Are you a college or graduate student interested in working for a fun, fast-paced team where you can make an impact?
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) has an opportunity for you! The USPS OIG is seeking students enrolled in college/university programs to fill our Student Cooperative - (Paid) position in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) located in Arlington, VA. Bring your skills and voice to our team!
Summary
Are you a college or graduate student interested in working for a fun, fast-paced team where you can make an impact?
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) has an opportunity for you! The USPS OIG is seeking students enrolled in college/university programs to fill our Student Cooperative - (Paid) position in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) located in Arlington, VA. Bring your skills and voice to our team!
Open to U.S. Citizens who are students currently enrolled full or part-time in an accredited college or university program, classified or academically ranked by semester hours as a Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Graduate student.
An OCIO Student Co-op role is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in IT leadership, strategy, and operations. Working closely with IT teams to drive AI-enhanced productivity and digital transformation, the Co-op will leverage tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot and the Power Platform to evaluate new AI solutions, connect AI agents to internal data sources, and develop dashboards to assess technology investments. This role provides direct exposure to enterprise AI innovation, process automation, and stakeholder communications, tasking the student with translating business needs into technical requirements and creating the user guides and training materials necessary for agency-wide AI adoption.
The successful candidate may work with multiple teams in OCIO.
The successful Student Cooperative is eligible for continuous employment throughout the year, while enrolled in school.
Candidates will be evaluated on the skills that they possess that are directly related to the duties of the position and the experience, education and training that indicate the applicant's ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Only those candidates who meet all qualification and eligibility requirements and who submit the required information by 11:59 PM EST on 02/19/2026 will be considered.
The USPS OIG uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale. Grade and salary determinations will be made based upon a candidate's education and professional experience.
This position is being advertised at the Administrative Band level. The base salary range for this position is $16.73 - $20.15/hour. Locality Pay is authorized.
Sophomore $22.41 per hour includes locality pay
Junior/Senior $23.81 per hour includes locality pay
Graduate or Law Student $26.99 per hour includes locality pay
Student Cooperatives are not eligible for USPS OIG Employee Benefits.
Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the area of assignment. The following description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations. The student cooperative performs specialized duties with continuing responsibility for projects, questions, or issues that arise in the area of assignment/curriculum. Each assignment typically consists of a series of related actions or decisions prior to final completion.
Assist with the deployment and integration of Generative AI tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, to enhance agency-wide productivity.
Assist in the systematic testing and evaluation of various AI solutions to ensure outputs meet agency standards.
Design and implement Power Platform solutions to streamline business processes and support AI-driven initiatives.
Assist in connecting AI agents to internal data sources and systems so they can access the information needed to perform tasks autonomously.
Participate in meetings and briefings with technical teams and stakeholders to assist in translating business needs into technical requirements.
Create comprehensive documentation, user guides, and training materials to simplify complex AI concepts for end-user groups.
Develop dashboards that leverage AI tools to help leadership assess the effectiveness of technology investments. Design feedback loops (surveys, interviews) to collect end-user insights on AI tool performance, helping to identify areas for continuous improvement.
Help optimize IT operations and improve efficiency.
Help conduct research on emerging technologies and industry trends.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Moderate Background Investigation (MBI) clearance.
Must be able to work a minimum of 10 hours per week (while school is in session students can work up to 30 hours per week, and while school is not in session students can work up to 40 hours per week.
Qualifications
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
You must meet ALL of the minimum requirements.
Students must be currently enrolled full or half-time in an accredited college or university. (MUST SUBMIT TRANSCRIPT STATING CURRENT ENROLLMENT STATUS, GPA AND IN GOOD STANDING - an unofficial transcript from the university is acceptable. May be required to produce an official transcript prior to receipt of a formal offer.)
AND
Must be in academic good standing as defined by the accredited college or university, earning at least a 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 GPA scale.
AND
Must be currently pursuing a degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Business, or a related field.
AND
Must be able to report to work year-round in the USPS OIG office. (Minimum one-year commitment)
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Proficiency in the Power Platform, specifically using Power Automate to trigger AI-driven actions or integrate AI agents into existing workflows.
Experience with SharePoint development, including site customization, workflow automation, and integration.
Strong understanding of SQL, DAX, and data modeling for Power BI reporting.
Knowledge of Microsoft 365 services, including Teams, OneDrive, and Azure.
Familiarity with IT governance, cybersecurity, and cloud computing is a plus.
EVALUATION FACTORS
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks.
Ability to work effectively within a team and assist in developing actionable technical solutions.
Demonstrated written and oral communications skills.
Experience using Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Knowledge of modern low-code productivity platforms (e.g., Power Platform) and an aptitude for learning emerging Generative AI tools and prompting techniques.
We're looking for a year-round, paid student cooperative. We want a team player who enjoys learning and able to work in our Arlington VA, headquarters office. We are looking for a high-energy student who is comfortable alternating between working independently and as part of a team
Failure to demonstrate that you meet all of the evaluation factor requirements as listed below will result in a score of zero (0); an ineligible status, and you will not be referred for further consideration. Include your major accomplishments relevant to the evaluation factors in your resume.
Special Instructions for Candidates with Foreign Education:
Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in U.S. education programs. You must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. credential evaluation service to interpret equivalency of your education against courses given in U.S. accredited colleges and universities.
For further information visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications
Additional information
Student Cooperatives are not eligible for USPS OIG Employee Benefits.
This agency provides Reasonable Accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require accommodations for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please send an email to jobs@uspsoig.gov. The decision on granting an accommodation request will be made on a case by case basis.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
The Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications required for this position.
You will no longer be considered for this position if you:
Receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor
Fail to attach all required documentation
Submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit
If your application materials indicate that you are not minimally-qualified for this position
If you fail to qualify on the interview
Only the top-rated candidates will be referred to a review official or the selecting official for further consideration. Top-rated applicants may be required to participate in an interview. Your rating may be further adjusted or rated as ineligible by the review official or the selecting official based on your interview performance. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision. NOTE: If you receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor or on the interview, you will be considered NOT MINIMALLY QUALIFIED for the position and rated ineligible.
Applicants for this position may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. During interviews, applicants may not use any AI tool or virtual assistant (such as ChatGPT) to help them answer questions, except for accessibility tools used as part of a reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process.
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.
You must submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of this announcement, Vacancy Announcement EX-26-18A-12877077-PC, by closing date 02/19/2026.
1. RESUME - IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. You will no longer be considered for this announcement if your resume exceeds the two-page limit. It is essential that your resume and supporting documentation provide sufficient information to substantiate your qualifications for the announced position (categorize as "Resume"). Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
Make sure your page margins are 0.5 inches. The recommended font styles are Sans-Serif, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noto Sans. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
2. TRANSCRIPTS from an accredited college or university. The information presented in the transcript must be verifiable and should contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses, semester hours, GPA, date and type of Bachelor's Degree issued. Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. Attach document verifying that it has been deemed equivalent. For further information visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. (Required: Upload and save as "Transcript" document.)
3. UPLOAD SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS which may include:
Certificates or Licenses, if applicable. Upload and save as "Certificates or Licenses" document.
Veterans Preference Documentation. If you are claiming veterans' preference you must submit the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and/or other proof of veterans' preference eligibility including your VA letter, form SF-15 (www.opm.gov/forms) and all required documents related to your SF-15 claim. Veterans can request the Member 4 copy of their DD-214 at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, and can download a copy of their VA letter from https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal. (If applicable to you, you are required to upload each veterans' preference document and categorize as "DD-214" or "SF-15" or "Other Veterans Document")
SF-50 if you are or have been a Federal employee to demonstrate tenure and competitive/excepted service for eligibility purposes. (If applicable to you, you are Required to upload each applicable SF-50 and categorize as a "SF-50" document.)
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. You will no longer be considered for this announcement if your resume exceeds the two-page limit.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date, 02/19/2026, to receive consideration.
To begin, click 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, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, 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.
You are strongly urged to read and print the entire vacancy announcement.
CIO Chief Information Officer
1735 N. Lynn Street
Arlington, VA 22209
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire has been received you will receive an acknowledgement e-mail that your submission was successful. After a review of your application package has been completed, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the Selecting Official.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You must submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of this announcement, Vacancy Announcement EX-26-18A-12877077-PC, by closing date 02/19/2026.
1. RESUME - IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. You will no longer be considered for this announcement if your resume exceeds the two-page limit. It is essential that your resume and supporting documentation provide sufficient information to substantiate your qualifications for the announced position (categorize as "Resume"). Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
Make sure your page margins are 0.5 inches. The recommended font styles are Sans-Serif, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noto Sans. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
2. TRANSCRIPTS from an accredited college or university. The information presented in the transcript must be verifiable and should contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses, semester hours, GPA, date and type of Bachelor's Degree issued. Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. Attach document verifying that it has been deemed equivalent. For further information visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. (Required: Upload and save as "Transcript" document.)
3. UPLOAD SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS which may include:
Certificates or Licenses, if applicable. Upload and save as "Certificates or Licenses" document.
Veterans Preference Documentation. If you are claiming veterans' preference you must submit the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and/or other proof of veterans' preference eligibility including your VA letter, form SF-15 (www.opm.gov/forms) and all required documents related to your SF-15 claim. Veterans can request the Member 4 copy of their DD-214 at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, and can download a copy of their VA letter from https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal. (If applicable to you, you are required to upload each veterans' preference document and categorize as "DD-214" or "SF-15" or "Other Veterans Document")
SF-50 if you are or have been a Federal employee to demonstrate tenure and competitive/excepted service for eligibility purposes. (If applicable to you, you are Required to upload each applicable SF-50 and categorize as a "SF-50" document.)
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. You will no longer be considered for this announcement if your resume exceeds the two-page limit.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date, 02/19/2026, to receive consideration.
To begin, click 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, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, 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.
You are strongly urged to read and print the entire vacancy announcement.
CIO Chief Information Officer
1735 N. Lynn Street
Arlington, VA 22209
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire has been received you will receive an acknowledgement e-mail that your submission was successful. After a review of your application package has been completed, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the Selecting Official.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
