Summary The Program Specialist (Trainer) develops and delivers training programs focused on enhancing customer and employee experiences within the organization. This role involves designing courses, using data-driven tools and metrics to measure success, and coordinating performance improvement initiatives. The trainer manages multiple projects, ensures effective training implementation, and collaborates with stakeholders to boost organizational efficiency. Responsibilities Knowledge of and experience in the application of theories, principles, practices, and techniques related to training and development as well as staff education interventions. Develops overall training vision for experience initiatives for all staff throughout the health care system for the purpose of providing the most optimal experience for Veterans and employees. Responsible for providing knowledge to staff on the components of SAIL and SHEP metrics and facilitate understanding of their individual impact on the measures. Correlate staff roles to the actual Veteran experience and ultimately the SAIL and SHEP ratings and rankings. Develops the Service training plan each fiscal year and the monthly training calendar of the days, times, and location of training programs for service. Develops and modifies courses, sets training priorities, researches and recommends new or alternative training sources. Develops and updates courses (including web-based) policies, guidelines, instructional methods, materials, etc., and provides instructions regarding on-line training methods. Coordinates and implements lean management/performance improvement projects/initiatives based off patient and employee experience principles. Adapts experience principles, practices, and processes to adhere to the principles, practices, and processes of lean management/performance improvement. Knowledge and skill in adapting analytical techniques and evaluation criteria to the measurement and improvement of program effectiveness and/or organizational productivity. Utilize the principles of Human-Centered Design into the training program and course design to incorporate appropriate viewpoints and experiences of the end users and those upon which the training will have an impact (Veterans). Responsible for learning and mastering training in future initiatives in development by the Veterans Experience Office. Frequent contact is required with employees at all levels of the health care system and across services regarding the development of programs, policies, and procedures. Responsible for promotion of patient and employee experience principles that have been integrated with lean management/performance improvement throughout the health care system. Identifies problems and/or opportunities to improve experience through such avenues as informal meetings, health care system committees, statistical data, etc. The employee also conducts special studies and works on special projects, specifically with the implementation of new programs and software. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Yes- Position is Suitable .Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist - Trainer/ PD03935A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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 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, 07/24/2026. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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 and/or education s described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: designing and implementing training programs using Human-Centered Design principles to improve both customer and employee experiences; applying analytical techniques to assess and enhance program effectiveness and organizational productivity; coordinating performance improvement projects aligned with relevant tools and metrics; advanced technical skills, particularly in Microsoft Office and similar systems; and experience managing multiple training projects simultaneously, including developing timelines, setting priorities, and ensuring successful completion across various locations and shifts. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR LL.M., if related (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). 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 a bachelor degree. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The regular and recurring work of this position is sedentary in nature and involves sitting at a desk, conferences, meetings, and standing during training classes. It will involve visits to clinic sites and occasional use of automobile and public conveyances may be required. Incumbent must have the ability to work within an environment of conflicting deadlines and shifting priorities. The incumbent may be required to work evening or weekend hours, as needed, as well as to be willing to travel for frequent meetings to other facilities within the Network and to other offsitelocations. No special physical exertion is required. Work Environment: STVHCS is a tertiary hospital with several divisions and is one of the busiest and most complex Health Care Systems in the nation, with multiple outpatient clinics dispersed over a large geographic region. STVHCS is highly academically affiliated and supports and trains a very large number of residents, interns, and other trainees in a wide variety of medical specialties and health care occupations. The facility is a complexity Level 1 a facility and ranks among the largest health care systems in VA.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/.s/. 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/. Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. 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/.
