The Administrative Office (AO), an agency of the judicial branch of the federal government, is committed to serving and supporting the federal court system of the United States. The AO provides a broad range of legislative, legal, financial, technology, management, administrative and program support services to the federal courts.
All Cooperative Education Students at the AO are on-site at the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building (TMFJB) and telework is not permitted.
Summary
The Administrative Office (AO), an agency of the judicial branch of the federal government, is committed to serving and supporting the federal court system of the United States. The AO provides a broad range of legislative, legal, financial, technology, management, administrative and program support services to the federal courts.
All Cooperative Education Students at the AO are on-site at the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building (TMFJB) and telework is not permitted.
Relatives of current federal judicial branch employees are not eligible. All students in the AO Cooperative Education Program must have completed one full year of post-secondary education by the closing date of this announcement. Please note that a full year of post-secondary education is defined as 30 semester or 45 quarter hours.
OPPORTUNITY: The AO is seeking applicants for our agency's Cooperative Education (Co-Op) Program. The Co-Op Program allows students to be appointed on a temporary basis as an AO employee. The duration of the appointment is determined based on the student's academic schedule and anticipated graduation date. Participants in the Co-Op Program may be non-competitively converted to an Excepted Service appointment upon the conclusion of their studies. The opportunity is intended to provide valuable work experience for students interested in a public service career. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate-level program. The student will have an opportunity to improve his or her writing, research, analytical, logical, multi-tasking, and customer-service skills. Students will work 20 hours per week during the school year and are allowed to work up to 32 hours per week. Students will work full time during the summer months and other school breaks.
The AO is committed to attracting the best and brightest applicants in our support of the third branch of government. We take pride in serving the Judicial Branch and supporting its mission to provide equal justice under the law.
The mission of the Defender Services program is to ensure that the right to counsel guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment, the Criminal Justice Act (18 U.S.C.3006A), and other congressional mandates is enforced on behalf of those who cannot afford to retain counsel and other necessary defense services. By fulfilling its mission, the Defender Services program helps to (a) maintain public confidence in the nation's commitment to equal justice under law and (b) ensure the successful operation of the constitutionally based adversary system of justice by which both federal criminal laws and federally guaranteed rights are enforced.
This specific position will be in the Defender Services Office, Administrative Operations Staff.
The incumbent of this position will serve as a Financial Specialist on the Administrative Operations Staff financial team. The incumbent will be a part of a cooperative and high functioning team that specializes in the financial management of the defender appropriation's centrally managed funds. This dynamic team provides expert guidance and education to the Defender Services Office (DSO) and defender organization staff in the following areas: procurement; travel; obligation and disbursement of contract and grant funds; and more. The ideal candidate will have a strong desire to learn more about judicial budget, administrative, and travel policy, and will welcome working and learning in a fast-paced environment. Student candidates that are intellectually curious, self- motivated, and enjoy problem solving will do well in this position.
Training will be provided to enable this specialist to perform the following duties:
Reviewing, analyzing and applying travel policy for DSO related travel and financial related duties.
Researching anomalies and working with stakeholders in the agency to find solutions.
Developing weekly, quarterly, and year-end reports at the direction of program managers.
Researching and compiling financial data for review by DSO managers.
Reconciling invoices monthly.
Training staff on the use of the judiciary travel system.
Answering questions from internal and external travelers related to travel funding and policy.
Processing, preparing, and monitoring travel authorizations and vouchers for external travelers.
Identifying and tracking issues related to internal and external travel and seeking solutions.
Assisting the travel service liaison with travel related problems.
Reviewing notification emails to ensure that travel tickets are being issued in accordance with the Travel Authorizations and the Judiciary travel policies.
Creating obligations in the judiciary financial management system for external travel expenses, to include training staff on the creation of various kinds of obligations related to external travelers.
Various projects/tasks as assigned, including processing invoices, authorizations, and contracts.
All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statute), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.
New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.
Participants in the Co-Op Program may be non-competitively converted to Excepted Service Appointment.
Qualifications
Basic Qualification Requirements: Qualifications for the Cooperative Education Program positions are closely related to the criteria established for Executive Branch positions by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Co-Op positions are classified and paid under a broad-banded system. Salary is set commensurate with educational background and experience. Demonstrated relevant work experience will be credited.
Applicants must be currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking student in either an undergraduate or graduate-level program.
Applicants must have completed at least one year of undergraduate education beyond high school.
Applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.0. A transcript will be required during the time of application to confirm proof of eligibility.
Applicants must be available to work year-round in Washington, DC, and be able to remain employed at the AO for at least one year.
Additional Qualification Requirements: In addition to meeting the BASIC QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS, applicants must also:
Have the ability to work well in a team environment.
Have strong communication and reading skills and be detailed oriented.
Have a working knowledge of computer applications such as Microsoft Excel, Word, or WordPerfect.
Have excellent writing, reading and interpersonal skills, and be able to organize a variety of assignments simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
The ideal candidate will be an undergraduate or graduate level student working towards a degree inFinance.
Education
School Affiliation: All students in the Cooperative Education Program must be enrolled in an accredited school, and must be working toward a degree, diploma, certificate, etc. on a full-time or part-time basis. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. You can receive credit for education received outside the United States if you provide evidence that it is comparable to an accredited educational institution in the United States. A transcript is required at the time of application for proof of enrollment and education.
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.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses on the occupational questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, we will evaluate your application package, to assess the quality, depth, and complexity of your accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the requirements listed in this vacancy announcement.
You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume and/or narrative responses, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Failure to submit the mandatory narrative responses will result in not receiving full consideration and/or rating credit. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you, withdrawing an offer of the opportunity, or dismissal after placement begins.
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.
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.
For this job announcement the following documents and/or information are required:
Your resume - including your college, major/area of study, and anticipated graduation date.
Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
Note: An unofficial transcript will be required at the time of application and must be submitted before the closing date.
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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
As indicated above, to apply for this position, you must complete an Application Package, which includes:
Your resume - including your college, major/area of study, and anticipated graduation date.
Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
A completed Occupational Assessment Questionnaire.
Transcripts showing you are currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking student in either an undergraduate or graduate level program and must have completed at least one year of undergraduate education beyond high school. The transcript must show an overall GPA of at least 3.0.
Ability to be available to work year-round in Washington, DC, and be able to stay for at least one year.
The complete application package must be submitted by 12/27/2023 to receive consideration.
Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12205065.
Defender Services Office
One Columbus Circle, NE
Washington, DC 20544
US
Next steps
After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
For this job announcement the following documents and/or information are required:
Your resume - including your college, major/area of study, and anticipated graduation date.
Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
Note: An unofficial transcript will be required at the time of application and must be submitted before the closing date.
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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
As indicated above, to apply for this position, you must complete an Application Package, which includes:
Your resume - including your college, major/area of study, and anticipated graduation date.
Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
A completed Occupational Assessment Questionnaire.
Transcripts showing you are currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking student in either an undergraduate or graduate level program and must have completed at least one year of undergraduate education beyond high school. The transcript must show an overall GPA of at least 3.0.
Ability to be available to work year-round in Washington, DC, and be able to stay for at least one year.
The complete application package must be submitted by 12/27/2023 to receive consideration.
Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12205065.
Defender Services Office
One Columbus Circle, NE
Washington, DC 20544
US
Next steps
After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
