Public Affairs Specialist
What you'd do
This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Asheville VA Health Care System. Organizationally, the position falls under the Executive Office, reporting to the Assistant Director.
Major duties
Duties include, but are not limited to: Analyze various media and internal/external reaction to VHA and medical center programs and policies Writing/editing, speech writing, and development of written material and making oral presentations that will increase the understanding among the public with varying levels of comprehension of VHA and medical center programs and policies or opposition to the program objectives. Apply a wide range of concepts, principles, and techniques in communications and public and congressional affairs, applying this knowledge to a large, integrated health care system offering a variety of complex health care services. Established program goals and objectives to control and coordinate activities. Initiate, develop, and carry through independently the established plans and goals of the Public Affairs Program. Provide guidance and assistance to top management in the WNCVAHCS about sensitive public and media relations issues. Establish and maintain effective sound working relationships with a wide variety of people, including WNCVAHCS staff members, organizational representatives, media personnel, patients, volunteers, visitors, students, and community members. Develop and adapt oral and written communication materials that are innovative and creative in the presentation of information, promoting a broad range of subjects relative to the health care system's patient services to diverse groups, organizations, and audiences. Manage an active Public and Community Relations Program, including the use of all media types, and to recognize independently, the impact of release of information. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc. 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/PD502450
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/10/2026. 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. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-11: Applicants must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: Uses imagination to combine ideas or information in new ways; Knowledge of the principles and methods of web technologies, tools, and delivery systems, including web security, privacy policy practices, and user interface issues; works with clients and customers, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government, to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; effectively expresses information to multiple audiences through clear, convincing oral and written communications; demonstrates logical thinking when describing facts and concepts, and shapes communications to meet the needs of a specific audience; actively listens to others and demonstrates understanding of their comments and/or questions. OR Education: Possess a 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. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Education at the graduate level in an accredited college or university must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) Preferred Experience: Public Affairs Experience in Writing for Events, Speeches, Emails, and Social Media, plus Photography Experience. 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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