Incumbent serves as the Public Affairs Officer at VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System. VA ECHCS consists of Denver VA Medical Center, which is a 1a complexity level affiliated tertiary care facility with 9 Community Clinics spanning the eastern half of Colorado and across three states. She/he has delegated authority for making local VA ECHCS determinations regarding Public Affairs and Communication activities within the framework of established laws, regulations and local policies.

Duties

Duties include, but not limited to: The incumbent develops and executes a strategic plan to educate eligible Veterans and the community about the mission and accomplishments of VA to ensure sustainable growth, transparency and visibility among stakeholders and taxpayers. The incumbent directs media relations, publications services, and strategic marketing and branding within the community and surrounding region as necessary to serve America's Veterans. The incumbent is responsible for designing, planning, executing, researching and evaluating the public affairs program for the VA ECHCS. The PAO develops and provides staff direction on public information, internal publications, and community relations activities, often representing the VA ECHCS at public or civic events to promote and improve the perception of the VA ECHCS as a valued part of the health care community, the community at large and the federal government. The incumbent performs such duties as independently conducting communication audits of the health care system's positioning on controversial issues providing advice and support in media relations to the health care system Director, other management team members, and providing onsite support and guidance during special events or crises. The incumbent analyzes internal and external information, draws conclusions and decides strategies for communication goals, using all forms of media to reach internal and external target audiences. Writing/editing informational materials (i.e. employee newsletter, weekly bulletin, news releases, radio and TV scripts, and social media) for VA ECHCS management, staff, volunteers, patients and others who contribute to the VA ECHCS's effectiveness and responsiveness. The PAO is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to media inquiries, disasters, and senior management requests. Protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA policy. Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the provisions of the Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other applicable laws and regulations and demonstrate good judgment in accessing printed/electronic files containing sensitive information that must be protected. Responsible for assignment, distribution, and review of workload for his/her designated area of responsibility, including the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) Public Affairs Council. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0800-1600 Compressed/Flexible: Available 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#: Public Affairs Officer/PD001540-O 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, 07/05/2024. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: 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 serving as a primary media spokesperson for the Veterans Heath Administration; internal and external communications both in print and audio; Working relationships with local, mass and specialized media representatives; Participates in appropriate management committees; conducts special projects and analysis involving specific programs; coordinates activities for special projects and analyzes the impact or implications of events; and Serves as the primary media spokesperson for the VA responding to local, regional and national inquiries, interpreting national VA policy. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationCommunicationsCommunications and MediaListeningOral Communication 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: Work is generally sedentary with walking, standing and bending required during presentations, visits and tours of the health care system. 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

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 Eastern Colorado HCS Denver 13611 E. Colfax Ave Aurora, CO 80045 US
• Name: VISN 19 HR Contact Center
• Phone: 719-227-4600
• Email: [email protected]