Chief Communications Officer at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | San Diego, CA | $122K/yr – $158K/yr

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Chief Communications Officer

San Diego, CA (On-site)

$122K/yr – $158K/yrDirector/ExecutiveFull time

Posted 2 months ago

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Job Summary

Lead public affairs and strategic communications to protect and advance the VA San Diego Healthcare System’s reputation, coordinating media relations, crisis response, executive events, and stakeholder engagement across local, VISN, and national levels.

Public Affairs & Media: Own messaging, policy interpretation, and proactive outreach to shape public opinion and trust.
Spokesperson & Events: Represent leadership at high-visibility events and coordinate congressional and stakeholder engagements.
Leadership & Strategy: Advise executives, manage a Public Affairs team, and drive cross‑functional campaigns aligned to strategic priorities.

Job Description

Serve as the primary media spokesperson for VASDHS - responding to local and regional inquiries and interpreting national VA policies for public understanding
Direct - develop - implement - and evaluate all internal and external communication programs - including strategic communication plans and public affairs policies
Represent the Medical Center Director at public - civic - and community events - strengthening relationships and promoting a positive perception of VASDHS
Lead and supervise the Office of Public Affairs staff - including assigning work - evaluating performance - resolving conflicts - and overseeing professional development
Manage and oversee social media - the facility Intranet/Internet - and all digital communication platforms - ensuring timely and accurate information dissemination
Develop communication campaigns to support organizational initiatives - anticipate public opinion - and address issues affecting stakeholder perception
Plan and coordinate executive-level events - including congressional visits - service officer meetings - and high-visibility engagements with community partners
Provide strategic advice to leadership on communication implications of policy decisions - crisis response - and public affairs strategies at local - VISN - and national levels
Accept and execute VISN and national-level public affairs projects - contributing to broader VA and VHA communication priorities

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 06/08/2026.
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.
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.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

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