The position is located in VHA's Office of Health Informatics (OHI), Clinical Informatics and Data Management Office (CIDMO). This position serves as a communications specialist for CIDMO, ensuring the day-to-day communication, administrative and operational functions are sustained to meet the short- and long-term communications objectives of VA/VHA/OHI and CIDMO. This vacancy may be filled in Washington, DC or a location to be determined

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to: Contributes to a communications program that provides CIDMO-wide roadmap, strategy, methods, tools, products and other communications and outreach campaign plans or vehicles to directly support and advance achievement of VA/VHA/OHI and CIDMO milestones and strategic objectives. Plans and executes major assignments and projects encompassing all areas of communications and associated activities related to CIDMO operations. Serves as CIDMO's central point of contact for all internal communication activities, and also provides broad support to the CIDMO Strategic Engagement and Collaborative Workspace Analysts for a broad range of external communications activities. Identifies interview and speaking opportunities for CIDMO leadership and prepares materials for print and broadcast interviews, coordinates/conducts or staffs the interviews (including obtaining clearance to participate, developing talking points, following up with reporters' questions); prepares/reviews/coordinates briefing materials delivered to executives within VA (including the VA Secretary) and outside of VA (Congress, Department of Defense (DoD), Veterans Service Organizations, national conferences, and Veterans). Devises and carries out programs that promote CIDMO strategies, policies, operations, plans and goals to CIDMO employees and stakeholders, VA/VHA leadership, Office Management and Budget (OMB), Congress, DoD and to the public. Writes VA news releases, feature articles, blogs, newsletter content, fact sheet/flyer/brochure content and responses to Congressional/other stakeholder inquiries under tight deadlines. Edits content to ensure that content is accurate and error-free (grammatically correct and complies with VA style and format). Reviews design products to ensure compliance with VA graphic standards. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 08:00-04:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Available (applicant is required on site 50% of work schedule per pay period). Remote: This is not a remote position. Virtual: The employee may work at a VA facility or other VA-leased space other than the facility that is hiring the employee and is authorized for telework up to 50%. Position Description/PD#: Communications Specialist/PD77240-A 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, 06/11/2024. 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. Selective Placement Factor: This position includes a selective placement factor (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective placement factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet them are ineligible for further consideration. The selective placement factors for this position are: SPF#1: Expert knowledge of communications planning to include researching, designing, planning and executing a public affairs program to inform and educate the general public and special interest groups about complex topics. SPF#2: Extensive experience with journalistic writing and content creation using Associated Press (AP) style for wide internal and external publication. 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: Experience in developing written materials to convey information concerning complex programs and functions to individuals having diverse levels of understanding of the organization's programs and activities. Experience in responding orally to criticism of the organization's functions or performance, to logically and effectively explain programs, functions and activities and gain understanding of the organization's efforts. Knowledge of the workings of the United States Congress and its various committees, including protocol, policies and procedures applicable to dealing with staff members. Experience in recommending alternative solutions to programmatic communications issues either formally or informally, by discussion with responsible staff officials. Knowledge of Privacy Act of 1974 and the Freedom of Information Act in order to understand and apply each in the performance of duties associated with activities involving sensitive issues applicable to the organization and to protect the rights of all parties. Experience in contributing to a communications program that provides organization-wide roadmap, strategy, methods, tools, products and other communications and outreach campaign plans or vehicles to directly support and advance achievement of the organizations milestones and strategic objectives. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications and Media Oral Communications Writing Stakeholder Management Critical Thinking 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. Some travel may be required. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VHA Service Center - 1 6100 Oak Tree Boulevard Independence, OH 44131 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]