience Evaluating the impact and effectiveness of communications, events, and employee relations elements, and advises management of efforts that should be continued, emphasis changed, or coverage expanded Relating work performance, attendance, and morale to the needs for adequate facilities and service and pursue solutions involving planning and coordination Receiving concerns and comments from Veterans and their families and provides follow-up responses Responsible for the facility's social media program and management of the facility Intranet and Internet Monitoring purchases to ensure that cardholders conduct daily purchase card reconciliation within the required timeframe and that reconciliations are correct Exercising full supervisory authority including setting plans/priorities, coordinating work among several sections and with other areas of the facility, providing advisory services to both subordinate staff, to other administrative staff; assigning work to subordinate supervisors and to non-supervisory staff, developing Performance Standards, conducting Performance Evaluations, participating human resources activities, etc. Providing supervisions to Public Affairs Specialists, Writer-Editor, Visual Information Specialist, Public Affairs Program Specialist (Photographer), and Program Specialist Accepting delegated projects from Office of Public & Intergovernmental Affairs (OPIA), VHA, and the Network which will equate up to 25% of their workload Performing other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Telework (Ad-hoc Telework available): 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

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Specialized Experience (GS-13): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-12) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: performing full range of duties of Public Affairs Specialist and functioning as a professional and technical authority within organization; developing written materials and making oral presentations that will increase understanding among appropriate publics; presenting the information accurately to the media, the community, and others regarding organization's programs, policies, and activities; coordinating print materials, audiovisual products, social media and electronic communications; and applying new approaches to difficult and complex public affairs and communications problems. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Communications and MediaInformation ManagementLeadershipOral CommunicationProblem Solving 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 required during visits and tours. Flexibility is required to accommodate events and activities occurring in other than normal duty hours. Mobility is required in terms of staging and assisting staff with equipment and other required 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: There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address Fresno VA Medical Center 2615 East Clinton Avenue Fresno, CA 93703 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]