Summary This position is within Medical Administrative Service (MAS)/ Health Administration Service (HAS) and is the senior trainer within MAS/HAS. The incumbent develops and implements training, programming for employees at the medical center and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), provides initial and ongoing orientation for inpatient/outpatient and CBOC Medical Support Assistants (MSAs), Health Benefit Advisors (HBAs), Beneficiary Travel Claims Clerks and assists with MSA scheduling training. Responsibilities Duties may include but are not limited to: Develops and implements training module(s) for new and existing employees for inpatient/outpatient, CBOC MSAs, HBAs, Travel clerks, and other medical center staff (clerical, administrative, and clinical). Performs work in the development and/or evaluation of courses for training programs, implements changes based upon evaluations of courses/programs. Provides instruction covering a wide variety of topics in well-established areas of a subject matter field, which includes training healthcare providers and MSAs, HBAs, and travel clerks. Identifies and determines training priorities, conducts and administers training programs, and develops and improves training guidance as it relates to VistA, CPRS, and other computer applications. Is knowledgeable about the competency-based orientation and validation program and activities. Uses this knowledge to enhance orientation and other educational programming to ensure the competencies for Medical Center employees. Trains and orientates users (clerical, administrative, and clinical) in selected program and applications (VISTA, CPRS, and TMS). Responsible for IT security and confidentiality for, but not limited to, data, network or system access, accessibility codes. Develops, obtains, and adapts current instructional material. Performs duties involving the instruction of training courses or the modification of course content and/or material. Uses a wide range of teaching methods or tools, depending on the students learning requirements. Initiates educational programming which is responsive to changes in the policy/procedure/technology, and promotes the mission, vision, and values of the organization. Instructional problems encountered require organization of course material and/or modification for students who may pose typical problems of communication or remediation. Remediation may include the incumbent identifying the specific problem, selecting/implementing alternative learning strategies, setting daily objectives, documenting progress including discussing with employee, and formally reporting to immediate supervisor for potential action. In the performance of official duties, the employee has regular access to printed/electronic files containing sensitive data, which must be protected under provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policy. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Training Specialist/PD12007A Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/05/2026. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. There is an Individual Occupational Requirement for Training Specialist GS-1712: Education Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- education or a subject area related to the position to be filled. OR Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience that demonstrated a practical knowledge of the subject area of the position and of the methods and techniques of instruction. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Teaching or instructing in an adult education program, secondary school, college, military installation, or industrial establishment in the appropriate field(s). Supervising or administering a training program. Development or review of training/course materials, aids, devices, etc., and evaluation of training results. Work in the occupation or subject-matter field of the position to be filled that required training or instructing others on a regular basis In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must also meet the experience below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Four years of experience that demonstrated a thorough understanding of the principles and practices underlying the work of this series. This experience must have been of such character and diversity to demonstrate that the applicant possesses an understanding of the field comparable to that normally acquired through successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Develops, designs, and implements training materials, course methods, and training aids for new and existing clerical, administrative, and clinical employees; Designs and/or collects curriculum materials for presentations; ensures appropriateness for audience and setting; Responsible for IT security and confidentiality to data, systems, network, and accessibility; Utilizes a variety of learning tools and technologies for instruction implementation; Technical knowledge of scheduling in VA Systems, medical software, and general automation equipment for presentation preparation. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of the position to be filled, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of the position to be filled, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience must reflect the level; at least 1 full academic year of professional teaching experience. This experience is defined as full and primary responsibility, under general supervision, for instruction of assigned students in an accredited school or institution. This includes responsibility for preparing and presenting lessons and for evaluating students' progress, including a determination of the students' success or failure according to established criteria. Serving in an assistant capacity to a professor without the authority to determine the students' success or failure to meet course requirements does not meet this criterion. 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 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/. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. 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. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
