This job is open to current and former permanent competitive service employees. Veterans eligibilities include Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA). Military Spouse Preference (MSP), Retained Grade Preference (RGP), and Military Reserve and National Guard Technician eligibles may also apply.
Lead teams in all phases of creating acquisition and technical skills training, including analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
Maintain the official Instructional Systems Design (ISD) audit trail for assigned courses to support accreditation efforts.
Initiate recommendations for the planning, development, and execution of training programs based on extensive research and knowledge of existing capabilities.
Assess emerging educational technology and learning strategies, observe training sessions, and evaluate the effectiveness of training strategies to enhance the learning environment.
Oversee work assignments, improve workflow, prepare reports and long-range plans, and participate significantly in the selection of course development personnel.
Security Requirements: Non-Critical Sensitive with Secret Access
Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
Qualifications
To qualify for an Instructional Systems Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support:
A. Bachelor's degree (or higher degree): that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours appropriate to the work of the position to be filled. The course work must have included study in at least four of the following five areas:
Learning theory, psychology of learning, educational psychology: Study of learning theories as they relate to the systematic design, development, and validation of instructional material.
Instructional design practices: Study of the principles and techniques used in designing training programs, developing design strategy and models, and applying design methods to the improvement of instructional effectiveness.
Educational evaluation: Study of the techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of instructional/educational programs, including developing written and performance tests and survey instruments, and determining reliability and validity of evaluation instruments.
Instructional product development: Study of the techniques appropriate for developing training materials, including identifying learner characteristics, specifying objectives, applying training strategy, validating training materials, and evaluating training.
Computers in education and training: Study of the application of computers in education and training, including selecting appropriate computer software.
AND
B. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. To qualify at the GS-13 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including time-in-grade (General Schedule (GS) positions only), time-after-competitive appointment, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes:
Applying training development principles independently, specifically the Systems Approach to Training (SAT) and Instructional System Design (ISD) models.
Understanding of Norm-referenced and Criterion-referenced testing principles, as well as an understanding of Kirkpatrick Evaluation, Ebbinghaus, and other assessment models.
Leading cross-functional teams, managing complex projects, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals, particularly in driving efficiency and process improvements.
Analyzing and investigating issues related to educational technology and managing projects related to course design, validation, and accreditation.
Serving as a technical subject matter expert for the agency-wide application of the Instructional Systems Development (ISD) process.
Education
If the position has a minimum education requirement you MUST provide transcripts (unofficial are acceptable at the time of application) to support your educational claims. Or, if you are using education to qualify in lieu of specialized experience you MUST provide transcripts (unofficial are acceptable at the time of application) to support your educational claims. The transcripts must include your name, the name of the college or university, class/course list, completed number of credits/hours, and the date degree conferred (if applicable). Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Licenses must be current at time of application.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Additional information
This position does not meet criteria for appointment of Reemployed Annuitants. The DoD criteria for hiring Reemployed Annuitants can be found at: DoDI 1400.25-V300.
Tour of Duty: Flexible
FLSA:Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: Yes
Selectee may be required to serve a trial/probationary period.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The assessments for this job will measure the following Competencies:
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Influencing/Negotiating
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility and/or score.
Once the application process is complete, a manual review of your resume and supporting documentation will occur to determine if you are eligible and among the best qualified as determined by the predetermined cutoff score. Your score is based on your responses to the assessment questionnaire.
If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire Assessment. This additional online assessment is required and must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement unless you have requested Reasonable Accommodation for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Your results will be kept on record for one year when applying for future jobs that require the same USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required documents for submission vary based on the authority you are using to apply (e.g., applying as a veteran, a current permanent Federal employee, a reinstatement, etc). Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
The following documents are REQUIRED: 1. Your resume:
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded 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. Page margins should be 0.5 inches, and font styles must be legible. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? 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.
To ensure full credit for time worked regarding qualifications determinations your resume must include your work schedule. You are strongly encouraged to ensure your resume contains the number of hours worked per week and the specific dates of employment (i.e.,"40 hrs per week; 1/15/2020 - 1/14/2022" or "30 hrs per week; 1/15/2020 - Present").
2. Veteran's Documents:
If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents:
DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.
You must provide a SF-50 (most current Gen Adj or WGI actions are best), or other equivalent official "Notification of Personnel Action" (Note: Request for Personnel Action (SF-52) is NOT acceptable.) Your SF-50 must reflect Tenure (Block 24) and Position Occupied (Block 34).
Time-in-grade documentation: For current federal employees, or individuals who have served in a General Schedule (GS) graded position in the previous 52 weeks, your application must demonstrate you have met the one year time-in-grade requirement by the closing date of this announcement.
4. Transcripts (must include your name, the name of the college or university, class/course list, completed number of credits/hours, and the date degree conferred (if applicable): Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Licenses must be current at time of application.
This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript.
Please review the link for ICTAP, ALL PPP ELIGIBILITIES AND OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:Supporting Document.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/13/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted.Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
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.
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.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
PH0000 DEFENSE CONTRACT MGT - HEADQUARTERS
3901 Adams Ave
Bldg 10500
Fort Lee, VA 23801
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility and qualifications for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit:https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Required documents for submission vary based on the authority you are using to apply (e.g., applying as a veteran, a current permanent Federal employee, a reinstatement, etc). Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
The following documents are REQUIRED: 1. Your resume:
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded 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. Page margins should be 0.5 inches, and font styles must be legible. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? 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.
To ensure full credit for time worked regarding qualifications determinations your resume must include your work schedule. You are strongly encouraged to ensure your resume contains the number of hours worked per week and the specific dates of employment (i.e.,"40 hrs per week; 1/15/2020 - 1/14/2022" or "30 hrs per week; 1/15/2020 - Present").
2. Veteran's Documents:
If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents:
DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.
You must provide a SF-50 (most current Gen Adj or WGI actions are best), or other equivalent official "Notification of Personnel Action" (Note: Request for Personnel Action (SF-52) is NOT acceptable.) Your SF-50 must reflect Tenure (Block 24) and Position Occupied (Block 34).
Time-in-grade documentation: For current federal employees, or individuals who have served in a General Schedule (GS) graded position in the previous 52 weeks, your application must demonstrate you have met the one year time-in-grade requirement by the closing date of this announcement.
4. Transcripts (must include your name, the name of the college or university, class/course list, completed number of credits/hours, and the date degree conferred (if applicable): Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Licenses must be current at time of application.
This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript.
Please review the link for ICTAP, ALL PPP ELIGIBILITIES AND OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:Supporting Document.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/13/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted.Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
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.
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.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
PH0000 DEFENSE CONTRACT MGT - HEADQUARTERS
3901 Adams Ave
Bldg 10500
Fort Lee, VA 23801
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility and qualifications for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit:https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
