OPERATIONS PLANNING SPECIALIST (INSTRUCTOR)

Summary

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Duties

• The primary purpose of this position is: To serve as an Air Operations Center (AOC) Formal Training Unit (FTU) Instructor and subject matter expert. Responsible for oversight of AOC FTU lessons; training students on operational level warfare command and control through the five divisions of the AOC, coordinating and de-conflicting blocks of instruction, training schedules, and lesson execution; as a subject matter expert (SME) in the assigned area. Duties: Plans, organizes, coordinates, directs, and implements course development and instruction. Applies military AOC Team experience. Analyzes, develops, coordinates, and evaluates issues and recommends development of solutions to resolve substantive problems and issues of effectiveness and efficiency of work operations in the assigned program area. Develops practical training exercises. Evaluates instructional programs and participates in special projects for the formal training unit. Maintains professional and technical expertise.

Qualifications

Conditions of Employment: The employee is required to travel by commercial or military aircraft in the performance of temporary duty (TDY) assignments. This position may require the employee to occasionally travel for extended periods away from the normal duty station to include CONUS or overseas and may include remote or isolated areas. The employee must be able to obtain and retain a US Government official passport. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) Security Clearance. This position is designated Special Sensitive and requires eligibility for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), other intelligence-related Special Sensitive information, or involvement in Top Secret Special Access Programs (SAP) to fully perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. A non-disclosure agreement must be signed. This is a drug testing designated position. The incumbent is subject to random testing for drug use. This position has been designated by the Air Force as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Air Force Civilian Testing Program. Employee must pass initial and periodic short notice drug testing. Illegal drug use by employees in sensitive positions presents a clear threat to the mission of the Air Force, national security, and public safety. Incumbent of this position is subject to the possibility of a random drug test. In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Administrative and Management Positions, Miscellaneous Administration and Program Series 0301. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-11, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes in-depth knowledge and skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues or studies concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations toward development and/or improvement of constructive training programs in support of personnel readiness to conduct major military operations such as war, mobilization, deployment, exercise, Special Operations, command and control, or similar operations. In-depth knowledge of the various command entities involved in overall planning and execution of military operations and evaluations and the ability to convey advanced concepts and implement technical procedures in support of operational- level command and control formal training unit operations. Knowledge of Air Force and command program goals and objectives; the sequence and timing of key operational events and milestones; methods of evaluating the effectiveness of planning actions related to actual events; and the relationship of the various command entities involved in overall program planning and execution of military operations and evaluation of the same. Knowledge of a wide range of principles, practices, and concepts involved in command-and-control training to develop the syllabus required through academic instruction and practical exercises. Knowledge of the methods, principles, practices, and programs related to instructional techniques, training resources; and evaluation and testing to measure and assess training program results. FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: In-depth knowledge of the application of military rated aviation operations expertise as it applies to assigned programs, operations, weapon systems, logistics support and personnel readiness in support of major military operations such as war, mobilization, deployment, exercise, Special Operations, command and control, or similar operations. Operational experience as a fighter, bomber, or command and control platform aircrew member is highly desirable. Knowledge of Air Force and command program goals and objectives; the sequence and timing of key operational events and milestones; methods of evaluating the effectiveness of planning actions related to actual events; and the relationship of the various command entities involved in overall program planning and execution of military operations and evaluation of the same. Ability to apply a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to participate in the assessment and improvement of training programs. Skill in planning and executing various mission specialties in support of joint task forces and air component objectives. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing as an instructor. Ability to negotiate complex issues; and maintain good working relationships. Knowledge of Air & Space Operations Center and Air Force Forces missions and relationships to determine coordination and liaison requirements and training audience strengths and weaknesses for program planning and execution. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How to apply

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/17/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13060784 To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. A complete Application Questionnaire 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here. PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.