NIST is seeking an HR (Processing) Assistant Trainee to support our team through reviewing, analyzing, and processing personnel actions and benefits forms.
This position(s) is being filled for the Post-Secondary Student program. The posting serves to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. This recruitment will be used as positions become available. There may or may not be an actual vacancy filled from this posting.
This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET 5/22/26.
Summary
NIST is seeking an HR (Processing) Assistant Trainee to support our team through reviewing, analyzing, and processing personnel actions and benefits forms.
This position(s) is being filled for the Post-Secondary Student program. The posting serves to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. This recruitment will be used as positions become available. There may or may not be an actual vacancy filled from this posting.
This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET 5/22/26.
To be eligible for consideration, you must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited institution of higher education and pursuing a baccalaureate or graduate degree on at least a part-time basis, as determined by the academic institution.
Post-secondary positions provide for development and training in a specific field. Assignments become more responsible as the incumbent increases knowledge and skills through work experience and academic training.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment
A post-secondary appointment expires 120-days after completion of the designated academic course of study, unless the student is selected for non-competitive conversion.
Must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited institution of higher education and pursuing a baccalaureate or graduate degree on at least a part-time basis, as determined by the academic institution.
Bargaining Unit Position: No
Post-secondary students will initially be appointed to a term appointment in the competitive service for an initial period expected to last at least 13 months but may be extended up to a total of 4-years.
TERM appointments may be converted to permanent (career or career-conditional appointment) without further competition, as long as all requirements are met.
This is a developmental position up to the full performance level. Noncompetitive promotion to the full performance level is authorized.
A trial period may be required.
Qualifications
Completion of 4 academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done. We will credit all qualifying volunteer experience in your application.
The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook.
Applicants may request reconsideration of their qualification determination within three business days from the date their application status was changed. Please see the following link for additional guidance - Applicant Reconsideration
Education
All applicants must be a student accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, degree) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled). In addition, you must be enrolled in school for the duration of the appointment. You will be required to provide documentation to support your eligibility for the program.
Your resume must be complete (i.e., include dates of experience, salary, work schedule, etc.), detailed and relevant to the position.
PROOF OF ENROLLMENT FOR THE CURRENT SEMESTER. This may be documented on your official/unofficial transcripts, a course schedule, an acceptance letter from your university for future enrollment, or an official letter of enrollment from the university registrar's office or a university counselor, as long as your enrollment for the current semester is clearly documented. If you do not provide proof of enrollment for the current semester, you will be disqualified from further consideration.
If you are currently enrolled, but in your last semester/quarter of completing your degree/certificate requirements, you must show proof of continuing education, such as an acceptance letter, or you will be disqualified from further consideration.
This position has an education requirement. Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, an official copy will be required prior to a final offer of employment.
NOTE ABOUT FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed outside of the U.S. must be evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that it is comparable to education received in accredited institutions in the U.S. Click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with a course by course listing) is required with your application.
Additional information
This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS), a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Learn more about the APMS here!
A post-secondary student participant agreement is required for post-secondary students.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Post-secondary students will initially be appointed to a term appointment in the competitive service for a period expected to last more than 1 year, not to exceed 4 years. They may be non-competitively converted to a career or career-conditional appointment after completion of at least 640 hours of current continuous employment, the OPM qualification standards are met for the position, the course of study leading to a baccalaureate or graduate degree is achieved, and time-in-band requirements are met.
The appointment expires on the not-to-exceed date of the appointment unless it is extended by the hiring manager.
We may share your application package with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like this one. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy.
NIST strives to build a flexible, encouraging work environment that brings out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities. For more information, please visit our Careers website.
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.
How you will be evaluated: We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documents to assess your qualifications for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying and be sure that your resume and supporting documents include detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient and/or legible evidence in your resume or supporting documents may result in a "not qualified" determination.
Only resumes up to 2 pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding 2 pages will be removed from consideration. Reference the USAJobs Help Center for additional recommendations and instructions. Please prepare a resume no longer than 2 pages; only the first 2 pages will be considered during the review process. Ensure your font is 11 points or larger and upload your resume as a .pdf document. This helps ensure your formatting looks exactly the way you intended!
Referral: If you determined minimally qualified for the position, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.
Eligible and qualified veterans, Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles, and military spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.
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 your unofficial college transcripts with your application. This office will be unable to determine qualification eligibility without transcripts. Applications without transcripts are incomplete applications and will be rated "INELIGIBLE". Transcripts will NOT be accepted after the closing date of this announcement.
You MUST provide proof of enrollment for the current semesters (i.e., unofficial transcript, course schedule, acceptance letter, letter from the registrar). Applications without proof of enrollment are incomplete applications and will be rated "INELIGIBLE". Proof of Enrollment will NOT be accepted after the closing date of this announcement.
Applicants MUST submit documentation that reflects the following: the degree/diploma program in which you are currently enrolled or you have been accepted into. Applications without a declared major listed on transcripts, school letter, etc. are incomplete applications and will be rated "INELIGIBLE". Resumes or cover letters declaring an intended major will NOT be accepted because this information must be listed on documentation provided by the school/university.
Failure to submit required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
Click 'Apply' and we'll walk you through a multi-step process on how to attach a resume and any required documents. While working an application, you may review, edit, delete and update information. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time the closing date of the announcement.
Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The Human Resources Office will evaluate your application to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
Need help applying?
If you are experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button), please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between regular business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If you receive any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or, at a minimum, the error message text and number. We will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance if necessary.
If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder), please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST.
If you are experiencing a significant hardship that hinders your ability to apply online, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during regular business hours to discuss your situation.
Talent Acquisition Division
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
We will update applicant statuses when:
A qualification determination is made. If found not qualified/eligible, no additional updates will be provided.
Applications are referred to the selecting official.
A selection decision has been made.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after theannouncement's closing date. Also, note that if you provide an inaccurate email address or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication, which could affect your consideration for this position
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You MUST submit your unofficial college transcripts with your application. This office will be unable to determine qualification eligibility without transcripts. Applications without transcripts are incomplete applications and will be rated "INELIGIBLE". Transcripts will NOT be accepted after the closing date of this announcement.
You MUST provide proof of enrollment for the current semesters (i.e., unofficial transcript, course schedule, acceptance letter, letter from the registrar). Applications without proof of enrollment are incomplete applications and will be rated "INELIGIBLE". Proof of Enrollment will NOT be accepted after the closing date of this announcement.
Applicants MUST submit documentation that reflects the following: the degree/diploma program in which you are currently enrolled or you have been accepted into. Applications without a declared major listed on transcripts, school letter, etc. are incomplete applications and will be rated "INELIGIBLE". Resumes or cover letters declaring an intended major will NOT be accepted because this information must be listed on documentation provided by the school/university.
Failure to submit required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
Click 'Apply' and we'll walk you through a multi-step process on how to attach a resume and any required documents. While working an application, you may review, edit, delete and update information. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time the closing date of the announcement.
Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The Human Resources Office will evaluate your application to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
Need help applying?
If you are experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button), please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between regular business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If you receive any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or, at a minimum, the error message text and number. We will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance if necessary.
If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder), please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST.
If you are experiencing a significant hardship that hinders your ability to apply online, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during regular business hours to discuss your situation.
Talent Acquisition Division
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
We will update applicant statuses when:
A qualification determination is made. If found not qualified/eligible, no additional updates will be provided.
Applications are referred to the selecting official.
A selection decision has been made.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after theannouncement's closing date. Also, note that if you provide an inaccurate email address or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication, which could affect your consideration for this position
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
