This position requires writing and editing for diverse communications vehicles designed to disseminate information about VA medical, health services, and rehabilitation research and to support the policies and programs of the VA Office of Research and Development.

Duties

Major Duties: Disseminate information about VA medical, health services, and rehabilitation research and support the policies and programs of the VA Office of Research and Development. Augment segments of a professional, highly technical, or complex administrative programs which involve the development of major aspects of key agency scientific, medical, administrative, policy development, or comparable highly technical programs. Write or edit news releases, news and feature articles for internal and external newsletter and magazines, web page content, social medial postings, special reports, speeches, and variety of other communications vehicles. Requires analytical skills, attention to detail, and an ability to synthesize research processes and findings into appropriate formats for diverse audiences. Perform background research for articles, including interviews of researches in person or by telephone or email, and review of online and other source materials. Edit text, advise researchers on media relations or coverage, responding to information requests, taking photos for publications. Work Schedule: 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. *****You will be required to report to the duty location listed on this announcement.***** Position Description/PD#: Technical Writer-Editor/PD02088-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): 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, 03/13/2024. 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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. All applicants MUST meet the following Individual Occupational Requirements: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Must have included a total of 15 semester hours in an appropriate scientific, technical, or social science field(s), and at least one course above the introductory level in the field(s) covered by the position. For technical manuals and specifications writers or editors, the equivalent of 15 semester hours may have been gained through vocational or educational training above the high school level at a public, private, or Armed Forces school. OR Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience that required substantial subject-matter or technical knowledge of the field. This experience must have demonstrated the ability to acquire and present technical information through independent reading, interviews with subject-matter specialists, observation of tests and experiments, interpretation of blueprints or diagrams, or other appropriate methods. Such experience may have been acquired as a writer or editor of technical reports, articles, manuals, or specifications. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirements, you MUST also meet the GS-13 specialized experience requirements. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: GS-13 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 1) Produces and disseminates communication products/materials such as feature articles, newsletters, news releases, reports, brochures, scholarly work, presentations, speeches, web materials and reference work. 2) Effectively uses analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to synthesize research processes and findings into appropriate formats for diverse audiences. 3) Develops or edits written material designed to reach local, national or international health science audiences with information relevant to leadership, Congressional, and WH interests that align to agency research studies, innovations, work groups, databases and programs. 4) Effectively communicates the processes and results of research in language that can be understood by a general audience. 5) Conceives, plans, initiates and adjusts to the scope of projects to achieve consistency with the agency's overall objectives, other communication projects and audience information needs. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications and MediaMultimedia TechnologiesOrganizational AwarenessPartneringWriting 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 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 the GS-13 grade level. However, for the Individual Occupational Requirements ONLY, 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VSHO - Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks 2402 Wildwood Ave Suite 301 Sherwood, AR 72120 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]