Communications Specialist

Full Job Description

The position is located in the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), Office of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (OSVA).

Incumbent will create, implement, and evaluate strategies to effectively convey information on OSDBU programs and services to internal and external stakeholder audiences.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/10/2026.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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.

See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.

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-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: . Conduct strategic communications planning and evaluating integrated communication strategies.

Develop and manage tactical communications and responses to Congressional and stakeholder inquiries.

Serve as a program manager for communications related contracts ensuring adherence to scope, schedule and budget.

Plan, facilitate, and execute in-person and/or virtual events including conferences, webinars and outreach engagements.

Conduct cost-benefit and impact analyses to implement data-driven improvements to outreach and engagement strategies.

Coordinate communications across all platforms ensuring consistency, timeliness, and federal compliance with Section 508.

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 usually performed in an office setting. Some light physical exertion is required to move equipment and materials.

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/.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy.

To be found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Managing high-volume, multi-channel communications. Coordinating Internal and External stakeholder engagements.

Planning and executing large-scale events and outreach initiatives. Ensuring compliance with organizational policies, branding, and federal communication standards.

Serving in a strategic communications role with direct experience in developing and executing communication strategies.

Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Washington, DC.

This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20420. Major Duties:

Duties include but not limited to: Coordinate and manage communication activities. Develop and implement strategic communication plans aligned with OSDBU priorities.

Design and develop content (text, graphics, and digital media) for public-facing and internal platforms.

Serve as the primary for projects related to the design, implementation, and maintenance of the OSDBU online presence.

Prepare written materials to include talking points, briefing materials and reports for leadership and external stakeholders.

Evaluate the effectiveness of OSDBU communication methods by conducting analyses across surveys and digital platforms.

Plan and execute engagement activities, including training sessions and outreach events with internal and external partners.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: May be available at Manager's discretion. Telework: As determined by Agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: PD41817O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required