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 (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 incumbent works under the direction of the Director of Facilities & Asset Management.  The work of the office is concerned with providing support services in areas such as design and construction of new facilities, space management, design and implementation of IT cabling infrastructure, deployment of IT systems and equipment, inventory management, voice and data telecommunications, and physical security systems.

The incumbent is employed under the Pathways Program that provides students with opportunities to explore federal careers while in school and getting paid for the work performed. The target level for this training assignment is GS-13.

This position is responsible for providing IT services and products to support the construction of new facilities and the ongoing operation of existing Field Offices and Headquarters.  The major duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Manages IT inventory by receiving, storing, and issuing equipment, including lifting up to 50 pounds.
• Provides desktop and telecom support, troubleshooting VoIP phones, network connectivity, and conferencing lines.
• Installs hardware and cabling, assisting with staff relocations, network infrastructure setups, and cable runs.
• Maintains physical security systems, managing user access controls, intrusion alarms, and CCTV components.
• Oversees facility projects and contractors, escorting vendors, updating Visio layouts, and conducting market research.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 P.M. EST on the closing date.
• This position is subject to a background investigation.
• Relocation is not authorized.
• Drug Testing may be required.
• Plan to not graduate before December 2027/Fall Semester.
• Must be willing to travel to field offices
• Cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher
• Required to be physically present at DOT Headquarters in Washington, DC.
• Must be a current student.

All documents must be received and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.  Your resume must be well documented with the specialized experience, otherwise you may be deemed ineligible.

After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may be converted to a permanent or TERM appointment. Extensions to this appointment may occur. There is no guarantee of extensions or conversions. If converted to a permanent or TERM appointment, the full performance level would be a GS-13. The incumbent will serve as an Student Trainee (Information Technology Specialist) Pathways Intern. 

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 you: 

• 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 2027, December 2027 in order to be considered for this position.

Please note that if you are graduating from your current academic program prior to December 2027, you will not be eligible for this student appointment unless you are accepted for enrollment at a qualifying educational institution seeking an ADDITIONAL qualifying degree, diploma, certificate, etc., OR an advanced degree. You MUST submit proof of acceptance along with your current transcripts for consideration.

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

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE qualifications and Education Requirements for the grade(s) at which you are requesting consideration. Applicants must meet all qualification and education requirements by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

GS-07
Applicants may qualify at the GS-07 level based on one of the following: 

Specialized Experience: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 level:

• Providing assistance to higher-level staff in areas such as design and construction of new facilities, space management, design and implementation of IT cabling infrastructure, deployment of IT systems and equipment, inventory management, voice and data telecommunications, and physical security systems.

Experience must be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate. IT-related experience may include paid or unpaid work, including internships, volunteer service, student leadership, military service, apprenticeships, or other relevant activities. Resume must clearly describe duties, dates, and hours worked per week.

OR

Education: Completed one full academic year of graduate education (18 credits or equivalent) in a related field such as computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or a degree related to the position. 

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

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. IF YOU ARE COMPLETING YOUR 4-YEAR DEGREE IN MAY/JUNE 2027(SEMESTER) THEN YOU MUST ATTACH THE PROOF OF ENROLLMENT OR ACCEPTANCE LETTER TO ANOTHER 2 OR 4 YEAR PROGRAM (UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE PROGRAM) MUST BE ATTACHED TO QUALIFY FOR S.A.A.

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.

* 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 http://www.ed.gov.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements. 

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications and competencies listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the ApplyGov Competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position.

Competencies: Your will be evaluated through a timed technical assessment on the following competencies in addition to the specialized experience as stated above:

Oral Communications, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management.

Technical Assessment:

• Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be assigned a numerical score (out of 100 possible points). 
• Your results will be kept on record for use when applying for future jobs that require these assessments. You will not be allowed to re-take the assessment for 6 months from the date you complete the assessment. 

Your results on these assessments will be used to place you into one of the three quality categories listed below according to Category Rating and Selection Procedures. In addition, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to verify you meet the qualifications for this job. The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and may be interviewed prior to selection. You will be notified of the outcome.

1. Qualifed Category - Meets the minimum qualifications as described in the Qualifications section of this announcement.
2. Well Qualified Category - Meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrates proficiency in some of the job-related competencies based on the answers to the Apply Gov Assessment.
3. Best Qualified Category - Meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrates a high level of proficiency in the job related competencies based on the answers to the Apply Gov Assessment.

Application of Veterans Preference: The Category Rating Method does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three," but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible's who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Qualified) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied.