Clarification from the agency

Open to any U.S. Citizen, at least 16 years old, who is a student. You must be enrolled for the current/upcoming semester in a degree or certificate-seeking program taking at least a half-time course load.

Videos

The Office of Evaluation and Inspections (OEI) conducts national program evaluations to provide HHS, Congress, and the public with timely, useful, and reliable information on significant issues. The trainee will receive formal and on-the-job training which are intended to enhance individual technical competencies. Assignments may include duties similar to the duties listed below.

• Assists the project lead to identify potential inspection assignments related to Medicare, Medicaid, and public health and human services programs.
• Assists in conducting pre-inspection research of laws and regulations; GAO reports; OIG audits, investigations and inspection reports; other studies; and pending or recently enacted regulations or legislation related to the assigned inspections on Medicare, Medicaid, and public health and human service programs.
• Engages in a variety of research, evaluation, and analysis assignments in Medicare and Medicaid, public health, and human service programs to gain broader knowledge of the programs and experience in the inspection process.
• Gathers and organizes narrative and statistical information using established statistical methods, techniques, and models, such as questionnaires, interviews, standard computer software applications, and data trends.
• Assists in developing data driven findings and recommendations for program evaluations and reporting of results to officials and stakeholders.
• Prepares various statistical tables and reports, new or modified work methods, management processes and procedures for administering program services, guidelines and procedures for evaluating program operations.
• Analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of programs to identify program vulnerabilities and potential waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Participates in discussions, meetings, conferences, and conference calls with administrative, senior subject matter, and technical personnel, and other federal agency officials to secure and provide information; to evaluate and inspect facts; to present conclusions, recommendations, and alternatives; and to obtain concurrence and prepares alternate courses of actions.

Program Administration

• Interns may work either part- or full-time.
• Each agency must sign a Participant Agreement with the Intern that sets forth the expectations for the internship.
• Intern's job will be related to the Intern's academic career goals or field of study.

Program Completion and Conversion Interns may be converted to a permanent position (or to a term position lasting 1-4 years) within 120 days of successful completion of the program.To be eligible for conversion, Interns must:

• Complete at least 480 hours of work experience in the Internship Program
• Complete their degree or certificate requirements
• Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted
• Meet agency-specific requirements in the Participant's Agreement, and
• Perform their job successfully.

At the discretion of OIG, after an Intern has worked at least 320 hour of career-related work experience in a Pathways Programs Internship appointment, we may waive, for conversion eligibility, up to 240 of the required 480 hours of work for Interns who demonstrate high potential as evidenced by outstanding academic achievement and exceptional job performance. OIG can credit the following: The Intern has comparable non-federal internship experience in a field or functional area related to the Intern's target position and was acquired any time prior to the Pathways Internship appointment in at least one of the following: Worked in, but not for, a federal agency, pursuant to a formal internship agreement, comparable to the Pathways Internship Program, between the agency and an accredited academic institution;

• Worked in, but not for, a federal agency, pursuant to a written contract with a third- party provider officially established to provide internship experience to students that is comparable to the Pathways Internship Program;
• Served as an active-duty member of the armed forces (including the National Guard and Reserves), as defined in 5 U.S.C. §2101, provided the veteran's discharge or release is under honorable condition; or
• Worked in a registered apprenticeship program at a federal agency prior to their appointment in the Pathways Internship Program.
• Student volunteer service described under 5 CFR Part 308, and other federal programs designed to give internship experience to students (e.g., a Department of Labor Job Corps Program, etc.), if the experience is comparable to the experience gained in the Pathways Internship Program.

You must meet all eligibility requirements for the Pathway Internship Program and minimum qualifications requirements for the position by the closing date of this announcement.

Conditions of employment

• U.S Citizenship is required.
• Registration with the Selective Service (if applicable).
• Suitability for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
• Age requirement
• Pathways Program Participant Agreement

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements, including education, and any selective placement factors described below within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Education used as part of an application package will only be considered if complete transcripts are submitted and must be from an accredited institution as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To see if your institution is accredited, please follow this link: Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.

Positive Education Requirement: This position has a position education requirement, as indicated below. A complete transcript showing relevant coursework and degrees must be submitted with your application package. A list of completed courses or incomplete transcripts will not be accepted.

Internship Eligibility Requirements: Individuals accepted for enrollment or students enrolled in an accredited high school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate.

Note: You must provide an unofficial academic transcript that reflects your current enrollment and a verification of Fall 2026 enrollment. If you have been accepted for enrollment at a qualifying academic institution, you must submit an acceptance letter from the academic institution on the institution's letterhead.

Upon completion of the Pathways Intern Program to be eligible for conversion into the 101 series, Social Science Analyst:

• Applicants must have completed a 4 year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a behavioral or social science; or related discipline appropriate to this position OR;
• Must have 4 years of appropriate experience that demonstrates you have acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field OR;
• Must have a combination of the education and experience described above.

Qualification Requirements for Appointment:

GS-7: Must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service which provided the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience demonstrates working collaboratively as a member of a team to: (1) conduct a systematic and objective inquiry, including conducting background research, designing a study, scoping, identifying issues, or collecting and analyzing data; (2) distill complex information into key facts or recommendations; and (3) prepare written documents that communicate information in an organized and grammatically correct manner. Applicants may substitute 1 year of progressively higher-level graduate education for the required specialized experience at the GS-7 grade level.Applicants may substitute a combination of the specialized experience and education above to qualify for the GS-7 grade level.

Applicants who have completed a bachelor's degree in a behavioral or social science or related discipline appropriate to this position and are eligible under superior academic achievement. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: (1) Class Standing - You 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.) - You 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 - You may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies.

GS-9: Must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service which provided the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience demonstrates working collaboratively as a member of a team to conduct program evaluations or social science research, including, at a minimum, the following areas: (1) conducting a systematic and objective inquiry, including conducting background research, designing a study, scoping, and identifying issues; (2) collecting and analyzing quantitative data (e.g., using R, SAS, SPSS, SQL, Python); (3) distilling complex information into key facts or recommendations; and (4) developing clear, concise, and compelling written presentations of the results. Applicants may substitute 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree for the required specialized experience at the GS-9 grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the first year may be substituted for specialized experience.

Applicants may substitute a combination of the specialized experience and education above to qualify for the GS-9 grade level.

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. Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your education (if applicable), experience, and training that is relevant to the duties of this position. If you are found minimally qualified for the job, your application package will be further evaluated to determine your possession of the critical knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics of this announcement. Applicants found to be among the top candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview.You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is not received by the closing date of this announcement.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Problem Solving
• Research
• Teamwork
• Written Communication
• Data Management (GS-9 only)

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13073722

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar across HHS.