Public Affairs Specialist

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2026. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7.

For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9.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: GS-9:-* Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Works closely with VA leadership and subject matter experts to collect facts, policy, procedures, and evaluates for accuracy and timeliness of submissions. Develops and implements improvement processes when identified. Prepares briefing packages and slide presentations for guests. Develops tracking and distribution mechanism to optimize process efficiency and accountability.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education.

Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). GS-11:-* Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Communicates directly with the stakeholders including Veterans or family members as appropriate, to achieve timely and satisfactorily resolution of inquiries and accomplish service recovery. Coordinates, develops, monitors and tracks responses to suspense reports. Manages and maintains additional internal reporting processes as requested by the Executive Leadership Team.

Archives Congressional correspondence in an accessible format and safeguards patient privacy throughout the process. Provides oversight of ensuring applicable meeting minutes are updated on the facility SharePoint sites. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education.

Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-11. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) 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/.

Duties include but are not limited to: Conduct outreach activities to educate Veterans and community stakeholders about VA programs and services. Assist with enrollment outreach and promote access to VA health care benefits. Support planning, coordination, and execution of outreach events and community engagements. Maintain outreach records, databases, and reports. Use Microsoft Office applications and web-based systems to track activities and program effectiveness.

Assist in developing and implementing outreach initiatives aligned with organizational priorities. Gather and analyze data to evaluate outreach efforts and identify opportunities for improvement. Communicate effectively with Veterans, community organizations, and internal stakeholders. Support project management activities and administrative functions related to outreach programs.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 08:00 am - 04:30 with weekends and holidays for outreach events. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available..

Position Description/PD#: Public Affairs Specialist/PD92971O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized