Training Instructor

Summary This position is located within the Environmental Management Service of the Montana VA Health Care System and serves as a Training Instructor, providing training related to the hospitals major environmental management programs of national scope, interest, and significance. Responsibilities The Training Instructor provides on-going training service and instruction for the Environmental Management Service (EMS) Training Program, to include course development, delivery, modification, and evaluation and conducts various training-related studies and analysis and coordination activities. Duties include, but are not limited to: Develops and maintains training materials and curriculum for courses to be presented to service line staff. Evaluates training courses and works closely with senior specialists to evaluate courses to enhance overall training program. Conducts training studies and analyses in functional specialties or subject matter areas. Serves as a participant in task analyses to determine training requirements and provides input into special staff studies of training and testing materials. Serves as technical advisor/instructor for applying intensive practical knowledge of sanitation and disinfection application within health care environment; provides instruction covering a wide variety of topics in well-established areas of hospital housekeeping and other related subject matter fields. Trains employees, provides instruction, and modifies course content with an emphasis on biological cleanliness and infection control. Organizes, illustrates, and interprets the course instruction material and addresses issues encountered to reach and motivate students who may pose typical problems of communication and motivation. Provides training and instruction courses in a classroom environment to Service Chiefs, Section Chiefs, supervisors, and front-line employees focusing on Environmental Management, Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs), low-incidence high-consequence pathogens, microbiology, chemistry, Reusable Medical Equipment (RME), and medical terminology. Works independently using adjusting methods and/or materials to fit situations different from those in existing guidelines. Carries out technology program implementation for waste management related training; keeps abreast of technical development in the sanitation and waste management field. Collaborates with service line managers to develop a waste management automated tracking system to record performance inspections; creates a data collection system for all waste management activities used to track required information and to complete numerous reports regarding waste management. Reviews updated policies from regulating authorities and incorporates into coursework development. Communicates pertinent facility, VISN, and VHACO training policy changes and new initiatives to staff. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Training Instructor/PD99770S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) – See “Additional Information” below for details. Must possess a valid state drivers license (in the state of residence) to operate government owned/leased vehicles. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/24/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): The Training Instruction Series 1712 has a minimum qualification entry requirement: Specialized Experience: Experience that demonstrated a practical knowledge of the subject area of the position and of the methods and techniques of instruction. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Teaching or instructing in an adult education program, secondary school, college, military installation, or industrial establishment in the appropriate field(s). Supervising or administering a training program. Development or review of training/course materials, aids, devices, etc., and evaluation of training results. Work in the occupation or subject-matter field of the position to be filled that required training or instructing others on a regular basis. OR, Education: Graduate-level education in a major study of education or a subject area related to the position to be filled. AND, You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of training regulations, policies, and procedures to develop training courses, aids, and devices to train a variety of EMS staff to enhance their comprehension of EMS program requirements; knowledge of training methods, techniques, and state-of-the-art equipment, audiovisual aids and other training devices and their application to develop, integrate and augment training material to present to diverse audiences; skill to conduct research and studies of emerging/new technologies and training data for new or modified equipment validity and reliability, and as a result of those actions, develop and recommend EMS program directives and new training focuses which will incorporate the new technologies into the overall program; skill to propose changes and make recommendations on training methods, aids, hands-on exercises, classroom instructions, and test/evaluation of students; knowledge in providing education to groups using adult learning principles, organizational learning theories, change theories, and communication techniques; knowledge of the regulations, policies, and procedures pertaining to training and development; skill in developing training courses, aids and devices in but not limited to the following areas: Infection Prevention, Hospital Environmental Sanitation, RME Disinfection, Operating Suite Cleaning and Disinfection, Specialty Environmental Equipment Operation and Care, Patient Room Cleaning and Disinfection, Customer Service, and Regulated Medical Waste handling; skill in planning, evaluating, and revising training curriculum to meet EMSs staff training requirements; skill of quality procedures as they pertain to healthcare environmental sanitation and waste management operations and functions, quality audits to produce reports and tracking of trends, and surveillance and skill in applying this knowledge to the evaluation and resolution of complex infection prevention quality problems in the role of a technical specialist/consultant to EMS; oral and written communication skills to effectively, concisely, clearly, and logically, communicate, prepare, and present curriculum material for staff. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a masters or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education as stated above to meet total experience requirements. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Compliance Planning and Evaluating Project Management Teaching Others 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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is largely sedentary. However, physical demonstrations to staff are required to include sanitation processes and techniques, equipment usage, as well as lifting heavy weights while demonstrating proper lifting techniques, etc. Physical demands are required to perform work such as sitting, pushing, pulling, standing, walking, bending, and stooping. Job also requires using audiovisual equipment while teaching that may involve lifting and/or pushing the equipment. There will be some walking, standing. bending, carrying light items, driving of an automobile and the expectation of obtaining GSA approvals for vehicle usage. Work will involve travel to all campuses and community-based outpatient clinics to provide training. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.