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Pathways Student Intern (Transportation Program Specialist)

Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The positions are located in various Federal Transit Administration (FTA) offices. The vision of success is to provide student Trainees the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. Participants in the program will be exposed to the Federal work environment and will learn the mission of the Federal Transit Administration and its role and responsibilities to the public transportation industry.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/19/2024 to 11/26/2024
This job will close when we have received 250 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$35,373 to - $63,733 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 04 - 07
Locations
2 vacancies in the following locations:
Chicago, IL
New York, NY
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be eligible for telework.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships - Excepted Service Appointment for an initial period expected to last for more than 1-year.
Work schedule
Part-time - Full Time / Part Time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
FTA.RO-2025-0003
Control number
819724300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. This position is part of the Pathways Program and is open to current students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a qualifying educational institution and enrolled at least half-time. Additional information can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Program-Fact-Sheets

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Duties

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The Student Trainee (Transportation Program Specialist) Pathways Intern will:

  • Assist the Office Director in oversight of FTA-funded projects and provides project management advice and direction to regional programs to assist in the implementation and completion of capital, operating and planning grants. be responsible for the oversight aspects and project management aspects of FTA projects. Maintains records for grantees regarding project status, Triennial Reviews (TR), FTA grantee reviews, audits, and maintains computer program tracking system on each.
  • Assist the Office Director in the review of grant applications for planning, capital and operating assistance. be responsible for developing and recommending for approval grant amendments, letters of no prejudice, advance construction authority, and other financial assistance instruments pursuant to 49 USC 5307, 5309, and other grant sections, and appropriate provisions of Title 23 USC. Consider all current requirements and documents the rationale for approval, rejection or other action.
  • Prepare briefing papers, statistical and narrative reports on a broad range of regional office and grantee activities and in support of policy and procedural decisions for use by the Regional Administrator and/or headquarters.
  • Review financial and progress reports on capital, operating and planning projects and determines whether project is proceeding as scheduled. Prepare correspondence asking for further explanations on deviations or problems, if required, as a basis for corrective action.

The ideal candidate for this position is in the Pathways Internship Program that is designed to attract students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions to work in agencies and explore careers while still in school.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet the requirements of the program.
  • You must be at least 16 years of age
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date

PATHWAYS ELIGIBILITY - To be eligible for appointment to a position in the DOT 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.
  • Be able to work at least 20 hours per week, depending on your academic schedule, and preferably full-time during the summer. 
  • Grade qualifications must be met prior to start date.

If selected you: 

  • must sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement;
  • may be employed throughout the academic year;  
  • must maintain status as a current student;
  • must maintain good academic standing, at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 grading scale.
  • must furnish course registration information at the start of each school term; and
  • must provide verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic term.

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

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP:  Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be  registered for the Selective Service.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION:  Must complete a background investigation.
  • DECLARATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT: Selectee is required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine suitability for federal employment.
  • PHYSICAL LOCATION: Intern will be required to work onsite.
  • TRIAL PERIOD: The intern is in a trial period throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment.  
  • TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework.  The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.

Qualifications

 To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the education requirements for each grade which you are requesting consideration for: 

  • GS-04:  Completion of two academic years of post-high school study or associate's degree.
  • GS-05:  Completion of four academic years of post-high school study leading to a bachelor’s degree or equivalent degree.
  • GS-07:  Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.  OR
  • Superior Academic Achievement: In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:

    (1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR

    (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your 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; or (b) 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; OR

    (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).

    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.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  1. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
  2. Computer Skills - Uses computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.

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.

For additional information about applying to Federal Pathways Internship Positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-PIP

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the start of the internship.  

Education

Refer to the Qualifications and Requirements section for information pertaining to the Pathways Internship Program.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE:

This is an Excepted Service Appointment for an initial period expected to last for more than 1-year.  As a part of the Pathways Internship Program, the appointment may be extended until the selectee's projected graduation date, plus 120 days.  Upon graduation, depending on the qualifications and the Agency’s need the student intern may be converted without a break in service to a term (time-limited) or permanent appointment, to a position that has a career ladder target up to the GS-12, provided they are a US citizen who has worked at least 640 hours in an appropriate program and has received a favorable recommendation from the supervisor for retention. There is no guarantee of a permanent position following this internship.  Selectee is on a trial period while on a Pathways Internship appointment. 

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

How you will be evaluated

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

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

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 students will be referred to the hiring manager in unranked order by veteran preference status:  (1) Preference eligible having a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more; (2) all other candidates eligible for 10-point veteran preference; (3) candidates eligible for 5-point veteran preference; and (4) candidates not eligible for veteran preference.
 
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.


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