Public Affairs Specialist - Detail NTE 120 Days

at Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration in Danville, Illinois, United States

Job Description

Summary This position is a Detail NTE 120 Days. This position is located at the VA Illiana Health Care System (VAIHCS), Office of the Director, including the main campus and its satellite clinics. VAIHCS is a level three health care system, compromised of the main hospital and five (5) community clinics. The primary purpose of this position is to function as a Public Affairs Specialist performing a variety of duties in a rural facility. Responsibilities Major duties include but not limited to: Plans, develops, and produces a variety of materials and publications to convey information about VA to a variety of stakeholders Develops communications campaigns Gathers, analyzes, and evaluates complex data to develop appropriate recommendations Identify audiences needs and preferences to advise assigned programs and service lines on communication products Maintains effective relationships with service chiefs and their staff Conducts workshops, seminars, and other meetings with different levels of staff Presents ideas in new ways, increasing understanding of medical facility customer service standards, programs, and policies, and reduces opposition or indifference to program objectives Advises decision-makers on best course of action when communicating sensitive or controversial topics Work Schedule: Monday – Friday; 7:30am – 4:00pm Telework: Available as determined by Agency Policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Public Affairs Specialist – Detail NTE 120 Days/PD241560 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) – See “Additional Information” below for details. Qualifications For details, employees do not have to meet the qualification requirements for this position to which they are detailed, except for minimum education, licensure, and certification requirements. For details, you need your managers approval to release you if selected for the detail. Please submit documentation of approval as an attachment. HT38 and T38 excepted service employees are not able to be detailed to this competitive service position. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/23/2024. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: plans, develops, and produces a variety of materials and publications including print, web-based, multimedia and video material to convey information about the VA, Actively pitches and places stories with media outlets, develops media campaigns and communication plans and strategies, gathers, analyzes, and evaluates complex data, enhance the understanding of projects, the organization, or for the efficient delivery of the organizations mission, Conducts workshops, seminars, and other meetings with different levels of staff to explain and/or improve customer service. Presents ideas in new ways, increasing understanding of medical facility customer service standards, programs, and policies, and reduces opposition. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the second year. Transcripts Required. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Communications and Media Oral Communication Technology Management Writing 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 Medical Center. 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 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/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01