Instructional Systems Specialist

Federal Emergency Management Agency•Emmitsburg, MD

19h•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The Instructional Systems Specialist serves as a senior technical specialist and subject matter expert in adult learning, instructional design, curriculum development, and instructional systems. The role leads and coordinates the design, development, pilot testing, evaluation, and revision of National Fire Academy courses, curricula, and educational programs delivered in traditional, blended, online, synchronous, and asynchronous formats. The specialist provides technical oversight and quality assurance to ensure instructional products are evidence-based, instructionally sound, and aligned with National Fire Academy, United States Fire Administration, and federal standards. The position also serves as a Contracting Officer's Representative for instructional design and course development contracts, overseeing statements of work, contractor performance, deliverables, project deadlines, budgets, and communications. The role researches, recommends, tests, and supports the implementation of current and emerging educational technologies. The position carries recurring emergency management responsibilities. Employees are subject to recall around the clock and may be required to work irregular hours, at locations other than their official duty station, or on duties outside their official position description. Emergency travel may be extensive, have little advance notice, and involve extended stays at physically austere and operationally challenging sites. If selected, the employee must attend a three-week, in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland, within six months of onboarding; FEMA covers travel expenses.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Successfully pass and maintain a Public Trust - Moderate background investigation; the investigation may include a credit check and review of financial issues and certain criminal offenses or drug use.
Selective Service registration, if applicable.
Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements.
Ability to obtain and maintain a government credit card.
Ability to deploy with little or no advance notice anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period.
Degree that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours appropriate to the position, with coursework in at least four of these five areas: learning theory/psychology of learning/educational psychology; instructional design practices; educational evaluation; instructional product development; and computers in education and training.
One full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-12, designing, developing, evaluating, and revising complex instructional programs or curricula for adult learners using instructional systems design principles, learning objectives, assessment strategies, and multiple delivery modalities.
Specialized experience must also include technical oversight or project management for instructional design or curriculum development projects, including coordinating with subject matter experts or stakeholders, reviewing deliverables, evaluating training effectiveness, and ensuring products meet organizational standards, contract requirements, or accepted instructional design practices.
Submit transcripts with the application to document the positive education requirement; official transcripts are required before appointment.
Attend the required three-week, in-person training course in Emmitsburg within six months of onboarding.

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior technical specialist and subject matter expert in adult learning, instructional design, curriculum development, and instructional systems for the National Fire Academy.
Lead and coordinate the design, development, pilot testing, evaluation, and revision of training courses, curricula, and educational programs across traditional, blended, online, synchronous, and asynchronous formats.
Provide technical oversight and quality assurance for instructional products to ensure they are evidence-based, instructionally sound, and aligned with National Fire Academy, United States Fire Administration, and federal standards.
Serve as a Contracting Officer's Representative for instructional design and course development contracts, including developing statements of work, monitoring contractor performance, reviewing deliverables, and tracking deadlines, budgets, and communications.
Research, recommend, test, and support implementation of educational technologies, including learning management systems, learning content management systems, web-based collaboration tools, AR/VR devices, gamification models, and related technologies.
Carry out recurring emergency management responsibilities and, when required, respond to emergency operations, including deployment with little or no advance notice and potentially extensive travel or irregular work hours.
Attend a three-week, in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland, within six months of onboarding.