Program Specialist (Public Affairs Officer)
What you'd do
The Public Affairs Officer (PAO) has significant responsibilities and requires a high degree of professionalism. The PAO must be able to work in high-pressure, stressful situations and must be able to prioritize, multi-task, and share responsibilities to ensure effective operations. PAO must often take on ad hoc and miscellaneous responsibilities. The PAO must be willing to be flexible and take on additional duties as they arise and must be willing to fill in for other staff members as needed..
Major duties
Specific duties include: Provides oversight in all areas of public information including policy development, dissemination of internal information, and community relations activities. Actively participates in a variety of teams and workgroups with representatives from all levels of VA and private concerns. Attends and participates in a variety of conferences and meetings with representatives of higher, lateral, and lower echelons. Initiates and prepares responses to inquiries from interested groups and the public concerning policies and activities. Establishes cooperative working relationships with the local media; writes and disseminates news releases and feature articles regarding the RO 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 RO activities. Evaluates and advises management officials on specific courses of action to follow in making public announcements. Maintains contacts with congressional staffers, city and state officials, institutions, community organizations, industry, and other centers of influence to improve the public's understanding and awareness of RO activities. The PAO represents the Director in public forums, including making formal and informal presentations. Subject Matter will include both local and national policies and may be controversial in nature. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday from 8:00am -4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Yes - This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (Public Affairs Officer); PD413700 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:08/24/2026. 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. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level. 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. Note: Multiple SF-50's may be needed to verify completion of the 52 weeks at the previous grade level. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: GS-12 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level performing public affairs work - developing and delivering communication strategies, preparing press releases and media responses, advising leadership on communication issues, managing relationships with media and community partners, and using multiple communication platforms to convey information. Experience must show skill in supporting organizational initiatives, coordinating with leadership, and applying policy guidance in public affairs operations. Volunteer Experience: 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Before you apply
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