Clarification from the agency

Current Students

Work Schedule and Flexibilities:

Flexible - could start 7 AM E.T. Or later 10-15 hrs. per week - Start, end times, and hours worked per week are negotiable 90-day Semester of Service Term

Remote work

Project Overview:

The Office of Trust Funds Investments manages approximately $9 billion in Tribal and Individual Indian trust funds, invested primarily in fixed-income securities across U.S. Treasury, government agency, and high-quality credit markets. OTFI's mission is to uphold fiduciary responsibilities, support Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, and ensure the prudent and transparent management of trust assets. This project provides a Semester of Service student with the opportunity to assist key investment activities that directly support OTFI's operational effectiveness, modernization goals, and beneficiary engagement responsibilities.

Purpose and Need:

OTFI's investment operations generate essential income for Tribal Nations and Individual Indian beneficiaries. To maintain efficiency, transparency, and compliance, the program requires ongoing support in data stewardship, investment documentation, portfolio reporting, modernization activities, and preparation of materials used in engagement meetings with Tribal Nations.

Additionally, OTFI is expanding the use of Bloomberg LLC investment system capabilities, which requires improved data organization, workflow tracking, and document integration. The student's contributions will address short-term capacity gaps associated with modernization, data quality improvements, and investment-process documentation.

Student Responsibilities:

The selected student will support OTFI staff in the following areas:

- Investment Data and Documentation Support

Assist with data entry, indexing, and organization of investment files and bond documentation.

Support maintenance of records tied to daily investment activity and Bloomberg analytics outputs.

Strengthen data quality and control processes aligned with BTFA modernization priorities.

- Portfolio Reporting and Basic Financial Research

Compile summary materials for internal reporting and Tribal investment presentations.

Conduct preliminary research on market conditions, yield-curve changes, and fixed-income trends.

Assist in assembling investment reports that communicate performance and risk insights to beneficiaries.

- Bloomberg System Support Activities

Help coordinate workflows related to data exports, document storage, and surveillance tools within the Bloomberg system.

Support tracking and organization of Bloomberg capabilities used in investment analysis, compliance, and market monitoring.

- Modernization and Process-Improvement Support

Contribute to tasks tied to OTFI's FY26-2030 modernization roadmap, including data cleanup, process documentation, and internal coordination.

Assist with small-scale project management tasks that improve operational efficiency and beneficiary-service readiness.

Anticipated Benefits to OTFI and BTFA:

- Strengthened data governance and documentation supporting the $9B trust fund portfolio.

- Improved readiness for modernization activities and Bloomberg system integration.

- Enhanced quality of Tribal investment presentations and beneficiary engagement materials.

- Increased capacity for research, analysis, and reporting aligned with fiduciary responsibilities.

- Support for operational efficiency and transparency consistent with BTFA's strategic modernization goals.

Anticipated Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will gain exposure to:

- Federal trust-fund investment operations and fiduciary stewardship.

- Fundamentals of fixed-income markets and portfolio management.

- Use of Bloomberg analytics and investment-data workflows.

- Tribal financial engagement and public-sector investment communication.

- Modernization practices in a government financial-services environment.

Conditions of employment

To participate in this Program, you must:

• Be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National studying in the U.S. or abroad. International students on valid visas may participate if they meet applicable immigration, visa, and agency authorities.

• Be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited college or university.

• Be in good academic standing as defined by your institution.

• Commit to volunteering 8 - 20 hours per week for a minimum of 90 days.

• Complete all required onboarding documentation assigned by the Department of the Interior and your academic institution.

• Agree to volunteer. This position is unpaid. No compensation, stipends, or hiring preference will be granted from this work. You may use this volunteer experience to qualify for future jobs you choose to apply for.

• Agree to understanding volunteers are not Federal employees.

Qualifications

Applicants will be considered based on their knowledge, skills or abilities related to project needs. Specifically, juniors and seniors with an educational concentration in finance are preferred.

The government-wide "Semester of Service" Student Volunteer Program, as authorized under 5 U.S.C §31114 and 5 CFR Part 3085, enables Federal agencies to engage students in unpaid, project-based assignments of limited duration. These assignments are designed to align with each agency's strategic priorities, offering participants practical experience within Federal operations while supporting the advancement of targeted initiatives.

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 by DOI personnel to determine your eligibility for the position and your application will be forwarded to the opportunity manager for review.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your resume (two or fewer pages) showing:

   - Your work experience including start and end dates.

   - Education information, such as the name of your school and dates of attendance.

   - Any knowledge, skills or abilities you've gained through education that relate to the project.

2. Proof of current enrollment not less than half-time in a trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution.

3. [OPTIONAL] Applicants who are enrolled members of a Federally recognized tribe have the option to either submit Verification Form BIA 4432 or specify the name of the Tribe with which they are affiliated. This information can be provided voluntarily and is not required.

Next steps