This is an excepted service appointment under the Pathways Intern Program. This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the Chief Information Officer. This is a virtual internship, enhancing our outreach across the nation to provide unique opportunities to college students. Students will have options to work in various Department of Homeland Security component offices. All equipment is provided. Non-BU: This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Duties

As a Student Trainee (Information Technology), GS-2299-3/4/5, your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision:

• Performing developmental activities and administrative duties in support of the technology organization's staff.
• Providing support and continuity through research analysis, documentation production of systems, applications, online tools.
• Interacting with various offices and department directorates to coordinate data analysis and review documents.
• Providing support to meetings; engages in learning projects and introductory trainings with various offices and department directorates.
• Documenting and reporting problems and issues impacting customers using Information Technology services.

This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 150 applications have been received, whichever happens first. Positions will be filled starting in Fall 2024.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must be 16 years of age or older to apply.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• You must submit to a pre-employment drug test.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must submit a transcript indicating current enrollment for Spring 2024 with your application; providing continual proof of enrollment to verify student status is a requirement.
• This position requires the incumbent to sign a Pathways Internship Participant Agreement, which outlines the work schedule, intern responsibilities, work assignments, and program requirements.
• You must serve a trial period. The internship program serves as the trail period.
• The Pathways Program requires the incumbent to submit official or unofficial transcripts with your application AND provide official transcripts prior to entrance-on-duty (EOD), If selected.
• This position requires you to be 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).
• You must maintain an academic standing of a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 (no rounding) and a cumulative term GPA of 2.0 throughout the program or at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA (or equivalent) per semester in a Graduate Degree program.
• Student interns must be prepared to meet the Program Eligibility at the time of application.
• Incumbent will be required to complete and sign a Individual Development Plan (IDP) within 45 days of your initial appointment date.
• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Qualifications

To be eligible for this internship, ALL of the following requirements must be met:

• Student Status: You must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited technical or vocational school, two-year or four-year college or university, graduate/professional school, or certificate program equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study pursuant to 5 CFR 362. You must be considered in good academic standings by the school. Individuals must be taking at least a half-time academic, vocational, or technical course load leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate. "Half-time" is defined by the school in which the student is enrolled.
• Grade Point Average: You must have at least a 2.0 GPA if enrolled in an Undergraduate degree program, or a 3.0 GPA if enrolled in a Master's or Professional degree program.

AND

You must also meet all qualification requirements:

You qualify at the GS-3 grade level if you possess the following: Completion of 1 full academic year of post-high school study or at least 30 semester hours.
You qualify at the GS-4 grade level if you possess the following: Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study or at least 60 semester hours or an associate's degree.
You qualify at the GS-5 grade level if you possess the following: Completion of 4 academic years of post-high school at least 120 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.

An academic year is computed as follows:

• At the undergraduate level, successfully completed education that has not led to possession of a degree is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. Four years of progressive study or 120 semester hours meets the degree requirements. Additional credit cannot be given for duplicate course work.
• For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+ classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year above high school.
• An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.
• When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard.

NOTE: If your school's definition of "academic year" differs from above, you must submit proof of this difference (e.g., copy of course catalog that defines an academic year). Absent this documentation, you will screened for academic qualifications based on the hours defined in the bullets above.

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have overstated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be removed from consideration or your score may be lowered.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

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; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.

You must submit a copy of your transcript and proof of current enrollment in an academic program. Transcripts and proof of enrollment are a requirement at the time of application. Your application package will not be considered for this position if no documents are submitted. An unofficial transcript or a list of courses must include: grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned; can be used as a substitute for the official transcript at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.