Summary

The Office of Inspector General, Pathways Internship Program is designed to attract students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions with paid opportunities to explore Federal careers while still in school. This position is located in the Investigations Division. As a student trainee, the ideal candidate for this position is majoring in criminal justice or a related field of study. The Partnership for Public Service named SBA OIG as being the #1 OIG in the Federal Government.

This job is open to

• Students
  
  Current students enrolled in accredited educational institutions from high school to graduate level. Includes internships, pathways and other student programs.

Clarification from the agency

Open to any U.S. citizen, at least 16 years old, who is enrolled during the Spring 2024 academic term in a degree or certificate seeking program, taking at least a half-time course load. You also must have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must have at least one year remaining in their required coursework for completion of their degree or certificate.

Duties

• Review and assess complaints and allegations received by the Investigations Division to determine investigative and/or prosecutive viability to ensure the effective use of agency resources. These allegations typically include criminal acts such as bribery, false statements, conspiracy, embezzlement, and fraud.
• Provide the Special Agents in Charge (SAC), ASAC, agency officials, OIG headquarters, AUSAs, and related stakeholders timely information concerning investigative work products.
• Enter Hotline complaints into CMS. Triage complaints and route appropriately.
• Assist with qui tam reviews, loan queries, FOIA assessments, and other reviews, as necessary.
• Assist with contacting complainants as needed, asking clarifying questions in initial contact interviews, and accurately track contacts in CMS.
• Participate in regular meetings with the SAC, ASACs, and agents to ensure full knowledge of investigative activities and related topics.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must reside in the local commuting area.
• You must be enrolled in an accredited education institution.
• You must successfully complete a background investigation. Candidates who do not respond to the background investigation request by the pre-determined due date, will be disqualified.
• You must sign a Pathways Intern Participant Agreement.
• Candidates who are determined to be qualified for this position, must complete an additional online assessment through Talent Plus. You must complete the Talent Plus Assessment within 48 business hours of being sent the email notification.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:

GS-07: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, obtained in either the private or public sector: performing duties related to an oversight agency's Hotline functions and programs; analyzing and determining appropriate action for color of law misconduct complaints; collecting, handling, and interpreting evidence; interviewing complaints and witnesses; and investigating inquires in support of a Hotline Program.

Education Requirement:

Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate level education, or eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) with completion of a bachelor's degree. If utilizing SAA, you must submit your transcripts or proof of your national honor society membership. Please click here for SAA qualification requirements; OR

A combination of education and experience - Your current education completed is credited as a percentage of the education required for the grade level and your current experience is credited as a percentage of the total experience required for the grade level. The two percentages are added and must equal 100% in order to qualify for the desired grade level.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's Qualifications web site.

All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

Education

You MUST submit transcripts (official or unofficial), student schedule or enrollment letter with this application if you wish to considered for this vacancy. See education requirement under "Qualifications".

APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Verify School accreditation. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. *** 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, click on: Foreign Education.

Additional information

SUITABILITY, CLEARANCE & REQUIREMENTS: A background investigation may be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. For additional information visit www.sss.gov.

Career and InterAgency Career Transition Assistance Programs: If you are applying for a special selection priority under SBA's Career Transition Assistance Plan (open to surplus SBA employees only) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (open to surplus and displaced Federal employees), you must: meet CTAP eligibility criteria, be rated well-qualified for the position with a rating of 85 or above based on the competencies listed below, and submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility. Click here for more information.

Telework is available. For information on Telework visit: http://www.telework.gov/

Interns may be non-competitively converted to a term, career-conditional or career appointment within 120 days following successful completion of all of their educational and work experience requirements in accordance with 5 CFR 362.204.

Additional vacancies may be filled from this vacancy announcement if additional vacancies occur within 180 days of the date the certificates were issued.

• Benefits
  
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants meeting basic eligibility requirements will be further evaluated based on the information provided in the Occupational Questionnaire. To preview this questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12445171. You will be rated based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The occupational questions relate to the following Competencies required to do the work of this position:

• Clerical
• Customer Service
• Technology Application
• Writing

Your application will be evaluated under the Category Rating method based on your responses to the assessment questions. You will receive a score based on the responses to the assessment questions. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. If you meet basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of three categories:

1. Best-Qualified: highly proficient with an overall comprehensive level of knowledge, skills and abilities related to the job based on a complete review of experience, education, and training as described in an applicant's responses to the assessment questions and resume.

2. Well-Qualified: competent in the position with an overall accomplished level of knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the job based on a complete review of experience, training, and education as applicable, as described in an applicant's responses to the assessment questions and resume.

3. Qualified: an overall basic level of knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the job based on a complete review of experience, education, and training, as described in an applicant's responses to the assessment questions and resume.

Candidates eligible for veterans' preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated. Additionally, preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and who meet Minimum Qualification Requirements will automatically be placed in the Best Qualified Category.

In addition to the application and Occupational Questionnaire, this position requires submission of an Talent Plus Online Assessment by all candidates determined to be qualified. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the online assessment (if forwarded to you). In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

• Benefits
  
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
  
  2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire
  
  3. Relevant transcript(s) and/or enrollment letter.
  
  4. A complete Talent Plus Assessment, if required after initial qualification determination
  
  5. In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the occupational questionnaire), you are required to submit the following forms, if applicable. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all documents are legible.
  
  • If you are using education as a substitution for experience (the announcement will state whether this is allowed), or if there is an educational requirement for this position, you must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) that clearly describes your qualifying education. If selected, official transcripts will be required;
  • If you are claiming Veteran status, you must submit a copy of all required documents to support your claim (to include member 4 copy of your DD-214 showing character of service)see VetGuide;
  • Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD-214 (showing the character of service) or other proof of service to receive consideration for veterans' preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit FedsHireVets.gov.
  • For proof of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must provide documentation from each of the following three categories:
  • 1. One of the following:
  • Your Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice;
  • Your RIF notice offering a lower graded position accompanied by a declination of the offer (the RIF notice must state that declination will result in separation under RIF);
  • Notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside the local commuting area (e.g., a directed reassignment or change in duty station)
  • Certificate of expected separation; or
  • Other official agency certification or notification indicating that your position is surplus (e.g., a notice of position abolishment or a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement).
  • 2. Your Notification of Personnel Action(s), SF-50(s), or other official documentation that shows:
  • a. You are a current:
    
    • i. career or career-conditional competitive service employee, in tenure group 1 or 2, at grade GS-15 or equivalent and below; or
    • ii. excepted service employee serving without time limit at grade GS-15 or equivalent and below who has been conferred noncompetitive appointment eligibility and selection priority by law for competitive service positions; and
  • b. The position you may be or are being separated from:
    
    • i. Is equal to or higher than the grade of the job announced; and
    • ii. Has the same or higher promotion potential as the job announced; and
    • iii. Is in the same local commuting area as the job announced.
  • 3. Your most recent performance rating of record (which must be rated at least fully successful or equivalent).
• How to Apply
  
  Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/02/2024 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
  
  • To begin the application process, 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 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  • After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take the additional online assessment through Talent Plus. This message will be delivered to you via email. You must complete the Talent Plus Assessment within 48 business hours of being sent the email notification.
  • If you are asked to take the Talent Plus Assessment, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the Talent Plus system.
  • Note, set aside at least 40 minutes to take the assessment; however, most applicants complete the assessment in less time. If you need to stop the assessment and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email.
  
  To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
  
  To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login . All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
  
  Agency contact information
  
  OIG Human Resources
  
  Phone
  
  202-205-7368
  
  Email
  
  OIGJobs@sba.gov
  
  Next steps
  
  Once your responses to the occupational questionnaire are received by our system, you will be sent an acknowledgement email stating that your submission was successful. If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you will be presented with instructions on how to access the Talent Plus Assessment system via email. The additional assessment must be completed within 48 business hours following email notification. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. During the evaluation and interview process you may be asked to provide written responses to questions or writing samples. You may track the status of the application process through USAJOBS and you will be notified of the outcome.
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.

2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire

3. Relevant transcript(s) and/or enrollment letter.

4. A complete Talent Plus Assessment, if required after initial qualification determination

5. In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the occupational questionnaire), you are required to submit the following forms, if applicable. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all documents are legible.

• If you are using education as a substitution for experience (the announcement will state whether this is allowed), or if there is an educational requirement for this position, you must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) that clearly describes your qualifying education. If selected, official transcripts will be required;
• If you are claiming Veteran status, you must submit a copy of all required documents to support your claim (to include member 4 copy of your DD-214 showing character of service)see VetGuide;
• Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD-214 (showing the character of service) or other proof of service to receive consideration for veterans' preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit FedsHireVets.gov.
• For proof of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must provide documentation from each of the following three categories:
• 1. One of the following:
• Your Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice;
• Your RIF notice offering a lower graded position accompanied by a declination of the offer (the RIF notice must state that declination will result in separation under RIF);
• Notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside the local commuting area (e.g., a directed reassignment or change in duty station)
• Certificate of expected separation; or
• Other official agency certification or notification indicating that your position is surplus (e.g., a notice of position abolishment or a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement).
• 2. Your Notification of Personnel Action(s), SF-50(s), or other official documentation that shows:
• a. You are a current:
  
  • i. career or career-conditional competitive service employee, in tenure group 1 or 2, at grade GS-15 or equivalent and below; or
  • ii. excepted service employee serving without time limit at grade GS-15 or equivalent and below who has been conferred noncompetitive appointment eligibility and selection priority by law for competitive service positions; and
• b. The position you may be or are being separated from:
  
  • i. Is equal to or higher than the grade of the job announced; and
  • ii. Has the same or higher promotion potential as the job announced; and
  • iii. Is in the same local commuting area as the job announced.
• 3. Your most recent performance rating of record (which must be rated at least fully successful or equivalent).

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/02/2024 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

• To begin the application process, 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 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
• After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take the additional online assessment through Talent Plus. This message will be delivered to you via email. You must complete the Talent Plus Assessment within 48 business hours of being sent the email notification.
• If you are asked to take the Talent Plus Assessment, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the Talent Plus system.
• Note, set aside at least 40 minutes to take the assessment; however, most applicants complete the assessment in less time. If you need to stop the assessment and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login . All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

OIG Human Resources

Phone

202-205-7368

Email

OIGJobs@sba.gov

Next steps

Once your responses to the occupational questionnaire are received by our system, you will be sent an acknowledgement email stating that your submission was successful. If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you will be presented with instructions on how to access the Talent Plus Assessment system via email. The additional assessment must be completed within 48 business hours following email notification. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. During the evaluation and interview process you may be asked to provide written responses to questions or writing samples. You may track the status of the application process through USAJOBS and you will be notified of the outcome.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service
• Signature and false statements
• Social security number request