Communications Specialist

Description:

The Dayton, Ohio VAMC is looking for a Communication Specialist to serve as the facility champion for My Healthe Vet supporting existing and future Veteran communication initiatives, including the Virtual Health Resource Center.

Requirements:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/03/2026.

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. 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: Experience in applying analytical and evaluative techniques to the identification, consideration, and resolution of issues or problems of a procedural or factual nature. Experience in marketing, advertising, salesmanship ideas, concepts and tactics. Skilled in audio-visual techniques to support the creation of speech materials, slide shows, radio, television, and other communication mediums.

-OR-

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation..

-OR-

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond and successfully completion graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the Communication Specialist, may be substituted to meet the experience requirements for GS-09 position. For example, an applicant with 6 months of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 (50 percent of the experience requirement for GS-09) and 1 year of successfully completed graduate education (18 semester hours), as described above, (50 percent of the education requirement for the GS-09) would qualify for a GS-09 position.

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: Experience in written and oral communication techniques to perform duties developing new information material and convey ideas and thoughts through both orally and in writing correspondences. Experience in journalistic abilities required to create content that communicates information in a way that is usually regarded as appropriate by the audience. Skilled in using social networking sites and create links.

-OR-

• Education : 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 or I have completed three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree and which demonstrates the competencies necessary to do the work. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation..

-OR-

• Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have 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 the GS-11 grade level. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.)

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Communication
• Communications and Media
• Customer Service
• Education and Training
• Organizational Performance Analysis
• Problem Solving
• Technical Competence

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: Work is primarily sedentary, but may require periods of standing during presentations, briefings, speeches, health fair activities, etc., 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 https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ .