Job summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.

Major duties

Summary: The primary purpose of this position is to support program evaluation and institutional effectiveness programs 81 for Squadron Officer School; to provide meaningful data for in-residence Professional Military Education, and to meet Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force, and Air University requirements for institutional effectiveness efforts. Duties: Authoritative consultant in the area of assessment design, development, and methodology for Squadron Officer School. Researches, analyzes, develops, and prepares documents and reports regarding educational effectiveness and recommendations for systematic changes to curricula and methodology. Develops and administers surveys to obtain feedback from students, graduates, their supervisors, and faculty. Represents school and evaluations/assessment section with a variety of installation and functional area organizations and accomplishes special projects.

Qualification

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Professional and Scientific Positions, to include the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for the GS-1750, Instructional Systems Series. BASIC REQUIREMENT OR INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: Applicants must have a 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. Note: you MUST submit a copy of your transcript(s). AND In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-11, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes: 1) knowledge of an extensive body of rules, concepts, theories, techniques, procedures, terminology, and operations of educational program assessment necessary to perform a wide variety of assignments involving program assessment tools, metrics and reports; 2) knowledge of survey development techniques, statistical concepts, trend analysis and various educational evaluation methodologies; 3) knowledge of the organization's operations and functions sufficient to evaluate information gathered from various sources and use basic analytical methods and techniques to determine adequacy of, or deficiencies in, the educational assessment function; 4) knowledge of the educational mission and objectives of Squadron Officer School necessary to perform assignments and resolve a wide range of issues using accepted practices; 5) skill in applying this knowledge to difficult and complex work assignments which frequently involve matters that are controversial, unconventional, or novel; 6) knowledge of performance management measurement, metrics and techniques; 7) ability to use a variety of computer programs and software to enter, maintain, sort, format, retrieve information, and produce a variety of standardized documents and electronic presentations; 8) ability to design and maintain interactive websites used for distribution and collection of metrics and program evaluation data. FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: 1. Knowledge of higher education principles, practices, and procedures is required. Knowledge of rules, concepts, theories, techniques, procedures, terminology and operations of educational program assessment, institutional effectiveness and continuous process improvement. 2. Ability to survey development and analysis requiring background knowledge of educational evaluation principles and development of metrics. 3. This position demands strong statistical and analytical skills, demonstrated knowledge of trend analysis, and experience working with institutional research data and statistical analysis and programming software. Ability to employ statistical concepts in the analysis of survey results, noting trends and gaps in data. 4. Skill in applying basic analytical methods and techniques to resolve conflicts and determine adequacy of, or deficiencies in, educational programs. 5. Ability to exhibit effective management and organizational skills, to work independently, and manage several projects simultaneously to meet deadlines. 6. Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to work with diverse constituencies (i.e. faculty, staff, administrators, and students) to present data in a cogent and meaningful manner. Ability to work productively with professional and clerical staff within the office is required, as well as the ability to forge productive professional relationships with external constituents. 7. Ability to work effectively and constructively with various groups in accomplishing assigned projects in both lead and follower capacity. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcripts with the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

Evaluations

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. BASIS OF RATING: Your application will be rated under the Cut Point procedures based on the extent to which the quality, depth, and complexity of your experience and education relate to the qualification requirements. Additional points are not added for Veteran's Preference; however, Veteran's Preference is considered where applicable. Best Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements Fully Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements. Basically Qualified Group: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements. The resume/documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job. For additional information on what to include in your resume, click here. Applicants who meet the requirements for and apply as a non-competitive eligible that meet minimal qualifications and other requirements of this position, will be given consideration as a non-competitive candidate and will be referred unless blocked by an individual with priority/preference. APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.