Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Student Trainee (Mechanical Engineering)

Department of the Army
U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command
Tobyhanna Army Depot
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Who May Apply: Students who are eligible for participation in the Department of the Army Internship Program
Position(s) will be filled under the Department of the Army Pathways Intern Program. Click here for more information on Pathways program participation.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/13/2023 to 10/02/2023
Salary
$35,080 to - $51,192 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 3 - 4
Location
8 vacancies in the following location:
Tobyhanna, PA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
4
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NEAI236124903691PI
Control number
748268900

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.

Duties

Help
  • Receive on-the-job training in carefully selected assignments to develop the knowledge and skills of an engineer.
  • Perform elementary phases of research, design, development, testing and/or maintenance on apparatus and equipment.
  • Perform simple computations and test procedures to furnish experience in the application of principles, procedures and work techniques in actual operating situations.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • This position requires a Suitability Background Investigation before being hired as an Intern, AND a Secret Security Clearance is required if converted to a permanent position.
  • Incumbent MUST be available to work in the location of this position which is Tobyhanna Army Depot located in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania for the duration of employment in this Pathways Internship.
  • You MUST attach a copy of your transcripts with your application package.
  • You MUST be enrolled at least half-time at an accredited school.
  • You MUST attach a resume with your application package.
  • You MUST attach a letter of enrollment verification from your school.
  • You MUST sign a Pathways Participant Agreement.
  • You MUST remain in good standing with a GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  • You MUST be pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the education requirements described below:

To Qualify at the GS-03 grade level, you must have successfully completed at least 1 academic year (30 semester hours/45 quarter hours) of post high school education in a field for which high school graduation or equivalent is the normal prerequisite AND be enrolled for at least a half-time course load at an accredited institution of higher education. (Transcripts must be attached with your application package)

To Qualify at the GS-04 grade level, you must have successfully completed at least 2 academic years (60 semester hours/90 quarter hours) of post high school education in a field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite AND be enrolled for at least a half-time course load at an accredited institution of higher education. (Transcripts must be attached with your application package)

*Directly Related Degree Program: Mechanical Engineering

For qualification purposes, 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 college, vocational, trade, technical or high schools' 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 academic hours as defined in the bullets above.


Positions are open to current students in good standing at an accredited education pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate in an accredited high school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution on at least a half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled). Short-term training programs (e.g., several two-week programs completed) are not considered an academic course of study.

This position provides for development and training under the Pathways Internship Program. Intern assignments become more responsible as the incumbent increases knowledge and skills through work experience and academic training. The incumbent will receive on-the-job training in carefully selected assignments to develop the knowledge and skills of a Mechanical Engineer. Training assignments embrace the principles, concepts, regulations, and work processes fundamental to performing elementary phases of research, design, development, testing, and/or maintenance on apparatus and equipment. The incumbent will complete simple engineering computations and test procedures to furnish experience in the application of principles, procedures, and work techniques in actual operating situations. Duties are performed under the close supervision of a higher graded engineer, and in accordance with specific and detailed instructions.

This intern position is designed to prepare a student trainee for employment after graduation as an entry-level Mechanical Engineer, GS-05 or GS-07. The grade level for conversion depends on academic achievement and other factors. The entry-level position will have a target, full performance level of GS-11. Progression from the entry-level to the full performance level for this occupation will depend on successful completion of all requirements for promotion. Promotions may be considered after 1 year at each grade level, but are not guaranteed to occur on a specific time schedule. Interns will be assigned tasks designed to increase familiarity with the target occupation in a real world work environment.

Education

For this internship, you must be a current student majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

This occupation has specific educational requirements for entry and applicants must show evidence that their planned academic program will meet those requirements (i.e. transcript reflecting enrollment in applicable programs). Students who graduate without meeting those requirements may not be converted to the target position and could be separated from federal service.

Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at - http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

This is a student internship opportunity. Your transcripts are a required part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • Two-year trial period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • This is a Career Program (CP) 16 position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is NOT authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
Eligibility requirements for conversion to a permanent or term position. Interns must:
  • Be a U.S. Citizen at the time of conversion;
  • Complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program prior to or concurrent with completion of academic requirements;
  • Complete their educational requirements (as specified in the announcement);
  • Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standard, including any applicable positive education requirement and/or selective placement factors and any other special qualifications requirements and conditions of employment (e.g. medical standards) appropriate for the specific competitive service position to which the intern will be converted;
  • Successfully complete all the requirements of the Internship Program as defined in the agency-participant agreement; and
  • Perform their job successfully as documented through performance evaluations and/or completion of an Individual Development Plan (IDP).
***Conversion to a permanent engineering position upon completion of Pathways Internship may require coverage under the Defense Acquisition Workforce (AWF).

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Learning
  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Ideal Candidate, Strong Candidate and Eligible Candidate. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.
  • Ideal: This category will be used for those candidates who meet the competencies described above.
  • Strong: This category will be used for those candidates who meet many of the criteria described above for the ideal candidate.
  • Eligible: This category will be used for those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications of the position.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.