What are the responsibilities and job description for the Instructional System Specialist position at Natural Resources Conservation Service?

Summary

This position is located on the staff of the Technical Training and Development Division (TTDD) within Curriculum Development Branch.

The primary purpose of the Instructional Systems Specialist role is to perform occupational analyses, instructional design and materials development, instructional services, instructional program evaluation, test and measurement, or staff and instructor development in carrying out the functions of an NRCS-wide employee development program.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

You may apply if you are a current USDA employee with career / career conditional tenure in the Competitive Service; CTAP / RPL and Farm Service Agency permanent county employees. (You must submit an SF-50 that reflects current employment with USDA and career / career-conditional tenure (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1).)

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Duties

Develops instructional design, course content, and training materials for online and classroom instruction, ensuring alignment with established educational standards

Evaluates external courses offered by universities, colleges, businesses, and government institutions for potential adaptation to FPAC training needs.

Provides guidance and training advice to FPAC employees, leading curriculum planning sessions with technical experts.

Adapts and refines training strategies to meet regional needs and address changes in the training environment.

Serves as the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR), defining training products and deliverables in compliance with acquisition guidelines.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a US Citizen or US National.

Males born after 12 / 31 / 1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.

Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and / or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.

Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.

Direct DepositPer Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https : / / www.e-verify.gov / .

Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.

The work requires standing for up to two hours without a break, driving vehicles, packing and shipping course materials, and walking around field sites. Must be able to lift at least 40 pounds to pack and ship course materials and equipment.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and / or education, as defined below.

AREA OF CONSIDERATION : Please note that this job opportunity announcement is only open to current Career / Career-Conditional employees of the USDA. If you do not possess this status, you will not receive consideration.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS : Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No Award or General Adjustment SF-50's will be accepted).

Basic Education Requirement :

Degree : Must have successfully completed a bachelor's 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 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.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered :

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS : To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and / or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying :

Specialized Experience at the GS-13 : You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) that included :

Reviewing courses to ensure they are developed to meet established educational standards;

Designing and implementing learning strategies for diverse delivery methods such as online, classroom, and self-paced formats;

Utilizing educational evaluation models to assess the effectiveness of training programs and ensure alignment with established objectives; and

Applying project management methodologies to ensure training projects are efficiently managed and meet quality, schedule, and cost objectives.

Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at : https : / / www.opm.gov / policy-data-oversight / classification-qualifications / general-schedule-qualification-standards / #url=List-by-Occupational-Series

Education

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and / or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and / or detailed course description from the university / college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents / documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and / or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation via this link. All education claimed by applicants will be verified accordingly. Important : 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. Please check out the following link for more information Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL) : Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP / RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees : Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Current USDA policy includes telework for an 8 hour work day, 4 days per week; other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and / or the position and its associated duties. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor.

Physical Demands : The work requires standing for up to two hours without a break, driving vehicles, packing and shipping course materials, and walking around field sites. Must be able to lift at least 40 pounds to pack and ship course materials and equipment.

Work Environment : The work involves the common risks or discomforts requiring normal safety precautions typical of offices, meeting rooms, libraries and the like. The work area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated.

PLEASE NOTE : In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following :

If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted.

If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline.

Recruitment and / or relocation incentives may be authorized; Management may authorize superior qualifications & enhanced annual leave for applicants who are deemed to be highly qualified.

Relocation expenses may be authorized as allowable by Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and USDA policy.

Benefits

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.

Review our 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.

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below :

Acquisition Strategy

Education and Training

Employee Development

Teaching Others

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note : If after reviewing your resume and / or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Benefits

Review our benefits

Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes :

1. Your Resume

2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire

3. SF-50 reflecting current employment and proof of status with USDA. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, type of service (Competitive or Excepted) and career status (career or career-conditional) and that you are a current USDA employee.

4. Other supporting documents :

Any certifications as required under the Qualifications section.

College transcript(s) if qualifying based on education or to meet basic requirements, if applicable.

Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.

5. Current USDA employees :

Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are / were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade. Please note it might be necessary to submit more than one SF-50 to confirm your eligibility to apply under Merit Promotion procedures. AND

Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.

Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.

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 select your USAJOBS resume and / or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Note : Multiple selections may be made from this announcement. Salaries above are an approximation. Recruitment incentive may be authorized.

Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP or RPL priority must provide : proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements :

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and / or degrees from

schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11 : 59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. You must submit a complete application package by 11 : 59 PM (EST) on the 01 / 24 / 2025.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact Staff Acquisition. You must submit a complete application by the close of the announcement.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.

To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and / or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire, which can be previewed here : https : / / apply.usastaffing.gov / ViewQuestionnaire / 12644373

Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.

It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https : / / my.usajobs.gov / Account / Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.

Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and / or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

NOTE : If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 5MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats : GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.

Agency contact information

Staff Acquisition

Phone

8164265706

Kansascity@opm.gov

Address

Natural Resources Conservation Service

1400 Independence Ave SW

Washington, DC 20250

Next steps

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Fair and Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability

New employee probationary period

Privacy Act

Reasonable accommodation policy

Selective Service

Signature and false statements

Social security number request

Required Documents