Public Affairs Specialist

Summary This position is located at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center - Walla Walla - WA (VAWW). The primary purpose of this position is to support the mission, goals, and functions of the VAWW and the Office of the Director.
Qualifications Applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date (06/02/2026). Current federal employees with a GS‑11 held within the past 52 weeks must meet time‑in‑grade. Specialized experience equivalent to GS‑11 in the normal line of progression is required. Applicants may qualify based on the specialized experience described below, including knowledge of current issues affecting the DVA and VAWW, skills in developing written materials and making oral presentations, and knowledge of social media and VAWW websites. For more information on qualification standards, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Develops - coordinates - and implements internal and external communication plans to support VAWW operations and strategic goals
Serves as the primary spokesperson - responding to media inquiries and coordinating interviews - statements - and press releases with OPIA/OCA as required
Manages emergency and crisis communications as the facility Public Information Officer (PIO) - including JIC activation - incident messaging - and issue briefs
Writes - edits - and publishes news releases - feature articles - staff messages - and executive communications in print and digital formats
Maintains and updates internal and external VAWW websites - ensuring accuracy - accessibility - and compliance with VA standards
Creates - schedules - and monitors official social media content to meet VA mandated posting requirements and enhance digital engagement
Coordinates congressional and White House inquiries - ensuring timely routing - tracking - documentation - and archiving of all correspondence
Plans - coordinates - and promotes special events - Town Halls - outreach campaigns - and tele town halls - including promotional materials and logistics
Develops and maintains relationships with VSOs - community partners - congressional offices - and internal leaders to support communication and outreach
Produces graphic design products such as flyers - brochures - branding materials - and digital content consistent with VA branding standards
Monitors news coverage and provides timely summaries to VISN - regional - and national PAO stakeholders
Serves as facility expert on communication SOPs - including training staff on 10N Issue Brief and Notification SOP requirements
Manages GovDelivery email communications - including content development - targeted outreach - and distribution to subscriber groups
Ensures proper release forms and approvals for media interviews - photos - and public facing materials
Performs additional public affairs duties including stakeholder engagement - project coordination - and support for national/VISN requests
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Position Description/PD#: Public Affairs Specialist/PD807800 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

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