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Bureau of Prisons / Federal Prison System

Training Instructor (Vocational Training Instructor - Dog Trainer)

Bureau of Prisons / Federal Prison System See More Job Openings by This EmployerArrow
  • Full Time
  • $63,780 - $97,087/year
  • McKean, PA
August 14, 2026

Job Description

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties Serves as a training instructor in a vocational or occupational training program in the Education Department of a Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional facility and may also serve as a program coordinator for other vocational/occupational training programs. Selects and/or develops curriculums which focus on the appropriate vocational training area. This position has direct responsibility for the delivery of classroom training for vocational and apprenticeship courses in the field/trade of Dog Trainer. Develops a curriculum design and record-keeping system to organize and track student progress through identified course work. Ensures the training program(s) are implemented and delivered in compliance with Bureau policies, Department of Labor, and Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training regulations, and the standards established by other certifying agencies and organizations. Serve as apprenticeship program coordinator with responsibility for coordinating the various occupational training programs and classes, as well as responsibilities which include development, review and evaluation of the vocational trades program. Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis. Salary
  • $63,780 - $97,087/year
Qualifications To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements: Basic Requirements: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- education or a subject area related to the position to be filled. OR Specialized Experience: GL-09 and GS-11: 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. AND In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements, applicants must have the following: Education: GL-09: A Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B OR J.D., if related. GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related. Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study - education or a subject area related to the position to be filled. OR Experience: GL-09 and GS-11: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and demonstrated a practical knowledge of the subject area of the position, and of the methods and techniques of instruction. Some examples of this qualifying experience could be: GL-09: Experience in developing curriculum and individualized learning plans for higher levels of learning . Experience in assisting in developing programs and providing instruction to students from significantly varying backgrounds in a correctional setting. Experience in following standardized curricula and lesson plans to meet the needs of students. GS-11: Experience in teaching with full and primary responsibility for classroom instruction. Experience in supervising or administering a training program. 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 Combination of Education and Experience: GL-09 and GS-11: A combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above. AND Selective Placement Factor: GL-09 and GS-11: Applicants applying for this position MUST also possess the following Selective Factor. In the event that you do not possess the Selective Factor, you will be found ineligible for the position. GL-09: Applicant must: 1. Possess and maintain a current certificate from one of the following recognized certifying agencies as an advanced-to-expert level dog trainer with expertise in animal behavior: A. IAABC-CDBC - International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants- Certified Dog Behavior Consultant OR B. NADOI - National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors OR C. IACP-PDTI - International Association of Canine Professionals- Professional Dog Trainer Instructor OR D. CAAB - Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist OR E. DACVB - Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists OR F. PCBC-A - Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board) OR G. Certification as CBCC-KA-Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed (from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) AND a. CPDT-KA - Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) OR b. IAABC-ADT - International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants- Accredited Dog Trainer OR c. CPT-A - Canine Personal Trainer (from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board) OR d. IACP-CDTA - International Association of Canine Professionals Certified Dog Trainer Advanced) AND 2. Applicant must have one (1) year teaching experience AND 3. Applicant must also have two (2) years of work experience as a lead dog trainer. GS-11: Applicant must: 1. Possess and maintain a current certificate from one of the following recognized certifying agencies as an advanced-to-expert level dog trainer with expertise in animal behavior: A. IAABC-CDBC - International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants- Certified Dog Behavior Consultant OR B. NADOI - National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors OR C. IACP-PDTI - International Association of Canine Professionals- Professional Dog Trainer Instructor OR D. CAAB - Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist OR E. DACVB - Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists OR F. PCBC-A - Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board) OR G. Certification as CBCC-KA-Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed (from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) AND a. CPDT-KA - Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) OR b. IAABC-ADT - International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants- Accredited Dog Trainer OR c. CPT-A - Canine Personal Trainer (from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board) OR d. IACP-CDTA - International Association of Canine Professionals Certified Dog Trainer Advanced) AND 2. Applicant must have one (1) year teaching experience AND 3. Applicant must also have three (3) years of work experience as a lead dog trainer. NOTE: All applicants MUST clearly address the Selective Factor in their resume and, if applicable, upload any required documentation (i.e., licensure, certification, or transcripts) at the time you apply. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. **Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.** Education ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. Required Documents Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts. Veterans' Preference Documentation: Failure to submit all required documents at the time of application will result in the loss of claimed preference eligibility. DD-214: Veterans MUST provide a DD-214 demonstrating that they have been discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions (i.e., the individual must have received either an honorable or general discharge). SF-15: If you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit: A completed Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" AND all required documentation identified on the SF-15. NOTE: A Department of Veterans Affairs letter must contain the Veteran's Name and Combined Service-Connected Evaluation. For a copy of the most current SF-15, Click Here. If you are on active duty and expect to be discharged or released from active duty service within 120 days, you may submit a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty from the appropriate Branch Personnel Office containing the following information: The military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and The character of service (must be an honorable or general discharge); and Any qualifying service/campaign/expeditionary medals. Resume (limited to 2 pages) must include your name, contact information, and relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF- 52, MOU, etc.). If providing a memorandum, it must follow the format below AND clearly cite the duties performed. To receive credit for experience, your resume and/or any satisfactory evidence must include: Start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND Number of hours worked per week. College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable). NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day. SF-50: for proof of prior LEO coverage, if applicable. Proof of ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, Click Here, if applicable. For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc. How to Apply Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. USAJOBS Help Center - How to Add a Resume to Your Profile All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on 08/21/2026. If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants


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