Student Trainee (Information Technology) - University of the District of Columbia : Job Details

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The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) invites students to apply to our Intern positions. The ideal candidates are current Certificate Program, Undergraduate or Graduate students who demonstrate innovation and self-initiative. You will have an opportunity to train and develop your skills in career fields such as human resources, policy, healthcare, insurance, retirement, or information technology and have a positive impact on the people and communities that OPM serves.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This is a non-temporary Intern position with flexible part-time/full time work schedules.

Participate in the user requirements, design, development, testing, and implementation of new or modified applications software. This subject matter specialty will enhance your familiarity with or understanding of:

• Source control methodologies with Git and Azure based technologies
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment Pipelines and tooling
• REST APIs
• Prototyping simple and intermediate complexity applications, algorithms, scripts, and interfaces

Cybersecurity

• Assists with the identification, analysis, reporting, and monitoring of cybersecurity risks. This subject matter specialty will enhance your familiarity with or understanding of:
• Information Security Risk Management Frameworks
• Risk and threat assessment tools and techniques
• Cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and remediation strategies
• System security testing and evaluation methodologies
• Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Model and networking protocols such as TCP/IP, Dynamic Host Configuration, Domain Name System (DNS), and directory services
• IT infrastructure (Networking, Operating Systems, Applications, Databases, Cloud)
• Operating system, network security, database security, web security, and/or application security
• Laws, regulations, policies, and ethics as they relate to cybersecurity and privacy
• Incident response and handling methodologies
• Cryptography and key management principles

Customer Experience Design

Participate in user and stakeholder observation, surveys, and interviews to understand and capture user and business needs and using that data to work on a cross-functional team to design and test experiences that meet user and business needs. This subject matter specialty will enhance your familiarity with or understanding of:

• User research and design best practices
• User research and design platforms and tools (e.g., Figma)
• User Personas and Journey Maps as strategies to create or improve the experience of systems
• Application and web design systems (e.g., U.S. Web Design System, or USWDS)
• The use of design patterns to drive intuitive user interface designs and improve business processes
• Working with application developers to create prototypes, pilots and MVPs and then review them with business stakeholders

Data Science

Participate in the user requirements and design of data-oriented problems and analytic tools. This subject matter specialty will enhance your familiarity with or understanding of:

• Python, R, SQL, Java, or other modern programming languages and solid debugging principles
• Large-scale data analysis tools towards building and training machine learning models (e.g., Databricks)
• Business Intelligence tools (e.g., Cognos or Microsoft Power BI) for creating dashboards for users
• Source control methodologies with Git and Azure based technologies
• Data pipeline frameworks for creating, maintaining, and deploying data pipelines

The Skills to be Successful as a Student Trainee:

• You have a bias for action and are proactive.
• You are flexible, creative, curious, and a willing to take initiative.
• You are a quick and flexible learner: open-minded, adaptable, comfortable with ambiguity, and excited by dynamic change.
• You inspire trust, forge relationships quickly, and earn the confidence and cooperation of your business partners.
• You have high standards, integrity, and ethics.

What We're Looking For:

• A solid team player who's also an independent thinker
• Deadline-driven, organized, and able to multitask
• A robust analytical skill set
• Strong verbal, written and presentation skills
• Endless curiosity and a penchant for thinking the impossible
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software products
• Attentive to team needs as demonstrated by rapid and high-quality responsiveness to requests
• Excellent interpersonal skills; able to maintain solid rapport with team members as well as maintain professionalism with those outside of the team
• Excellent oral and written communications skills that demonstrate a professional demeanor and the ability to interact with others with discretion and tact
• Keen attention to detail
• Capable of identifying and completing tasks independently, with a sense of urgency and ownership
• Demonstrated success at maintaining high personal work standards
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and tact
• Strong presentation skills to audiences comprised of all levels of leadership
• Highly motivated, self-starter able to work autonomously and drive the work they own forward effectively

Requirements Conditions of Employment

Citizenship: Must be a U.S. Citizen or NationalSelective Service: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.Age: You must be at least 16 years of ageBackground Investigation: Must be suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation.Availability for Work: Applicants hired on an indefinite appointment will be afforded the opportunity to work a part- or full-time schedule until the completion of their current degree requirements.Projected Start Date: May 19, 2025Student Status: Applicants must have at least 1 academic year (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 sessions) remaining in their studies before they complete their current degree requirements.Graduation Status: Applicants who graduate prior to May 2026 will not be considered for this position unless you have been accepted into a follow-on degree or certificate program and provide verification of future enrollment status prior to start date.Pathways Agreement: If selected, you will be required to sign a Pathways Agreement which specifies the conditions of your employment as we've indicated in this job announcement. You must continue to meet the Pathways Program requirements throughout the duration of your appointment. To verify that you do, we will require proof of your continued enrollment and good standing each semester or grading period throughout your internship. Failure to do so will result in termination of your internship and employment. Trial Period: Selectee must complete a trial period while on the Pathways internship appointment.Trial Period: Selectee must complete a trial period while on the Pathways internship appointment.Bargaining Unit: Depending on the location and program for which selected:

• This position is not eligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit
• This position is eligible for inclusion in the bargaining unit.
  • if the duty station is finalized in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, employees in this position will be represented by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 32.
  • if the duty station is finalized outside of the Washington, DC metropolitan area, this position will not be represented by a bargaining unit.

Qualifications

Your application will be considered for the highest grade for which you qualify. You must meet the education requirements detailed below by the close of the vacancy.GS-4 Completion of two academic years of post-high school study or associate's degree.GS-5 Completion of four academic years of post-high school study leading to a bachelor's degree or four academic years of pre-professional studyAn academic year of undergraduate education is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in an accredited college or university.To meet the Intern Eligibility requirements, you must be a student accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution , on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which you are enrolled).Certificate programs must be at least one-year duration of full-time academic study in post-secondary education.Accepted for Enrollment: If you have been accepted for enrollment in an institution or career or technical education program, but have not yet begun coursework, you must submit an Acceptance Letter from the institution and your most recent academic transcript from your previous program.NOTE: You will NOT be considered under Pathways unless you provide supporting information from your school. Documentation may be provided in letter format from your academic advisor, school counselor, admission office, etc. to prove enrollment OR it may be provided in the form of several official documents from your school such as a copy of your official transcripts and a copy of your class schedule for next semester. Copies of documents from your school website are acceptable if they contain all relevant information as listed above. Letters from advisors or other school officials must be on school letterhead. Official transcripts will be required prior to final offer of employment.

Education

Additional information

Diversity InformationThe Office of Personnel Management is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that workforce diversity creates an environment in which our employees can thrive. We understand and embrace the variety through which people gain experiences whether through professional, personal, educational, or volunteer opportunities. OPM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.We understand that not everyone will demonstrate proficiency in all of the duties listed in this job posting. At OPM, we strive to raise the bar! We encourage all to apply if you feel your skills and life experiences are transferable to some of the duties listed in this vacancy.What Do We Offer?Upon graduation and completion of the student internship program requirements you MAY BE non-competitively converted, without a break in service, to a term (time-limited), career, or career conditional (permanent) appointment in the federal government, to a position up with a full performance level up to the GS-12. Grade level upon conversion will be determined by management and neither conversion nor promotion is guaranteed.Interns must meet the qualification requirements for the position to which promoted or converted.This appointment allows for conversion to a permanent appointment. Conversion Eligibility Information RequirementsExtensions: This appointment and may be extended without further competition based on the need of the organization for the work to continue and provided the individual continues to meet the eligibility requirements.This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across OPM.Relocation expenses will not be paid.For more information on the Pathways Program, please visit: Pathways Program Fact SheetIf you are unable to apply online and would like to request information about the Alternate Application process, please use the contact information at the bottom of this announcement.