Clarification from the agency

This opportunity is open to U.S. Citizens who are Students enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis, or accepted for enrollment, and seeking a degree/academic program related to the position (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution; have at least a cumulative (overall) 2.7 grade point average or higher on a 4.0 scale

The work of this position primarily involves Information Technology (IT) program audits. The incumbent, an information technology specialist trainee, works with a team leader in a developmental capacity, to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of organizations, programs, and activities applicable to information technology system programs. The audits may cover the relevance or appropriateness of program objectives; the extent to which a program achieves a desired level of results; factors inhibiting satisfactory performance; alternatives for carrying out the program; the adequacy of management controls; and the validity and reliability of reported program effectiveness.

The incumbent of this position applies professional IT and auditing knowledge, standards, and principles in performing an objective and systematic examination of pertinent information and documentation such as records, management reports, management controls, and policies and practices affecting the outcomes and results of information technology systems.

The incumbent research pertinent laws, legislative history, regulations, contracts, and management controls to ascertain the purpose, scope, and objectives of the assigned program or function; the manner in which the program or function is conducted; and the nature and extent of management authority and responsibility for the program or function. As a member of an audit team, the incumbent assists in all phases of audit work - planning the audit, conducting the audit, and preparing the final product.

The incumbent assists higher level IT Specialists with examining and testing (using statistical and/or judgmental sampling) records and management controls to determine the degree of efficiency, and effectiveness of the assigned programs.

The incumbent conducts all assigned phases of the audit in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS). The standards require the incumbent to study and evaluate the existing system of internal controls to determine the level of system reliability; determine those audit procedures required to answer audit objectives in view of the system’s reliability; and obtain sufficient reliable evidence through inspection, observation, inquiries, and confirmation to provide a reasonable basis for an opinion regarding the system or program under examination. These tasks are performed under the direction of a higher-level IT Specialist.

The incumbent assists higher-level IT Specialists in conducting interviews with employees of the program or activity under review. The Incumbent also prepares work papers using Pentana, interview summaries, and briefing materials covering findings for use by team members.

The incumbent will also assist in conducting entrance and exit conferences with the audited agency and follow-up inquiries to evaluate the adequacy of corrective actions taken on prior audit findings; and, support the team in issuing final written products that adhere to high quality standards and reflect internal OIG management review and comments received from the audited agency.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship
• Enrolled at least half time at a qualifying educational Institution
• Plan to not graduate before Fall 2025 (December 2025) semester
• Must sign a Pathways Student Agreement
• Cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher
• This position is subject to a background investigation
• Submit complete application online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
• Males Born after 12-31-1959 must be registered for Selective Service
• This position may be subject to drug testing.

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); OR 
• Be accepted for enrollment or enrolled in a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized postsecondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or Job Corps).
• Be seeking a degree that is relevant to this position.
• Meet all necessary qualifications as stated in the announcement. 

If selected,

• 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

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. 

Qualifications

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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. Additional qualifications information can be found here.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS for GS-07: 

In addition to the specialized experience and the mandatory education requirement, your application will be evaluated based on the following competencies:

1. Teamwork
2. Attention to Detail
3. Written & Oral Communication
4. Information Systems/Network Security
5. Problem Solving
6. Interpersonal Skills

Specialized Experience: To qualify at the GS-07 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the GS-05 grade level.  Specialized experience includes: 

• Experience applying problem solving concepts or techniques to gather and analyze information for IT-related project to develop conclusions and recommendations.
• Basic understanding of IT software, programs, security, and communications
• Providing assistance to higher level staff with researching laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures

OR

Education: Completed one full academic year of graduate education (Master's level) (18 credits) in a related field such as computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or degree that provided a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants that possess a percentage of the required specialized experience and a percentage of the required graduate level education such that, when the percentages of the required graduate education and specialized experience are added together, they equal 100%. (Only graduate education and only professional experience equivalent to the GS-5 or higher is creditable.)

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)

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/ .

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.

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).