Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Position Description/PD#: Communications Specialist/PD529-07109-0

Major Duties Include but not Limited to:

• Oversees MHV's online presence and web content and leads innovations to keep the local facility's My HealtheVet Program on the cutting-edge.
• Establish local MHV-related initiatives, strategies to meet goals, identifies responsible parties, tracks progress including monitoring activity status, and reports status/progress to Connected Care Program and Medical Center Management.
• Manages multiple projects by planning and organizing activities for My HealtheVet, Secure Messaging, social media, web page/site communication, and all other Connected Care projects.
• Manages, administers, and encourages (influences) leadership to expand usage and improve capabilities of the My HealtheVet Program in support of local facility, VISN and National performance goals.
• Plan, schedule and coordinate work operations to ensure the success of the MHV Program, including the development of business plans in support of strategic program goals.
• Formulates a marketing strategy from research, reports, products and organizational data. Designs, conducts and evaluates innovative means to advertise and market products of the MHV and Social Media Program.
• Analyzes participation trends, uses statistical methodologies to predict future performance, identifies customer markets and consumer needs and advises the local facility leadership on concerns and trends.
• Analyzes legislation, and develops policy affecting programs, activities, or functions for which the facility has responsibility.
• Uses the MHV and Secure Messaging Administrative Portals, VSSC, VistA, surveys, in addition to other sources to gather data to assist with MHV operational decisions in support of achieving program objectives and performance targets.
• Develops reports, recommendations, and proposals to share with facility and VISN leadership in order to improve management knowledge of the program status, and to support needs assessments for program success.
• Serves as SM liaison and administrator to VISN and National MHV staff and is responsible for supporting and guiding local facility stakeholders about MHV. Collaborates with other virtual modality teams to support integration and expand the use of MHV and SM.
• Conducts meetings on a regular basis or as needed, as determined by the facility MHV Coordinator or program managers, with all local facility Secure Messaging teams, including CBOC staff, to review processes, questions, and concerns.
• Deliver presentations to all levels of the local facility, service organizations, Veterans, family members and caregivers. Presentations are designed to inform the audience about the MHV Program, features, Social Media/Website, MHV capabilities, and healthcare assistance to our Veterans. Develop multimedia campaign materials (e.g., printed articles, brochures, videos) to enlighten target population.
• Researches and writes articles, news releases and briefs for inclusion in publications and for release to other media. Uses the internet to maximize outreach efforts.
• Conducts required coordination and obtain clearances as required for release of information.
• Responsible for establishing and managing communications plans that identify target audiences, appropriate messages, activities, and resources needed for effective communication; plan for change; incorporate multiple channels to manage expectations and disseminate project progress.
• Utilizes interpersonal communication skills to best approach Veterans who are apprehensive, difficult, or distressed, working with co-workers, supervisors, and high-level management, and negotiating issues as they arise.
• Manages multi-disciplinary teams comprised of professional, technical and support personnel to coordinate clinical and business functions for the MHV program. Leads cross-functional teams to provide program metrics, quality improvement, operational planning, and strategic planning.
• Maintains liaison with VISN and national MHV teams and coordinators to ensure the correct, current and accurate portrayal of information is provided to meet objectives.
• Serves as the facility liaison to the MHV National Program Management Office and National Help Desk.
• Designs and performs functional and training needs assessments of staff for organizational effectiveness in utilizing the My HealtheVet Program to support the local facility, VISN and National program initiatives. Conducts My HealtheVet and Secure Messaging training sessions with both staff and patients on a continual basis.
• Performs other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/14/2026.

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.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Analyzes functional business and clinical process changes or impact to clinical guidelines in terms of policies, procedures,
    and user behaviors..
  • Develop multimedia campaign materials (e.g., printed articles, brochures, videos) to enlighten target population.
  • Develops long-range program plans, goals, objectives, and milestones and evaluates the effectiveness of Programs.
  • Evaluates the impact on the clinical and business workflow and processes.
  • Manages multiple projects by planning and organizing activities.

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/.