Public Affairs Specialist

Public Affairs Specialist

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Health Administration

Veterans Health Administration

Summary

This position is within the Office of Research and Development (ORD), part of VA Central Office in Washington, D.C. ORD provides national policy and direction for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) research programs nationwide. This national research program supports health conditions affecting Veterans through the discovery of new risk indicators, treatments, and programs, as well as evaluating clinical and administrative procedures to ensure every Veteran gets the same top-of-the-line care.

Duties

The Public Affairs Specialist serves as the Office of Research and Development with responsibility for planning, designing, and executing comprehensive, nationwide campaigns to convey information concerning the organization's programs to publics served or affected by such programs.

Evaluates information problems encountered in communicating the organization's programs.

Advises on and recommends specific information activities designed to meet these problems.

Analyzes the information needs of the general public and of the health care community.

Develops plans for campaigns to disseminate information about organization's programs, discoveries, and innovations. Organizes campaigns to bring about timely and coordinated use of all facilities and resources available in the organization and with cooperating stakeholders.

Develops and transmits informational materials to a variety of publics to enhance the understanding of certain attitudes and practices advocated by the organization for the planned and efficient use of natural resources.

Uses a variety of methods and techniques in achieving communication goals such as response to queries (RTQ), fact sheets, news releases, radio and television scripts, feature articles, personal appearances, new conferences, exhibits, brochures, pamphlets, etc.

Analyzes and evaluates ORD needs to advise the director and other management officials of the information that should be made available to the public or approaches to take to attain communication goals.

Advise, assist, and train clinical and medical research subject-matter experts to enable them to translate the impact and importance of their work to the general public through interviews and public speaking engagements as needed.

Provides administrative support to the Office of Research and Development to include writing letters, memoranda, and emails. Responsible for writing communication with internal and external organizations, to include the Office of Research and Development, OPIA and VHA Communications.

Advises staff of any changes in style or format requirements and disseminates current policy. Prepares written guidance and virtual or in person instruction to advise staff at all levels on proper conduct for successful interviews, current policies, question methodology commonly used by press agencies, and relevant or trending topics that should or should not be presented in the interview.

Presents briefings at team meetings as a basis for discussion and agreement on appropriate procedures. The position also requires researching, preparing, and writing of technical and nontechnical health science reports, pamphlets, manuals, and brochures.

Reviews findings and recommendations and other assessments for which Office of Research and Development.

Examines policy, legislative, and congressional issues by critically evaluating data from multiple sources and identifying key issues that needs to be resolved.

Engages with subject matter experts to develop responses that are thorough, concise, clear to laypersons, and addresses the intent of the recommendation.