Public Affairs Specialist

Summary The incumbent serves as a Public Affairs Specialist and Outreach Coordinator for the Chillicothe VAMC. In this capacity, the incumbent assists the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) in the coordination of various duties within the Customer Service Department and Public Affairs section and is responsible for the development, management and direction of the Chillicothe VAMC outreach program. Incumbent works independently on various public affairs and outreach duties, initiatives and programs. Responsibilities Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Development and implementation of all outreach programs and activities that are appropriate for expanding the patient base of the Chillicothe VAMC and increasing the number of Veterans who receive care at the Chillicothe VAMC and its CBOCs. Works closely with clinical service lines, Suicide Prevention Coordinators, Homeless Program staff, Eligibility, Veterans Experience Office, Transition & Care Management program staff, Women Veterans Program staff, and others to enhance outreach methods to maximize the growth potential of the Chillicothe VAMC. Identifies outreach opportunities and work independently to coordinate staff, communication materials, and logistics and other stakeholders within the Chillicothe VAMC catchment area. Communicate effectively with diverse Veteran audiences about VA healthcare. In collaboration with the Public Affairs Officer, the incumbent establishes, maintains, and updates a facility outreach plan and calendar. Performs work related to public affairs and communication activities such as generating media interest and coordinating agency information in support of outreach and public affairs programs. Uses a variety of communication techniques and methods including print, broadcast, and electronic media to convey the VA mission and outreach efforts. Develops relationships with business and community leaders to foster communication and a favorable reputation within the community. Serves as back-up to the Chillicothe VAMC Public Affairs Officer. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. Telework: 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 Specialist/PD92141-0 Physical Requirements: Assignments regularly involve extended periods of walking, standing, bending, and stooping to execute logistics for special events or to accompany media crews or other special groups. Work requires lifting and moving health fair and outreach supplies and equipment sometimes weighing 75 pounds and setup and tear down of health fairs and community outreach events. An effective speaking voice and communication skills are required for public speaking activities. This position requires the operation of a government-owned or leased motor vehicle to properly carry out assigned duties. A valid state-issued driver license is required, along with medical clearance by Employee Occupational Health. Employee would be considered an Incidental Driver. Incidental operators are employees, other than those occupying a position officially classified as a motor vehicle operator, who are required to operator a government owned/-leased motor vehicle to properly carry out their assigned duties. Work Environment: The work is normally performed in an office setting which requires no special safety precautions. The nature of the duties occasionally requires work to be performed in other offices in the VA Medical Center which may include patient care areas. The work also involves activities at Veteran Service Officer post homes, convention centers, and other locations outside of the VA Medical Center for health fairs, flu shot clinics, eligibility seminars, and speaking engagements. This may involve driving to and from community outreach activities. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) A current, valid state-issued Driver's License is required for this position. (Please do not submit a copy of your license within your applicant package.) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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, 02/12/2026. 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-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: Utilizes public relations, community relations, advertising, and journalism for internal and external engagement; Communicating orally at various levels in order to meet respective audience needs; Working diplomatically with internal and external constituents; Applying problem solving techniques; Planning community events and Meeting critical work deadlines. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. 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 a Master's degree. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level, GS-9, may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Communication Planning and Evaluating Customer Service 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: Assignments regularly involve extended periods of walking, standing, bending, and stooping to execute logistics for special events or to accompany media crews or other special groups. Work requires lifting and moving health fair and outreach supplies and equipment sometimes weighing 75 pounds and set up and tear down of health fairs and community outreach events. An effective speaking voice and communication skills are required for public speaking activities. 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. 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. 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.