Instructional Systems Specialist

Overview

This position is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) Training section. The VCL is a 24 hour/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year call center service aimed at connecting callers world-wide to a caring, qualified VA counselor.

Major Duties

*THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION* This announcement will remain open until the closing date of September 4, 2026, or when the applicant count is reached, whichever is earlier. The applicant count is the point at which the first 50 applications are received. All applications submitted that day up to 11:59 p.m. eastern standard time on the date the applicant count is reached will be accepted and considered. Major duties and responsibilities include: Accomplishes broad and complex assignments associated with conceiving, developing, implementing and evaluating VCL/PSOC (Peer Support Outreach Center) training programs and curriculum for VCL external stakeholders. Applies principles of organizational development to help build the capacity to design and develop training programs and curriculum focused on improving employee knowledge and understanding of evidence-based and best practice crisis intervention skills and agency processes and protocols. Provides independent, critical reviews of entire courses or specific lessons, focusing especially on the inherent logic, completeness and efficiency of teaching strategies and methodologies, finalizes changes with the course developer and submits them for final quality review in accordance with prescribed completion dates. Constructs/develops practical exercises and examinations to meet and measure the specified training objectives. Recommends course structural changes to provide the proper sequencing of objectives, adequate spacing of practice and reinforcement exercises and an overall instructional design whose learning outcomes are logically consistent with the teaching purposes. Analyzes organizational performance problems, new requirements and taskings to employees that are or may become training issues and recommends appropriate actions. Develops and delivers presentations to executive leadership and department leads to introduce and seek approval of new or enhance external training initiatives. Reviews job and task analyses; task inventories; job and target population data; course participant's feedback and recommendations; existing course materials to identify training shortfalls and redundancies. Determines appropriate strategies to correct problems identified and makes recommendations to senior leadership. Serves as a subject-matter authority in the methodologies of adult learning, Interactive Multimedia instruction, Instructional Systems Design, Criterion-Referenced instruction, Competency Based instruction and/or Experiential Learning Model instruction in the area of providing specialized training, e.g., curriculum development, instructional media, multimedia delivery systems and audiovisual training aids, training devices, programmed instruction, testing and outcomes measurement, etc. Assists in developing training and education strategies and products for the VCL program. Conducts comprehensive literature reviews and performs professional research in order to identify innovative techniques and tools that will facilitate the tailoring of training content to meet the needs of the Veteran's Crisis Line, Peer Support Outreach Center and its external stakeholders. Provides ongoing pedagogical training, guidance, and assistance to other subject-matter authorities who are analyzing, designing and developing training programs and products. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Remote: This is a remote position. Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA-owned space outside of the local commuting area of a parent station. The employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business and as such, remote employees are expected to provide a secure, distraction-free home-based worksite with reliable high speed internet connectivity. The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Medical Center or VA Outpatient Clinic for issuance of equipment and as needed for technical support. Selectees will be required to self-certify that their remote workplace meets all safety, privacy and internet speed requirements.

Qualifications

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-11 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING: BASIC INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: You must possess a Bachelor's Degree (Transcript Required) 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: 1) Learning theory, psychology of learning, educational psychology: Study of learning theories as they relate to the systematic design, development and validation of instructional material. 2) 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. 3) 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. 4) 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. 5) Computers in education and training: Study of the application of computers in education and training, including selecting appropriate computer software. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION) ~AND~ IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET ONE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes utilizing learning theories, principles, methods, practices and techniques of education and training in order to evaluate, design and develop education and training program needs; utilizing Interactive Multimedia Instruction in the design and development of mobile applications, web-based and CD-ROM instructional delivery platforms; performing subject-matter research, evaluating and developing educational materials, standards, guides, methods and aids; advising on, designing, developing and providing educational and training services in formal education and/or training programs. (THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME TO BE CREDITABLE.) ~OR~ SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: You must possess three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree that is directly related to the specialization of the position to be filled. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION) ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You must possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school graduate level education and qualifying specialized experience to meet the total qualification requirements at the GS-11 level. (THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME TO BE CREDITABLE AND COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION) Physical Demands: The work is typically sedentary and is performed while sitting at a desk, in conferences, briefings, meetings, etc. There may be occasional brief visits to other staff offices to observe employees at work. The employee may occasionally be required to operate a motor vehicle. 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/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.