The Visual Information Specialist will apply the appropriate rules/regulations used in conducting Department of Veterans Affairs business guidelines. The primary responsibilities are in graphic design, audiovisual production, web content, social medial, reproduction and desktop publishing, photographer, and video for the Minneapolis VA Health Care System (MVAHCS).

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to: Use a variety of communication techniques including print, broadcast, and electronic media to convey the VA mission and its role in the community to various stakeholders. Design and produce computer-designed print, electronic visual information material, video, and photographic media for targeted audiences. Select the appropriate format or medium for execution, layout, and finished product. Coordinate, analyze, and report all visual media production data to the Public Affairs Officer. Prepare the arrangement or layout for graphic design projects by acquiring enough information about the subject to present it accurately as well as aesthetically. Develop and design visual products for high level briefings of officials within and outside the organization. Develop original illustrations that present ideas or images and evoke responses from viewers. Provide technical assistance and advice on design issues to clients, managers, and other employees. Produce and edit programs related to the mission of the healthcare system. Ensure Internet and Intranet websites comply with all VA web policies. Answer and respond to personal and telephone inquiries relating to administrative issues. Performs other duties as assigned. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 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. Position Description/PD#: Visual Information Specialist/PD608540 and PD608110 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/03/2024. 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-09 and GS-11 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 and GS-09, respectively. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for 1084 Series: Education: Undergraduate or Graduate Education: Major study -- commercial art, fine arts, art history, industrial design, architecture, drafting, interior design, photography, visual communication, or other fields related to the position. Some positions may also require subject-matter knowledge of medicine, science, or technical equipment. Advanced training in a vocational school, technical institute, or art institute above the high school level in one of the fields listed above is creditable as general experience on a month-for-month basis. Experience: Experience in the actual type of work for which application is made. Unpaid experience is creditable, provided the work done was of a quality level and demonstrated the ability required for the position. This includes planning the preparation and use of photographs, illustrations, drawings, and other art work, charts, diagrams, dioramas, maps, slides, overlays, and other kinds of visual materials for use in communication information through visual means. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying specialized experience includes: conducting research/gathering data for analysis; assisting with phases related to graphic design/video/web/photography production from inception to completion; utilizing desktop publishing software programs; and communicating effectively with a variety of backgrounds. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent degree; 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related. To be creditable, the education must be a major study as indicated in the Individual Occupational Requirement above. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond one year of graduate education. GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying specialized experience includes: conducting research/gathering data for analysis; communicating information through visual means; completing all phases related to graphic design/video/web/photography production from inception to completion; utilizing desktop publishing software programs; communicating effectively with a variety of backgrounds; and selecting the best equipment and techniques for individual work orders. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate degree; 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related. To be creditable, the education must be a major study as indicated in the Individual Occupational Requirement above. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond two years of graduate education. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationCommunications and MediaCreative ThinkingCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical) 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: Employee will complete most work assignments while sitting or standing. Work may involve moving sensitive audiovisual, photographic, and or computer equipment from one place to another. Employee must have the ability to handle stressful situations. Video distribution scheduling requires the ability to manage, organize, and prepare video running times. On occasion, the employee will be required to stand still in tight quarters while operating video or photographic equipment for extended periods of time. Employee must be able to shoulder a video camera and equipment weighing approximately 30 pounds or less. Occasionally, the employee will be called upon to document situations where a tripod is not available or suited for the specific application. The work requires manual dexterity, hand and eye coordination, and the ability to accurately perceive and sense color hues and chroma. Some of the work requires periods of extended bending, stooping, kneeling to obtain properly composed photographs. The employee, alone and assisted, will be required to lift, and transport delicate graphic, photographic, and audiovisual equipment weighing up to 50 pounds. 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

Work Environment: Work is performed in a variety of locations within the Healthcare System to include but not limited to Medical Media studio, CCTV distribution control room, surgical operating room, conference rooms, patient rooms, and pathology / histology laboratories. Primarily the environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions. The work area is adequately heated, lighted, and ventilated. On occasion the work includes a moderate risk while using machinery that includes the use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). The machinery includes but is not limited to using the following: computer, monitor, photographic cameras, photographic lighting, photographic accessories, finishing equipment for trimming, binding, laminating, printing, and copying. The risk includes but is not limited to burns, lacerations, and muscle strains. The incumbent is required to be trained on all equipment prior to use. The incumbent is required to follow all equipment manufacture guidelines as well as service level guidelines when using equipment. The incumbent may be subject to physical stresses from carrying heavy equipment and lighting, indoors and out, in all seasons and all environmental conditions. The incumbent may be subject to physical stress from repetitive bending, stooping, and kneeling. Work
environment may be stressful due to high workload volume and short deadline demands. The incumbent will be using electrical equipment to include but is not limited to electronic flash equipment. The incumbent will be using equipment that contains sharp items. Incumbent may be requested to travel outside the Healthcare System. These requests may involve exposure to hazardous situations and may require special safety precautions, and/or protective equipment.

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/.

An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from your transcript or other official documentation, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard.

To credit combinations of education and experience, HR staff will first determine the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level. Next, HR staff determine the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. Finally, HR staff will add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. For example:

• An applicant has 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 and 1 year of graduate level education. The applicant meets 50 percent of the required experience but none of the required education since he or she does not have any graduate study beyond one full year of graduate level education. Therefore, the applicant meets only 50 percent of the total requirement and is not qualified for the position. (The applicant's first year of graduate study is not qualifying for GS-9.)

Contacts

• Address Minneapolis VA Medical Center One Veterans Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417 US
• Name: Sarah Watson
• Phone: 319-339-7183
• Email: [email protected]