Pathways Student Intern (Civil Engineer)

Summary

This is a Student Internship position under the Pathways Internship Program.

To qualify for this Internship, you MUST be a continuing student enrolled or accepted for enrollment for the current/upcoming semesters for the duration of the internship as a condition of employment, taking at least a half-time course load. You will be required to provide documentation to support eligibility. Students may be employed throughout the academic year.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

04/10/2024 to 04/23/2024

This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more

• Salary

$45,146 - $88,926 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 05 - 09

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Washington, DC

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

Yes-The position may be eligible for telework. This is not a full-time telework position or approved as a remote work position.

• Travel Required

Occasional travel

• Travel is required for field visits, training and conferences.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Internships

• Excepted Service Appointment for an initial period expected to last for more than 1-year.

• Work schedule

Part-time

• Full Time / Part Time

• Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

11

• Job family (Series)

0899 Engineering And Architecture Student Trainee

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

FHWA.HAD-2024-0056

• Control number

785785800

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This job is open to

• The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

• Students

Current students enrolled in accredited educational institutions from high school to graduate level. Includes internships, pathways and other student programs.

Clarification from the agency

This position is part of the Pathways Program and is open to current students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a qualifying educational institution and enrolled at least half-time. Additional information can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Program-Fact-Sheets This is not a Bargaining unit position.

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Duties

This is a developmental position within the Office of Administration (HAD), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of Transportation (DOT). The position is designed to provide interns with challenging assignments that will broaden their perspectives on issues facing the government and prepare them for future positions throughout the government.

The Pathways Student Intern (Civil Engineer) will be exposed to many facets of infrastructure research, the associated technology transfer, and interaction with stakeholders such as other FHWA offices and State DOTs. The candidate will gain this experience while he/she works with FHWA staff in the office of Preconstruction, Construction, and Pavements (HICP) on technology transfer activities for on-going projects related to HICP's concrete pavement materials program and to support FHWA's new Low Carbon Transportation Materials program. You will:

• Assist with the development and execution of program documentation and technical resources.

• Participate in technology transfer activities to communicate best practices.

• Contribute to achieving the strategic goals of the agency; namely, safety, infrastructure, and innovation.

The ideal candidate is a student dedicated to public service, interested in Engineering, and working as a part of the Executive Branch. The ideal candidate possesses Microsoft Office knowledge; Customer Service experience; is inquisitive & has a positive attitude; is eager to learn and understand federal policy & guidance; and has an innovative mindset.

Desired General Skills: Good written and oral communication skills, situational awareness in a professional environment, experience managing small projects or tasks, proficient with commercial word-processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software packages such as Microsoft Office Suite.

Desired Technical or Engineering-Specific Skills: Experience preparing technical reports or papers, experience conducting tests on a material or pavement, experience analyzing experimental test data, experience in pavement design and analysis would be preferred but not required. Desired Completed Coursework: Concrete and Steel Structural Design, Structural Analysis; Prestressed Concrete Structural Design preferred but not required.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet the requirements of the program.

• You must be at least 16 years of age

• Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date

PATHWAYS ELIGIBILITY

• To be eligible for appointment to a position in the DOT 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).

• Be seeking a degree that is relevant to this position.

• Be able to work at least 16 hours per week, depending on your academic schedule, and preferably full-time during the summer.

• Grade qualifications must be met prior to start date.

If selected you:

• must sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement;
• may be employed throughout the academic year;
• must maintain status as a current student;
• maintain good academic standing, at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 grading scale.
• must furnish course registration information at the start of each school term; and
• must provide verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic term.

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

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP: Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• DECLARATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT: Selectee is required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine suitability for federal employment.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
• TRIAL PERIOD: The intern is in a trial period throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency's telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.

Qualifications

Please be sure that you have read and meet the Pathways program requirements under the Requirements section. Then, to further meet the minimum qualifications for this position, review the following education requirements and grade specific requirements to determine full eligibility before applying:

Note that if you are graduating at the end of this current semester, and not continuing your education, you are not eligible for this internship. You must be enrolled as a student while employed as an intern.

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS JOB SERIES:

Applicants must be pursuing a degree in professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; OR (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

You then must meet the following education requirements for each grade by the start of the internship (anticipated to start Spring/Summer 2024). You may use 2024 in-progress semester/quarter hours to qualify for a higher grade level. Qualifications will be determined based on completed and in-progress hours stated on your unofficial transcript submitted at the time of application. To be qualifying, you must successfully complete and receive credit for the courses and provide an updated official transcript before you enter on duty. Apply to the grade(s) that you will be eligible for and provide the applicable supporting documentation.

• GS-05 - Completion of four (4) academic years of post-high school study (undergraduate) leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.

• GS-07: Completion of one academic year of graduate level education; OR eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement* provision, as defined in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Operating Manual for Qualification Standards, and completion of a bachelor's degree.

• GS-09: Completion of two academic years of graduate level education (above a bachelor's degree), or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree.

• Superior Academic Achievement for GS-07 eligibility option: (Bachelor's degree) - In the upper one-third of graduating class; OR a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of 4.0, as recorded on official transcript, or based on courses completed during final 2 years of curriculum; OR a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of 4.0, based on average of required courses completed in major or required courses in major completed during the final 2 years of curriculum.

Academic Year Clarification:

• At the undergraduate level, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. When academic credit is expressed in units or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the institution.

• At the graduate level (above a Bachelor's degree), one year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full time study requirement for GS-07. When academic credit is expressed in units or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the institution.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

• Written Communication

• Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

• Oral Communication

• Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.

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.

For additional information about applying to Federal Pathways Internship Positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-PIP

Education

Refer to the Requirements section for information pertaining to the Pathways Internship Program, and refer to the Qualifications section for the mandatory education requirements for this job series.

Additional information

WORK SCHEDULE: Pathways intern hours worked cannot interfere with academic studies. Interns may work either full-time or part-time hours.

This is an Excepted Service appointment. As a part of the Pathways Internship Program, the appointment may be extended until the selectee's educational program requirements have been completed. The student intern may be converted, without a break in service to a term (time-limited) or permanent appointment upon graduation, to a position that has a career ladder targeted up to the GS-12, provided they are a US citizen who has worked at least 640 hours in an appropriate program and receive a favorable recommendation from the supervisor for retention. There is no guarantee of a permanent position following this internship. The selectee is on a trial period while on a Pathways Internship appointment.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

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• Benefits

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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 window

Learn more about federal benefits.

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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.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.

Once you complete and submit your application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the job. Qualified students will be referred to the hiring manager in unranked order by veteran preference status: (1) Preference eligible having a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more; (2) all other candidates eligible for 10-point veteran preference; (3) candidates eligible for 5-point veteran preference; and (4) candidates not eligible for veteran preference.

You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is incomplete. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or adverse action after hiring.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

• Benefits

Help

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 window

Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our 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.

• Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy. Formatted resumes can be uploaded when you arrive at the DOT application system. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/