Programming and Training Specialist

Job Description

Duties

The Programming and Training Specialist performs the following major duties:

• Working with field and headquarters staff to ensure the implementation of effective and efficient program and training strategies and activities to build capacity and strengthen performance in all of the countries in the region.
• Assists the Chief of Programming and Training with day-to-day management and administration of all activities affecting programming and training in the region.
• Analyzes project plans, annual programming and training status review reports, project and training budgets, and other programming and training documents.
• Develop effective programming and training policies by obtaining the cooperation of multiple stakeholders, and as a result the position requires strong communication skills and intercultural awareness and sensitivity to interact with various headquarters offices, as well as American and host country staff at overseas posts.
• Skill to plan, organize, and implement programs, plans, and proposals involving substantial agency resources, or that require extensive changes in established procedures.

Help Requirements Conditions of Employment

Please read this announcement in its entirety prior to submitting your application.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. For additional information, see www.sss.gov.
• You must complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• You must go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired originalor certified copies.
• You must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
• Prior to employment, and in compliance with statutes 5 USC 3322 and 22 USC 2507b, Peace Corps will conduct a check of Peace Corps records for both Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former Peace Corps employees.
• All new employees are required to certify and submit a state of understanding acknowledging adherence to the Peace Corps condition of employment prior to day 1 of employment with the Peace Corps.
• This position requires a public trust background investigation.
• This is a bargaining unit position.
• A one-year probationary period is required.
• May be required to travel internationally in order to provide direct assistance to overseas posts.
• The initial appointment to this position cannot exceed five years.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by 06/17/2024 (the closing date of the announcement). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate the start and end dates (month, day, and year) of employment, the number of hours worked per week, and the location of employment in your resume. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

Specialized Experience:

This vacancy is being announced at two grade levels.

Specialized Experience at the FP-03: To be minimally qualified for this position at the FP-03 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-04 or GS-12 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Providing project management in teaching and learning programs; Ensuring the implementation of effective and efficient program and training strategies and activities; Drafting recommendations for budget allocation and monitoring expenditures; Participating in communities of practice and technical working group meetings; Reviewing job specific responsibilities for new or revised projects to ensure programing and training; Coordinating the review and endorsement process for project framework revisions and updates; Supports training design and evaluation Training Design and Evaluation (TDE) processes.


~OR~

Specialized Experience at the FP-04: To be minimally qualified for this position at the FP-04 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-05 or GS-11 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes:Performing support duties in education and training activities; Skill in conducting surveys and analyzing data on education needs; Administering knowledge management and information sharing platforms; Oversee event planning for workshops and other training; Serving as a trainer/facilitator; Participate in the design of course outlines and training aids.

~OR~

FP-04 (GS-11)// Ph. D or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position.


~OR~

A combination of education and experience


~AND~

Time-in-Grade (TIG) Requirements:

Current or Formal Federal employees, including current Peace Corps employees, must meet applicable TIG requirements to be considered eligible. To meet TIG for positions above the FP-09 (GS-05) grade level, you must have served at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade (or equivalent) in the normal line of progression for the position to which you are applying.

All current or former Federal employees (including internal employees) must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), “Notice of Personnel Action” that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

Please note:

• If qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, please review the “Education” section of this announcement.
• Past experience that satisfies the Specialized Experience MUST be well documented within your resume. Failure to provide this information in your resume with corresponding start and end dates (month, day, and year) of employment, the number of hours worked per week, and location of employment may result in disqualification from further consideration.
• Specialized Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer work done with National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) or other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).
• One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
• Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site.
• Peace Corps employees are employed using the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale. The FP pay plan does not follow the same structure as the GS pay plan. In the FP pay plan, as the grade-level numbers decrease the level/pay for the position increases. The FP-09 is the lowest entry-level grade and the FP-01 is the highest senior-level grade.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Transcripts can be official or unofficial.

A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be used towards qualifications. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by recognized institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at this website.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applications will be reviewed once the vacancy announcement closes. We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:

1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications

We will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated or falsified your qualifications, education, eligibility claims, and/or experience, this is cause for disqualification. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.

2. Rating and Ranking

If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required experience by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire and the specialized experience at the grade level(s) for which you are applying. The occupational questionnaire is the list of questions in the automated system that you will have an opportunity to answer once you apply for the position. Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be assigned a numerical score (out of 100 possible). If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be disqualified from receiving further consideration.

3. Referral and Selection

If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Education and Training
• Program Administration
• Teaching Others

About the Organization

The Peace Corps shares a unique relationship with the countries and people our community has worked alongside in pursuit of world peace and friendship for more than 60 years bringing together skilled, committed volunteers with welcoming host communities for service opportunities in more than 60 countries. Volunteers live and work side by side with community members on locally prioritized projects, building relationships, exchanging cultures and knowledge, and helping transform lives.

Come work alongside motivated and engaged employees who are passionate about the Peace Corps' mission of promoting peace and friendship. The Peace Corps provides professional development opportunities, fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace, and supports work-life balance. Be part of a team that supports volunteers and host communities across the globe.

Top Three Reasons to Work for the Peace Corps:

1. The Peace Corps has a unique global mission, perhaps the best of any federal agency-to promote peace and friendship.
2. Benefits include competitive salaries with annual step increases as opposed to the General Schedule, which has longer waiting periods between step increases.
3. Peace Corps employees earn non-competitive eligibility after three years of service. The Cornell Law School's site offers more information about NCE.