Education Specialist

Summary If selected, you will be responsible for organizing, coordinating and adapting training courses and materials and for subsequently delivering course content in a structured classroom environment. for Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) personnel, as well as other Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) employees and client Agencies. Responsibilities The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. The duties may include, but are not limited to: Utilizes the findings of evaluations to recommend new/improved training programs. Establishes instructional design, development and evaluative criteria through analysis of instructional problems or questions. Utilizes the findings of evaluations to recommend new/improved training programs. Evaluates training/education programs and makes recommendations to management as to the practical application of these programs for APHIS employees. Provides problem-solving assistance, career counseling, leadership, and technical review for other staff members and APHIS/PPQ employees. Participates in recommending establishment of policy, procedures, and guidelines for delivery of training and education programs to technical, non-technical, and scientific employees in APHIS/PPQ. Serves as an administrator of instruction by delivering classroom and self-instructional training. Establishes and maintains professional contacts and cooperative relationships with leading education practitioners, researchers, training and academic institutions, and other APHIS/PPQ staff. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree: that included or was supplemented by major study in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position, plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in A above. FOR THE GS-9 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-7 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: organizing, coordinating, producing, delivering and/or adapting training courses or deliverables that are typically short and self-contained, or constitute portions of larger project; and applying a template to document, organize and report utilizing a structured system of record keeping (Newnan, GA Only); and documenting, implementing, and managing training systems or learning management processes that may include scheduling, delivery, reporting, or user management (Fredrick, MD Only). OR Have two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree if related. Related degrees may include: systems analysis, business administration, training and development, education, project management, and records management. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. You are qualifying for the position based on education. You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-09 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. 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, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education Please see above for education qualification requirement information. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected. Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official. Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection. Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.