Training Specialist

IT Service Desk Training Specialist

GDIT is seeking an IT Service Desk Training Specialist as part of the larger National Institutes of Health (NIH), Center for Information Technology (CIT) program. The training specialist is responsible for designing, delivering, and maintaining training programs that ensure Service Desk staff provide high-quality, consistent support to NIH users. This role develops onboarding and continuing education curricula, works closely with technical and operational stakeholders to keep materials current with NIH CIT standards and technologies, and monitors training effectiveness through performance metrics, quality reviews, and staff feedback.

Training Design and Delivery

• Develop and maintain structured training programs for IT Service Desk staff (new hire onboarding, cross-training, refresher training, and advanced/role-specific training).
• Create training materials including slide decks, job aids, quick reference guides, process flow diagrams, knowledge base articles, and e-learning modules.
• Conduct instructor-led training (virtual and in-person) on:
• NIH CIT tools, systems, and applications
• Service Desk procedures and escalation paths
• ITIL-aligned incident, request, and problem management processes
• Customer service, communication, and professionalism
• Create and manage new hire training schedules.
• Facilitate role-plays, simulations, and hands-on labs to build practical Service Desk skills.

Knowledge Management & Documentation

• Collaborate with technical teams and Service Desk leadership to ensure knowledge base content is accurate, up-to-date, and easily consumable.
• Translate complex technical information into user-friendly documentation and step-by-step procedures.
• Establish and promote standards for ticket documentation, troubleshooting workflows, and use of scripts.
• Support continuous improvement of knowledge articles based on ticket trends and feedback from analysts.

Performance & Quality Improvement

• Monitor training effectiveness using:
• Call/ticket metrics (AHT, FCR, SLA achievement)
• Quality assurance reviews
• Customer satisfaction surveys and feedback
• Identify skill gaps and create targeted development plans for individuals and teams.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to Service Desk analysts and leads to improve technical proficiency and soft skills.
• Partner with supervisors to integrate training outcomes into performance evaluations and development goals.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work with CIT Service Desk management, service owners, and engineering teams to:
• Understand upcoming changes, new services, and major releases
• Plan training and communication for new initiatives and system updates
• Ensure training aligns with NIH policies, security requirements, and compliance standards.
• Participate in meetings, walkthroughs, and change management activities to anticipate training needs.

Reporting & Administration

• Maintain training schedules, attendance records, and completion tracking in appropriate systems.
• Develop reports and summaries on training activities, outcomes, and recommendations.
• Support onboarding processes by coordinating with HR/contract management and Service Desk leadership to integrate training into new hire timelines.

What you'll need to succeed:

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Education, Communications, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• Experience (typically 3–5+ years) in:
• IT Service Desk or Help Desk role (analyst, lead, or supervisor), and
• Training, instructional design, or technical coaching in an IT support environment.
• Strong understanding of:
• Customer Service Excellence
• End-user support practices
• Ticketing systems (e.g., Service Now, Remedy, or similar ITSM tools)
• Common enterprise technologies (Windows, macOS, mobile devices, VPN, email, collaboration tools).
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver effective technical and soft-skills training to diverse audiences.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presenting complex information clearly and concisely.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting federal or biomedical research environments, especially NIH.
• Familiarity with NIH CIT services, infrastructure, and support…