Summary The San Diego VA is recruiting a Public Affairs Specialist to work for the Office of the Assistant Director. The incumbent serves as spokesperson for the Medical Center, and as such is the point of contact for local and national media and is the liaison for veterans' service organizations, congressional staff, community groups, and professional organizations to conduct the public affairs program for the facility. Responsibilities Duties include, but are not limited to: Conducts special studies involving communications, organization and operation of the Medical Center functions; developing 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 Coordinates special projects and participates and/or chairs special committees Responsible for developing, coordinating, implementing and maintaining of public information and community relations programs that are designed to promote understanding, confidence and goodwill between the Medical Center, surrounding communities, individuals, volunteers and groups who are interested in and affected by the VA Analyzes Medical Center information needs, goals and resources and tailors specific communication strategies using all media to reach target audiences both internal and external Advises and makes recommendations to the Medical Center director regarding the handling of media and community issues or concerns that have possible implications on the Medical Center May be required to make presentations to audiences with opposing points of view or erroneous understanding of Medical Center position to achieve a more balanced perception Evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of the public information programs for internal communications, media relations and community relations with the ultimate goal of achieving greater understanding of their facility's mission and programs Plans, initiates and implements comprehensive public affairs activities to enhance the understanding of the Medical Center's programs Speech writing or coordination of special events Coordinates photo coverage of programs and activities with medical media production service; provides guidance in the area of photography for public information purposes Coordinates the production and dissemination of information, material, and, where necessary, works with contractors who design, write or produce materials for the Medical Center 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 Develops and utilizes a variety of methods and techniques in achieving communication goals, such as news releases, radio and television scripts, personal appearances, brochures, pamphlets, etc. 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 Prepares briefing packages and slide presentations Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Supervisor's discretion Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Public Affairs Specialist/PD148870 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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 Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/26/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-11, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: developing and providing staff direction involving all public information, internal communications, and community relations activities; advising and making recommendations regarding the handling of media and community issues or concerns; undertaking assignments such as speech writing or coordination of special events/projects; developing and utilizing a variety of methods and techniques in achieving communication goals, such as news releases, radio and television scripts, personal appearances, brochures, pamphlets, etc. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications and Media Multimedia Technologies Planning and Evaluating 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. 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. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. 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.
