Public Affairs Specialist
What you'd do
The position is located at a Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) medical facility at the VA Bronx Healthcare System. The purpose of the work is to plan and conduct a public affairs program of a large and complex medical facility.
Major duties
Prepares scripts, audio-visual materials and brochures for ceremonies, briefings and orientations. Originates, provides guidance and over-sees the preparation of public speeches and statements used by or issued by the medical facility director. Develops short and long-term public affairs action plans. Identifies items for information dissemination based on knowledge of medical facility mission and the recognized need for public or internal knowledge of the purposes and backgrounds of facility programs. Arranges for special group tours and participates in special events. Recommends the adoption of innovative public affairs policies, strategies, approaches to the Department Public Affairs Officer. Initiates and prepares responses to inquiries from interested groups and the general public concerning policies and activities of the medical facility public involvement program. Establishes cooperative working relationships with the local and regional media; writes and disseminates news releases and feature articles regarding the medical facility mission, functions, programs, and policies to print and broadcast media representatives. Organizes and coordinates print and broadcast media interviews with staff members; and oversees all arrangements with the media involving medical facility activities. Establish relationships with internal and external stakeholders Evaluates and advises management officials on specific courses of action to follow in making public announcements, particularly on policy statements which inform the public on medical facility positions. Cultivates and maintains contacts with institutions, state and city officials, community organizations, industry and other centers of influence to improve the public's understanding and awareness of medical facility activities. Analyzes and evaluates comments, proposals or suggestions in the local community, among employees and in the media outlets in developing recommendations for management concerning the medical facility's impact in the community. Work Schedule: 08:00-4:30p Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Public Affairs Specialist/PD20G33O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/31/2026. 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: Managing high-visibility public affairs operations for a large, complex healthcare or government organization, including independently developing and executing communication plans, media strategies, and stakeholder engagement efforts; Serving as an organizational spokesperson or Public Information Officer, providing rapid, accurate, and coordinated responses during crises, emergent events, or sensitive issues, and advising senior leadership on communication risks and messaging; Producing a wide range of communication products, news releases, feature stories, talking points, speeches, newsletters, and digital content with demonstrated ability to translate complex healthcare, research, or policy information for diverse audiences; Leading digital communication efforts, including managing official social media platforms, web content systems (e.g., Drupal, TeamSite), digital campaigns, and analytics to increase engagement and ensure timely, accurate, and compliant information delivery; Planning and coordinating high-profile events, Very Important Person (VIP) visits, congressional engagements, and public forums, including logistics, protocol, briefing materials, and cross-departmental coordination with executive leadership. 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/.
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