Instructional Systems Specialist
What you'd do
The Instructional Systems Specialist recommends, initiates, plans for, acquires, develops, evaluates, maintains, and updates training programs and training systems for both Central Office and field operations employees in Insurance Service. This responsibility assumes the developmental programs and systems are being created and delivered for Insurance Service. The programs and systems created focus on developing measurable professional level, job-specific competencies within Insurance Service.
Major duties
Designs, develops, and implements training programs. These programs utilize all appropriate media (classroom, interactive television, videotape productions, computer based and web-based training). Teaches, coordinates and provides guidance to instructors and subject matter experts. Independently plans and oversees administration of day-to-day training integration and coordination activities, to include the development, justification and execution of training, education, and professional development. Identifies training needs using performance needs analysis tools, including but not limited to, surveys, focus groups and task analysis that provide feedback and priorities from employees, managers, supervisors, and program participants. Develops, reviews, and revises instructional materials for courses or occupations in accordance with specific learning objectives and/or employees to include lessons plans, training texts, presentations, guides, and all other instruction related materials. Analyzes, designs and develops training curricula for various position types in Insurance Service Central Office and field operations. Implements training delivery and evaluates learning outcomes to measure effectiveness and revise materials. Determines the learning objectives and task learning relationships, cluster learning events, organizes course content, and develops instruction design plans. Conceives and drafts training aids on new systems and components and reviews charts and drawings for technical accuracy. Reviews modifications to existing training to determine impact on training aids and lesson plans being used by stakeholders. Revises aids and courses and prepares instructions for revisions by SMEs. Plans and coordinates related training and development activities to ensure that component parts of major items and quantities specified will meet program requirements for training classes. Plans, promotes, and develops educational design strategies for educational programs/events and products by leading effective teams and providing clear direction. Evaluates program effectiveness by review of reports, direct observation, discussion with team members and consultation with customers. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The grade progression for this position is GS-13. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible: Available (6:00am - 6:00pm). Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Instructional Systems Specialist; PD42236A and PD42237A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit: No
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 08/25/2026. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 level. If you are a current VBA employee requesting a reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-13 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-13. 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. 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. AND This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement IOR/basic requirement. Applicants must clearly demonstrate in their application how the standards are met. Applicants who do not meet basic requirements will not receive further consideration. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Degree: that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours appropriate to the work of the position to be filled. The course work must have included study in at least four of the following five areas: Learning theory, psychology of learning, educational psychology: Study of learning theories as they relate to the systematic design, development, and validation of instructional material. Instructional design practices: Study of the principles and techniques used in designing training programs, developing design strategy and models, and applying design methods to the improvement of instructional effectiveness. Educational evaluation: Study of the techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of instructional/educational programs, including developing written and performance tests and survey instruments, and determining reliability and validity of evaluation instruments. Instructional product development: Study of the techniques appropriate for developing training materials, including identifying learner characteristics, specifying objectives, applying training strategy, validating training materials, and evaluating training. Computers in education and training: Study of the application of computers in education and training, including selecting appropriate computer software. NOTE: A copy of all college transcripts (marked unofficial/official ONLY) must be included in the application package. If selected, candidates will be required to furnish copies of all official transcripts prior to entry on duty. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: GS-12 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) designing, developing, or reviewing training curricula, course materials, instructional aids, and learning tools, and conducting evaluations to determine training effectiveness and learner performance.; (2) collecting, analyzing, and interpreting training related data, reports, and performance measures to identify trends and recommend improvements; and (3) administering or managing components of a training or learning program. GS-13 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) designing, developing, or reviewing training curricula, course materials, instructional aids, and learning tools, and conducting evaluations to determine training effectiveness and learner performance.; (2) collecting, analyzing, and interpreting training related data, reports, and performance measures to identify trends and recommend improvements; (3) administering or managing components of a training or learning program; (4) work in the occupation or subject-matter field requiring training or instructing others; and (5) effective communication skills across various audiences. There is no education substitution for experience at the GS-12 or GS-13 grade levels. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some physical effort may be required to perform the duties of the position. The incumbent may sit to do much of the work. The nature of the work will place the incumbent often in a stressful situation and the incumbent must possess the maturity, and judgement to complete the work assignments. Some standing and walking is necessary. 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/.
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