Public Affairs Specialist

About the role

his position is located within the Veteran Affairs (VA) Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) within the Office of Communications and Community Development. The position serves as the Congressional Liaison at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and reports to the Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist. The incumbent serves as the central reception, dissemination, coordination, and monitor point for all correspondence and tasks from internal and external stakeholders. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/23/2026. 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 and/or education 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: experience where you were responsible for applying advanced communication and analytical practices, methods and techniques to the solution of complex public affairs problems; planning, developing, and producing a variety of materials and publications (including print, visual, Web-based, multimedia, and video materials) to achieve understanding of various points of view or concepts; advising leadership on the development of communication plans and strategies; establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with local media representatives and community groups; and coordinating and implementing special events, ceremonies, outreach campaigns, tours, and other activities to generate public awareness of organization's mission. Preferred Experience: Experience Working w/ High Level Elected Officials Experience advocating for Patients/Veterans Worked across/with multiple service lines Ability to manage multiple projects at once Experience working with and briefing executive leaders You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Critical Thinking Customer Service Decision Support Education and Training Strategic Thinking Veteran and Customer Focus 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The incumbent's work is generally carried out in an office setting with occasional travel as needed to attend public events. Occasionally, the incumbent may be required to travel to VAMC outpatient clinics, VISN 19 Network Office, and other VISN 19 and VHA facilities. The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required, such as walking through the entire facility or carrying folders or manuals up to 5 pounds. 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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