Training Specialist

Summary

The primary purpose of the position is to develop and implement the ongoing training programs for employees with MAS as well as staff within other services that have responsibility for using MAS packages to perform their duties. The position is located in the Business Office, Medical Administration Service (MAS) at the Washington DC VA Medical Center.

Duties

• Duties to include, but not limited to: Developing and administering training programs for the MAS staff as well as administrative employees throughout the medical facility and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) Assesses training program quality and effectiveness for continuous improvement. Collaborates with supervisors and the Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator (ADPAC) to monitor and develop seamless processes within the service with the goal of improving efficiency, effectiveness and customer service. Develops the training plan each fiscal year, as well as the monthly training calendar of the training programs for the service, including the day, time and training location. Conducts and evaluates employee training needs In order to provide guidance to MAS management and supervisory staff on establishing and operating internal training programs, developing or obtaining/purchasing training aids and selecting appropriate training resources. Coordinates requests for training funds in accordance with established service priorities on special interest training needs. Provides training on scheduling packages, electronic waiting lists, eligibility and enrollment, means testing, beneficiary travel, encounter management reporting, clinic set up procedures, customer service, new MAS Initiatives, directives, processes, and Informational training material. Monitors quality program implementation and indicators designed to verify adherence to requirements, prevent errors and eliminate ineffective work practices. Investigates and analyzes adverse quality trends or conditions and initiates corrective action. Designs studies, training programs, and organizational strategies for identifying opportunities to improve customer service and process quality. Performs audits of training processes to ensure compliance with directives, prepares report of findings, and prepares training that addresses deficient areas. Applies analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues or studies concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of ADPAC and other programs. Applies Joint Commission standards relating to service operations to assure compliance and recommend improvements to meet standards. Applies comprehensive, practical knowledge of day-to-day operations to identify how mandatory changes affect employees in order to develop the training required for implementation. Implements, administers, and coordinates all aspects of the training and educational concepts in order to instruct all levels of employees, students, volunteers, and management. Maintains effective interpersonal relationships and negotiating solutions with supervisory, professional and nonprofessional staff, personnel and staff in other Services and facilities. Adjusts education materials and presentations to the level of the learner in order to maximize the learning process. Independently develops and plans the overall training program, including developing deadlines, priorities and training schedules to meet established goals and objectives. Communicates with individuals and groups, both VA and non-VA, at different levels with a wide variety of educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, divergent opinions, and priorities, by applying a variety of communication techniques. Utilizes technical competence with various automated data systems, such as VISTA, CPRS, and other applicable software for output/input and analyses of data. Reviews available resources and educational materials for appropriateness and selects or modifies these materials to address existing educational problems or needs. Conducts formal and/or informal in service and continuing education programs based on identified need. 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. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm, 8:00am- 4:30pm EST Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Training Specialist/PD513140 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/16/2026. 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. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- education or a subject area related to the position to be filled. OR, Experience: Specialized Experience: 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. GS-09 Requirement: 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: 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. Working in the occupation or subject-matter field of the position to be filled that required training or instructing others on a regular basis. OR, Education 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 GS-11 Requirement: 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: 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. Working in the occupation or subject-matter field of the position to be filled that required training or instructing others on a regular basis. OR, Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR, Equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. OR, LL.M., if related Best Qualified Criteria Training Specialist, GS-9 (Entry Level) Best Qualified Candidates identified should demonstrate experience in the following areas: 1.Experience providing formal or informal instruction, coaching, mentoring, or on-the-job training to employees. 2.Knowledge of patient scheduling principles, policies, procedures, and customer service practices within a healthcare setting. 3.Experience communicating effectively, both orally and in writing, including presenting information to individuals or small groups. 4.Experience using electronic health record systems, scheduling applications, or other computerized systems to complete daily work assignments. 5.Ability to organize work, prioritize multiple assignments, and adapt to changing operational needs while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. 6.Experience collaborating with supervisors, leadership, and multidisciplinary teams to support training initiatives or operational goals. 7.Demonstrated ability to learn new systems, policies, and procedures and apply them effectively in the workplace. Best Qualified Criteria Training Specialist, GS-11 (Full Performance) Candidates identified as Best Qualified should demonstrate specialized experience in the following areas: 1.Experience independently developing, coordinating, facilitating, and evaluating employee training programs. 2.Advanced knowledge of patient scheduling policies, procedures, directives, and operational workflows within a healthcare environment. 3.Experience using the Integrated Scheduling System, Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture, and other scheduling applications to provide instruction, troubleshoot issues, and support operational improvements. 4.Experience conducting scheduling audits, analyzing audit results, identifying trends, and developing corrective action plans to improve scheduling accuracy and compliance. 5.Experience utilizing reporting tools and system-generated data to evaluate performance, monitor compliance, identify training needs, and provide recommendations to leadership. 6.Experience presenting information to large groups, facilitating classroom instruction, leading meetings, and delivering virtual or in-person training. 7.Experience advising supervisors and leadership regarding training needs, operational challenges, compliance issues, and process improvement initiatives. 8.Experience developing or revising standard operating procedures, job aids, instructional materials, or other training resources. 9.Experience evaluating employee competency, providing constructive feedback, coaching staff, and recommending additional training based on performance outcomes. 10.Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple projects, establish priorities, and effectively communicate with employees and leadership across organizational levels. 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/.

Requirements

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. 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.

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/.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13058060. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 09/16/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit