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Professional Learning Specialist (Students w/ Disabilities)

Department of Defense
Department of War Education Activity
DoWEA Europe Office of the Director Special Education Support Team

Summary

About the Position: This is a Full Time 629452 Professional Learning Specialist (Students with Disabilities) position for the DoWEA Europe Office of the Director Special Education Support Team, located in Sembach, Germany.

Federal employees in Sembach are currently entitled to receive a 42% Post Allowance (COLA) in addition to the base salary.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 07/14/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 14, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Salary
$90,925 - $118,204 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
NC7X-26-12997927-MPEX
Control number
875221800

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Duties

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  • Plan and prioritize actions to build capacity for district/school stakeholders to promote special education standards driven instruction, innovative practices, and professional growth.
  • Coordinate special education instructional programs and services to ensure efficient implementation and avoid duplication/overlap of efforts.
  • Utilize research results and accountability data regarding leadership, instructional programs, school climate, and school improvement strategies to formulate recommendations.
  • Conduct root cause analysis and identify discrepancies between goals and current status.
  • Provide guidance to district and school leadership teams to develop goals that are aligned to DoDEA’s missions, beliefs, and priorities.
  • Implement and sustain a collaborative coaching approach for district and school leaders to become more reflective practitioners and support their roles as instructional leaders.
  • Use a variety of data tools to determine root cause analysis and facilitate district and school improvement planning and execution.
  • Develop and administer a research agenda to identify, replicate, and catalog best practices.
  • Facilitate vertical and horizontal communication between and among all grade levels.
  • Recommend and implement data-driven, research-based school improvement plans and instructional leadership.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Requirement.
  • Proof of U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • Appointment subject to a suitability/fitness determination, as determined by a background investigation.
  • This position requires a Tier 1 (T1) investigation with Childcare Checks since its duties require interaction with children and youth under the age of eighteen (18) years of age.
  • You may be required to sign a transportation agreement.
  • Must be able to satisfy the requirements of the 26JUL12 DODI 1400.25 V1230, DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Employment in Foreign Areas and Employee Return Rights. Visit http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/140025v1230.pdf
  • Individuals hired from the Continental United States (CONUS) and their family members (who are US Citizens) are required to obtain Official Passports prior to departure to the overseas area.
  • This position requires a 2-yr Trial Period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct;...
  • ...agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service....
  • Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens

To qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below.

Education: A Master's Degree or higher in Education or Special Education.

The course work must have been completed at, or accepted by, a regionally accredited U.S. college or university. Applicants must provide copies of official bachelor's and master's transcripts (include EDS and Doctorate if applicable). Semester hours for credit bearing internships or practicum experiences in educational leadership and/or supervision is accepted.

AND

General Experience (5 Years):
Elementary or secondary school experience in a teaching, educational research, development of curriculum and instructional materials, education assessment and evaluation, professional development, special education, educational administration, which clearly demonstrated success in applying the principles, methods, and techniques of education, and provided familiarity with current developments in teaching, learning, instructional leadership, and professional development.

Specialized Experience (2 Years): Experience in a professional position which clearly demonstrated the ability to administer and support PreK-12 grade curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, or special education programs and to effectively support educators in professional growth. Specialized experience must include a minimum of two years as an Elementary or Secondary School Administrator, Instructional Systems Specialist (ISS), Curriculum Coordinator or Instructional Coach above the school level at district or state level.

AND

Professional Certification/License Requirement:
Must be DoDEA certified/certifiable in any of the special education content areas.

Note: Reciprocity will be given to applicants who submit a valid unencumbered fully professional teaching license with a certification comparable to DoDEA special education teaching categories and issued from a State Board of Education of the United States and its U.S. territories or National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The unencumbered professional teaching license will be considered to have fulfilled the semester hour requirement for DoDEA special education certification and applicant will be found eligible for the Professional Certification/License Requirement for this vacancy. All undergraduate and graduate official transcripts are still required to be submitted with application to be deemed eligible for the Education requirement.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Foreign Degrees and Course Work from Non-accredited Institutions. Credits or degrees earned from a foreign college or university must be evaluated prior to acceptance. Three evaluation procedures are acceptable:

  1. The work may be evaluated and interpreted by the International Education Research Foundation, Inc., Credential Evaluation Service, Post Office Box 3665, Culver City, CA 90231-3665 or www.ierf.org/ or 310-258-9451.
  2. The foreign institution that awarded the degree is on a list endorsed by a regionally accredited university or on a list endorsed by a state department of education for the purpose of teacher certification in that state (this procedure will require an English translation of the transcript and a copy of the document awarding the degree, together with an authenticated list produced by an American university or a state department of education); and
  3. The work may be evaluated by the graduate division of a regionally accredited university and declared the equivalent of similar undergraduate or graduate work in a U.S. institution.
Graduates of non-accredited institutions may have their undergraduate work validated by admittance to graduate school and completion of a minimum of 5 semester hours of credit in a regionally accredited graduate college.

Failure to provide all the required information as stated in the vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Additional information

  • Applicants must comply with the Exceptional Family Member Program requirements as outlined in the DoD Instruction 1315.19.
  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens who are not considered Ordinarily Resident under the applicable Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). An ordinarily resident is anyone who has lived in the host country longer than the allowed number of days without being a member of the forces assigned, civilian component or a family member of either the aforementioned or who has obtained a work permit for any duration. Ordinarily Resident restrictions apply and vary depending on the host nation.
  • Applicants who have family members with special medical needs should ensure that prior to accepting a position overseas their family members' medical needs can be met. Access to care in a military treatment facility may not be available to civilian employees except on a space available basis. Consequently, host nation medical facilities may be the only care available. The availability and level of care at host nation medical facilities will vary by location.
  • Employees (and family members) who require medical or dental care in the overseas location will be responsible for obtaining and paying for such care. Access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only.
  • Medical and dental care may be provided by host nation providers. The availability and level of care at host nation medical and dental facilities will vary by location.
  • Family member appointments will expire based on the sponsor's rotation date. Family member appointments may not exceed two months after an employee is no longer considered a family member within the local commuting area due to PCS or divorce of sponsor or, in the case of a child, the age of 23. Family members are defined according to the DODI 1400.25, Vol.1232 as: For a military member whose duty station is in a foreign area, the member's spouse or unmarried dependent child. For a civilian US employee as defined by section 2105 of Title 5, United States Code, the employee's spouse, domestic partner, or unmarried dependent child, or unmarried child of the employee's spouse or domestic partner. A family member must physically reside with his or her sponsor to receive family member preference.
  • Selectees initially recruited from the United States may receive certain foreign area benefits such as: Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) or government quarters, home leave, etc. (Subject to approval). Overseas allowances may be authorized in accordance with Department of State Standardized Regulation (DSSR) and DoDI 1400.25 volume 1250. http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/1400.25-V1250.pdf
  • Selectees recruited outside the U.S. will have their eligibility for foreign area benefits determined at the time of hire.
  • For positions in a foreign country, that country's laws or international agreements may have a direct impact on the ability of an employee's same sex domestic partner or spouse to accompany the employee and receive certain benefits. If you believe you may be affected by these laws and agreements, you should familiarize yourself with relevant information before applying for or accepting this position.
  • Applicants with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should notify David Walton at ra@dodea.edu.

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.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Basis for Rating - To compete with U.S. Citizens: Qualified candidates will be ranked based on their level of experience. Applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants with no preference with the same ratings. Points will be added to an applicant's score if entitled to preference.

Additional Information regarding overseas appointments:

  • If an employee brings a child to an overseas location and that child is entitled to attend a DoD school on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, the DoDEA and the Military Department responsible for providing related services will ensure that the child, if eligible for special education, receives a free appropriate public education, including related services pursuant to DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12.
  • If an employee brings an infant or toddler (up to 3 years of age) to an overseas location, and that infant or toddler, but for the child's age, is entitled to attend the DoDEA on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, then the Military Department responsible for EIS will provide the infant or toddler with the required EIS in accordance with the eligibility criteria consistent with DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12.
  • If an employee brings a family member to an overseas location who requires medical or dental care, then the employee will be responsible for obtaining and paying for such care. Access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only.
  • Be advised that effective Jan. 1 2018, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, most civilian employee relocation allowances became taxable. The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for the additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. For more information, visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction.html.
  • Pay retention may be offered to selected applicants for positions at overseas locations. Pay retention will not be offered as an incentive for employees moving between overseas positions.

NOTE: Applicants may not be considered or rated if they do not submit all the forms indicated above and failure to submit the required forms will not be a basis for subsequent appeal or grievance.

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Department of War Education Activity

Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA), as one of only two Federally-operated school systems, is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behalf of the Department of War (DoW). DoWEA is globally positioned, operating 160 accredited schools in 8 districts located in 11 foreign countries, 7 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. DoWEA employs approximately 15,000 employees who serve more than 72,000 children of active duty military and DoW civilian families. DoWEA is committed to ensuring that all school-aged children of military families are provided a world-class education that prepares them for postsecondary education and/or career success and to be leading contributors in their communities as well as in our 21st century globalized society.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
DoWEA Europe Region Office
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22311
US

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Learn more about what it's like to work at Department of War Education Activity, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://www.dodea.edu

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