Summary The Supervisory Public Affairs Officer is responsible for administering, supervising, or performing work involved in establishing and maintaining mutual communication between Federal agencies and the general public and various other pertinent public including internal and external, foreign or domestic audiences. Responsibilities The duties of the Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist includes but is not limited to: Public Affairs Officer / Program Oversight Serves as spokesperson for the Medical Center, and as such is the point of contact for local and national media. Liaise with veterans' service organizations, congressional staffs, community groups, professional organizations, etc. Develops and provides staff direction involving all public information, internal communications, VSO liaison, and community relations activities. Represents the Medical Center director, participating at public, civic or social events to improve perception of the Medical Center as a valued part of the medical profession, government, and community. Prepares briefing packaged and slide presentations for VA guests from regional and central offices as well as congressional staff, veterans' organizations and all other community representatives and groups. Develops reports along with recommendations to the Medical Center Director including implementation and monitoring strategies. Analyzes internal communication needs and develops publications or other information materials for staff, patients, volunteers, and others who contribute to the Medical Center effectiveness and responsiveness. Provides expertise in planning and implementation of special events, ceremonies, open houses, tours, and other activities conducted for the purpose of generating awareness of, and interest in the mission of the Medical Center and for public awareness. Advises and makes recommendations to the Medical Center director regarding the handling of media and community issue or concerns that have possible implications on the Medical Center. Initiates public affairs correspondence, prepares information packages, conducts tours and other related tasks for special visitors and dignitaries, organizes select ceremonies, and writes speeches for the Medical Center Director. Establishes and maintains professional working relationships with representatives of the news media, responding in a timely fashion to information requests from the media in writing and orally to ensure the fair representation of the Medical Center. Supervisory Responsibilities Supervises and directs the technical work of the administrative function, Public Affairs Office including Veteran Outreach activities. Responsible for the public affairs, audiovisual and photographic products and information, printing production, network marketing, community outreach programs, media support and media products used in communication. Advises and provides counsel to employees regarding policies, procedures, and directives of management. Develops, modifies, and/or interprets performance standards. Hears and resolves employee complaints and refers serious unresolved complaints to higher level management. Identifies employee developmental needs and provides or arranges for training (formal and on-the-job) to maintain and improve job performance. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Available on an ad-hoc basis. Arrangement may be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist/PD924500 Relocation Incentives: May be paid to a Highly Qualified candidate who possess unique skills and competencies needed to perform critical mission-essential functions. Per OPM.gov, to be Highly Qualified, the candidates are considered by the Human Resources Office and the subject matter expert (selecting official) as being highly proficient in all the requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position almost immediately or with a minimum amount of training and/or orientation. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/08/2025. 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 as described below: GRADE DETERMINATION 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. Specialized experiences must meet all of the following: Oversees media relations and or inquires (i.e. external and internal communication pathways, drafting responses, provides briefings, etc.); Manages Public Affairs office (i.e. tier-1 graphic standards, audiovisual production requirements, Veteran outreach, etc.); Administers policies / directives that governs the functions of a Public Affairs team, and Drafts internal / external publications related to health care offerings and facility information. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Communications and Media External Awareness Human Capital Management Manages and Organizes Information 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 required during visits and tours of the Medical Center. Flexibility is required to accommodate events and activities occurring in other than normal duty hours. Mobility is required in terms of staging and assisting staff with equipment and other required materials. Work Environment: The work environment involves normal everyday risks and discomforts of office settings. The work area is lighted, heated, and ventilated. Coordination and participation in meetings and other community relations activities requires presence in a variety of in-house and off-station areas and facilities. The incumbent has access to office automation and computer equipment. 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/. NOTE: Your application will be verified against the information you provide on your resume, documents, and information supplied by your references. If you do not clearly describe your experience in your resume, you will be rated ineligible. We cannot make assumptions about your work experience and skills. 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/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.