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Training Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Executive Director, Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction
Veterans Affairs Acquisition Academy (VAAA)

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OAL) within the Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Academy (VAA). The Training Specialist serves under the general direction of a Vice-Chancellor, Acquisition Academy and works closely with other acquisition senior leaders to align the VAAA curriculum with the business and mission needs of the VA. The Senior Training Specialist oversees contractor support service and serves as an expert in the field of education.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/12/2026 to 03/18/2026
Salary
$143,913 to - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Washington, DC
Frederick, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CCLQ-12906545-26-JT
Control number
860785700

Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Independently, or with minimal guidance, accurately identifies intrinsic issues in assigned areas, collects essential data and conducts analysis of information gathered
  • Applies principles and techniques of performance problem analysis and instructional system design to: identify performance problems caused by a lack of skill or knowledge; develop instructional strategies to address identified problems; develop instructional materials consistent with the instructional strategy
  • Develops training materials and incorporates a full range of instructional strategies (e.g., Instructor Led, Self-Paced elearning, Virtual Classroom, Simulation, Blended, etc.)
  • Analyzes and projects work force data for the improvement of acquisition career paths
  • Determines learning objectives and teaching methodologies
  • Develops procedures, criteria and standards for use in evaluating VAAAs training and educational programs
  • Develops and administers agency-wide policies, programs and procedures for improving technical performance of VA OAL, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA), Construction and Facilities Management (CFM), Office of Information Technology (OIT) and VA Central Office (VACO) employees that are project/program managers, CORs or integrated product team members
  • Plans, organizes and/or conducts acquisition seminars for VA employees
  • Trains instructors for specialized requirements in support of quick response to new policies and programs to be implemented by the OAL workforce
  • Keeps instructors informed on new policies, regulations, and changing practices that Impact existing curricula
  • Provides leadership, advice and consultation in the area of acquisition training
  • Advises OAL executives on matters within the area of assigned responsibility
  • Manages and oversees all contractor support services associated with the operation of a comprehensive career development program designed to train, develop, and retain acquisition professionals
  • Establishes and maintains a close working relationship with officials in VA organizational elements, various Federal agencies, professional associations, vendor representatives, educational institutions, and others in OA&L for the purpose of enhancing the VAAA school program
  • Provides leadership in the development and management of training curricula for a variety of technical topics, including the various types of commodities and services typically acquired by the VA

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: PD10502A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • 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.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one year probationary period or two 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 one year probationary period or two year trial 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, 03/18/2026.

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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13 level. 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. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Individual Occupational Requirements:
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- education or a subject area related to the position to be filled; OR

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.
In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the specialized experience as described below:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-13 level) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Providing leadership, advice and consultation in the area of acquisition training; Developing training materials and incorporating a full range of instructional strategies (e.g., Instructor Led, Self-Paced elearning, Virtual Classroom, Simulation, Blended, etc.); Developing procedures, criteria and standards for use in evaluating training and educational programs; Managing and overseeing all contractor support services associated with the operation of a comprehensive career development program designed to train, develop, and retain acquisition professionals

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Critical Thinking
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Education and Training
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Project Management
  • 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 work is sedentary. However, the incumbent is required to travel periodically to gather information from field facilities and to instruct training classes at field sites, participate in other meetings and training as required and to provide expert assistance or advise to other government agencies as requested.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 found well qualified, applicants must have a mastery of education with a background in federal acquisition and skill in interrelating principles and concepts in the field. Applicant's specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Developing programs and policies, and selecting, monitoring and valuating programs to achieve agency objectives
  • Planning, developing, conducting, and managing the professional development and training of students
  • Applying extensive knowledge of operational contracting and federal acquisition, and the latest advances in the industry for stimulating new ideas and encouraging new approaches to long-standing problems
  • Utilizing Adult Learning (ADL) technologies to provide student and faculty support, to include providing faculty development sessions, online tutorials, and using the Learning Management Systems (LMS) to perform administrative functions and manage course implementations.




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/.

Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Frederick, MD or Washington, DC. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 7485 New Horizon Way, Frederick, MD 21703 or 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20420.

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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office.

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 (HRA) at The Fair Chance Act.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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:
https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be contacted for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

  • All current, permanent VA Employees in the Office of Acquisitions and Logistics
  • All other current, permanent VA employees
  • All other applicants (if status)

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