Student Trainee (Human Resources Specialist)

Summary

The Office of Inspector General (OIG), works within the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to promote efficiency and effectiveness, and prevent or stop waste, fraud and abuse in departmental programs. We do this through audits and investigations. OIG also consults with the Congress about programs in progress and proposed new laws and regulations.

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

Current students enrolled or accepted for enrollment working towards a certificate or a degree in an academic program related to the position such as Human Resources, Business, Organizational/Industrial Psychology, and Organizational Communications. Student must have at least a 2.7 cumulative GPA or higher.

Duties

The Student Trainee will work under the direct supervision of the Chief Learning Officer (CLO) in performing highly structured, entry-level work assignments associated with the day-to-day operation and administration of the OIG training and development program.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Performs a variety of activities in the areas of training and development to support the Office of Assistant Inspector General for Administration and the Office of Training and Development. Typical but not all-inclusive duties are illustrated by performance of any combination of the following:

• Provides support with the learning management systems in all functional areas. Assists with responding to helpdesk tickets, upcoming schedule offerings issues, and providing the summary evaluation reports upon completion of each internal training session.
• Provides training and development support in all major functional areas. Assists staff with the duplication and assembly of material and set-up and clean-up of training sessions. Provides timely communication with regards to materials, scheduled offerings, instructor needs, and technical needs.
• Provides support with all training conducted in the OIG Training Center to include program materials, instructor, and participant supplies, and resolving issues as necessary.
• Assists with the researching and locating materials and training documentation, at the request of a staff member or the CLO, for preparation of responses to inquiries, employee relation requests, and upcoming briefings.
• Serves as OTD's SharePoint champion responsible for the continued maintenance of the training and development SharePoint site. Ensures the information on the site is comprehensive, accurate, timely and informative to meet the needs of OIG staff.
• Produces high quality work products that are comprehensive, accurate, timely and responsive to the goals, objectives, and priorities of the OIG.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship.
• Enrolled at least half time at a qualifying educational Institution
• Plan to not graduate before Fall 2025 semester
• Must sign a Pathways Student Agreement.
• Cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher.
• This position is subject to a background investigation.

PATHWAYS ELIGIBILITY - To be eligible for appointment to a position in the DOT-OIG Internship Program, throughout the duration of the appointment, an individual must:

• Be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree or certificate in a qualifying educational institution on a half to full-time basis (as determined by the educational institution);
• Be seeking a degree that is relevant to this position.

If selected you:

• must sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement;
• must maintain status as a current student;
• must maintain good academic standing, at least a 2.7 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 grading scale;
• must provide verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic term
• must not plan to graduate prior to Fall 2025, December 2025 in order to be considered for this position.

For more information on the Pathways Program, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Program-Fact-Sheets

This is a temporary Pathways Internship Program appointment not-to-exceed 1 year from the date of appointment.

The incumbent of this position serves as an Intern under the Pathways Program. This program is designed to provide students enrolled at educational institutions at all levels (high school to graduate level) with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore the benefits and conditions of Federal employment. Employment under this authority requires the execution of an Internship Program Participant Agreement that outlines work and academic responsibilities and expectations for the duration of the appointment.

The agency may non competitively convert a Pathways Intern to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service, as long as the Intern meets the following: 1. U.S. Citizenship; 2. Successful Completion of academic course of study, degree, diploma or certificate related to the position; 3. Completion of a minimum of 480 hours of work experience under the Internship Program; 4. Meet the OPM Qualification requirements for the position the intern may be converted to; and 5. Maintain acceptable performance.

NOTE: There is no guarantee for conversion or extension.

Qualifications

GS-07 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level, which includes performing a variety of administrative assignments; providing basic administrative information to customers/applicants; providing Human Resources information of routine nature; managing a single program in accordance with administrative regulations; or providing administrative assistance to a work group of specialists. Making decisions on appropriate actions from various choices from among easily recognizable situations; recognizing different processes required to assist customers, specialists, and acts accordingly; and using judgment in selecting the appropriate guidelines following established personnel practices and rules. Guidelines may include regulations, local policies and procedures and/or operating manuals.

OR Education: One full year of graduate level education (18 credits) in a field, which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Human Resources, Business, Org/Ind. Psychology, and Organizational Communications.

OR Superior Academic Achievement: You possess a BACHELOR'S DEGREE that is qualifying for this position that meets the criteria for eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement provision through one of the following methods. No more than 10% of academic credit can be based on pass/fail or similar non-traditional grading systems.

TO CLAIM SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (S.A.A): YOU MUST HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE. THE DEGREE MUST BE CONFERRED. YOU CAN NOT CLAIM S.A.A WHILE STILL PURSUING A BACHELOR'S DEGREE UNLESS YOU HAVE OBTAINED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE ALREADY. THEREFORE, TO CLAIM S.A.A AND ALSO BE A PATHWAYS ELIGIBLE, YOU MUST HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE WITH A 3.0 GPA OR HIGHER CONFERRED AND PURSUING A POST-GRADUATE/PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE OR ANOTHER DEGREE SUCH AS AN ASSOCIATE'S, BACHELOR'S, MASTER'S OR DOCTORATE.

* 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on the official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum

* 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

(Grade-point averages will be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9)

* Upper 1/3 ranking in graduating class (you must submit proof with your application)

* National Scholastic Honor Society. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (You must submit proof with your application)

OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Your application will be assessed on the following competencies:

1. Human Resources - basic knowledge of human resources development and employee training programs.
2. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
3. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
4. Writing - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

Please click the link for more information on Pathways educational qualifications: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4


NOTE: ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT A COMPLETE COPY OF THEIR TRANSCRIPTS. IF SELECTED, AN OFFICIAL/SEALED TRANSCRIPT WILL BE REQUIRED PRIOR TO AN APPOINTMENT DATE BEING ESTABLISHED.

IF YOU HAVE EARNED A DEGREE FROM A FOREIGN INSTITUTION YOU MUST SUBMIT WITH YOUR APPLICATION EVIDENCE THAT ANY EDUCATION COMPLETED IN A FOREIGN INSTITUTION WAS APPROPRIATELY ACCREDITED BY AN ACCREDITING BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AS EQUIVALENT TO U.S. STANDARDS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, REFER TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEB SITE AT https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ .

Additional information

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL LIKE VACANCIES IN THE ANNOUNCED DUTY LOCATION.

APPLICANTS MUST MEET QUALIFICATIONS BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT.

If you are entitled to veteran preference, you should indicate the type of veteran preference you are claiming on your resume/application. In order to verify your veteran preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 (certificate of release or discharge from active duty); official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g. documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions. In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a purple heart recipient, or widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the natural mother of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10 point veteran preference" and the other required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your claim.

Although veteran preference points will not be assigned under the student vacancy, veteran preference eligibles will be listed ahead of non-veterans.

Candidates will be asked to fill out a Declaration for Federal Employment (Optional Form 306). Individuals selected for positions will be required to certify that their application materials are accurate when they enter on duty.

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service.

• 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.
  
  This position is eligible for sick and annual leave.
  
  **This position does not confer eligibility for life insurance, or retirement coverage.
  
  **This position may confer eligibility for health insurance.
  
  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.

Candidates will be assessed based on their eligibility requirements listed under qualifications. Candidates who do not meet the minimum qualification requirements will not be further evaluated.

Applicants will be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. Applicants who meet the qualification requirements will be further evaluated on their responses to the on-line announcement questions.

All applicants must meet all qualifications for the position and the Pathways eligibility requirements to be considered. Applications will be considered in unranked order by veterans' preference status as described in 5 CFR 302.304(b)(5)(i).

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

• 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.
  
  This position is eligible for sick and annual leave.
  
  **This position does not confer eligibility for life insurance, or retirement coverage.
  
  **This position may confer eligibility for health insurance.
  
  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.
  
  Transcripts: You MUST provide current up to date transcripts to support your educational claims. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If an unofficial transcript is unavailable, enrollment verification letters and/or acceptance letters may be submitted in lieu of to prove enrollment status only. Word format will not be accepted.
  
  Resume:
  
  
  • Your resume must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see:
  
  
  • What to include in your resume
  • Resume Writing
  
  
  DD-214 and/or Vet Letter - To receive consideration including veteran's preference points, all veterans must submit a copy of their DD-214 (copy Member #4). If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit your Vet Letter and SF-15 (revised 10/13) form is available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/sf.asp. If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. If you are a current service member, in lieu of a DD-214, you may submit a statement from your military personnel center certifying the nature and dates of your service and expected date of separation.
  
  Supporting documents may either be uploaded or faxed to 571-258-4052. The requested information MUST be received by fax within 48 hours prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement (not including Saturdays, Sundays or government holidays). The requested information MUST be received by fax within 48 hours prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement (not including Saturdays, Sundays or government holidays).
  
  NOTE: Applicants who fail to submit all the required documentation listed above, in addition to their resumes, will be considered ineligible for further consideration for this announcement.
  
  Please ensure that your resume and application provide enough detail to support your answers to the Vacancy Specific Questions. If you fail to submit a COMPLETE on-line resume, you WILL NOT be considered for this position. Please make sure that the experience/education as described on your resume contains accurate and sufficient information that clearly supports your responses to all of the questions for this position. If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration.
  
  PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE A PHOTO OF YOURSELF IN YOUR RESUME OR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. FAILURE TO COMPLY MAY RESULT IN YOUR APPLICATION REMOVED FROM CONSIDERATION
  
  
  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
  
  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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
  schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
• How to Apply
  
  Applications submitted via WWW.USAJOBS.GOV must be received before midnight eastern time on the closing date of the announcement. No extensions will be granted. If you fail to submit a COMPLETE on-line resume, you WILL NOT be considered for this position. Please make sure that the responses provided in the questionnaire are fully supported by your resume, that your resume is detailed and you have highlighted your most relevant experience for this position (to include starting and ending dates of employment for each position held), and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. If you fail to provide this information, it may result in you being rated "ineligible" or "not qualified" for this position.
  
  If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration. Applicants who do not respond to the application questions will be rated ineligible.
  
  If applying on-line poses a hardship to any applicant, the Servicing Personnel Office listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted on-line by the closing date. Applicants must contact the Servicing Human Resources Office PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for on-line submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted.
  
  Agency contact information
  
  Karen Muller
  
  Phone
  
  202-366-1490
  
  TDD
  202-366-2136
  Fax
  571-258-4052
  Email
  
  Karen.Muller@oig.dot.gov
  
  Address
  
  DOT, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
  
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, S. E.
  
  West Building, Room W71-123
  
  Washington, District of Columbia 20590
  
  United States
  
  Next steps
  
  Once you complete and submit your application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the job. Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager in unranked order, and if applicable, by veteran preference status followed by all qualified non-veteran applications. You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is incomplete. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or adverse action after hiring. It is essential that you have a current e-mail address on file and remove any restrictions from your e-mail account that may prohibit our contacting you via e-mail. You may also check the status of your application at WWW.USAJOBS.GOV.
• 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

Transcripts: You MUST provide current up to date transcripts to support your educational claims. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If an unofficial transcript is unavailable, enrollment verification letters and/or acceptance letters may be submitted in lieu of to prove enrollment status only. Word format will not be accepted.

Resume:

• Your resume must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• For additional information see:


• What to include in your resume
• Resume Writing

DD-214 and/or Vet Letter - To receive consideration including veteran's preference points, all veterans must submit a copy of their DD-214 (copy Member #4). If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit your Vet Letter and SF-15 (revised 10/13) form is available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/sf.asp. If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. If you are a current service member, in lieu of a DD-214, you may submit a statement from your military personnel center certifying the nature and dates of your service and expected date of separation.

Supporting documents may either be uploaded or faxed to 571-258-4052. The requested information MUST be received by fax within 48 hours prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement (not including Saturdays, Sundays or government holidays). The requested information MUST be received by fax within 48 hours prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement (not including Saturdays, Sundays or government holidays).

NOTE: Applicants who fail to submit all the required documentation listed above, in addition to their resumes, will be considered ineligible for further consideration for this announcement.

Please ensure that your resume and application provide enough detail to support your answers to the Vacancy Specific Questions. If you fail to submit a COMPLETE on-line resume, you WILL NOT be considered for this position. Please make sure that the experience/education as described on your resume contains accurate and sufficient information that clearly supports your responses to all of the questions for this position. If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration.

PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE A PHOTO OF YOURSELF IN YOUR RESUME OR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. FAILURE TO COMPLY MAY RESULT IN YOUR APPLICATION REMOVED FROM CONSIDERATION


If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Applications submitted via WWW.USAJOBS.GOV must be received before midnight eastern time on the closing date of the announcement. No extensions will be granted. If you fail to submit a COMPLETE on-line resume, you WILL NOT be considered for this position. Please make sure that the responses provided in the questionnaire are fully supported by your resume, that your resume is detailed and you have highlighted your most relevant experience for this position (to include starting and ending dates of employment for each position held), and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. If you fail to provide this information, it may result in you being rated "ineligible" or "not qualified" for this position.

If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration. Applicants who do not respond to the application questions will be rated ineligible.

If applying on-line poses a hardship to any applicant, the Servicing Personnel Office listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted on-line by the closing date. Applicants must contact the Servicing Human Resources Office PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for on-line submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted.

Agency contact information

Karen Muller

Phone

202-366-1490

TDD
202-366-2136
Fax
571-258-4052
Email

Karen.Muller@oig.dot.gov

Address

DOT, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S. E.

West Building, Room W71-123

Washington, District of Columbia 20590

United States

Next steps

Once you complete and submit your application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the job. Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager in unranked order, and if applicable, by veteran preference status followed by all qualified non-veteran applications. You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is incomplete. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or adverse action after hiring. It is essential that you have a current e-mail address on file and remove any restrictions from your e-mail account that may prohibit our contacting you via e-mail. You may also check the status of your application at WWW.USAJOBS.GOV.

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