Pathways Opportunities in Department of State, Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Accessibility and Accommodations, Accessibility Division.

The position is the Bureau of Human Resources (HR), Office of Accessibility and Accommodations whose mission is to recruit, develop, and empower the world’s premier diplomatic team to advance U.S. foreign policy goals by (1) fostering flexibility to align talent to the mission; and maximize the talent advantage as an employer of choice. (2) Retain high-quality talent: Equip and empower our people to succeed at work and life; (3) Transform Customer Experience: Strengthen partnerships that enhance the customer experience; promote a culture of excellence in customer experience; leverage data and technology to drive informed decision-making.

The Video Captioning Specialist intern will transcribe and caption video media or podcasts to make the information accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing.

In this assignment, the employee will help make Department media content more accessible to people with disabilities. As a Video Captioning Specialist the employee listens to the audio track of a video, transcribes it into text, uses captioning software to prepare a timecoded transcript, and then uses software to produce a captioned version of the video.  The employee must work independently and have superb writing, editing, and communication skills. 

The intern is expected to maintain accurate records and work with other employes and contractors on the Video Captioning team to identify and implement process improvements that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department’s Video Captioning program.

In addition to the above, the intern will be given software access to assist in providing audio description services to make visual content understandable for people who are blind or low vision. The Audio Description process begins with viewing a video and identifying ways to improve accessibility by adding an Audio Description track. This includes reading slides and title cards, describing settings, and detailing physical actions used by subjects within the video. After this, a script is written, maximizing efficiency in description and using quiet spots in the audio track where the description can be inserted. Tracks are recorded and encoded into the original video file using standard video editing software such as Adobe Premiere.  The results make Department records such as trainings accessible and legally compliant for individuals with disabilities.

Conditions of employment

• Verification from the academic institution confirming acceptance into a qualifying program.
• Must be at least 16 years of age by the closing date of the announcement.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/
• Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain at least a Secret Security clearance.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Enrolled or accepted for enrollment at a qualifying educational institution with at least a half-time course load.
• Must maintain student eligibility for duration of internship.
• All transcripts or educational documentation must reflect a projected graduation date after the (Fall 2027) semester or later.

Qualifications

GS-7: Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate-level education OR Eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement Provision and completion of a bachelor’s degree; AND be currently accepted to/enrolled in a qualifying degree or certificate program.

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 and rated under the Category Rating and Selection procedures.  Based on your responses to the job-specific self-assessment questions, eligible candidates are placed for selection consideration into one of three pre-defined quality categories as described below:

Highly-qualified Category -In addition to meeting minimum qualifications for the position, candidates must fully demonstrate proficiency in all major aspects of the position. 

Well Qualified Category -In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.

Qualified Category -In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of knowledge, skill and ability of the position.

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 pre-defined quality category. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements & who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent (i.e., CPS and CP) must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher.

Selections will be made in accordance with the requirements of 5 CFR Part 302, veterans preference laws, and OPM guidance.

NOTE: If it is determined that you do not meet program eligibility requirements or fail to submit proper documentation, you will be removed from consideration. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. 

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement.  Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

In accordance with the Office of Personnel Management policy, for undergraduate level education, successfully completed education is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education.

An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information is not provided by the applicant, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours will be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. For applicants that have completed more than 1 year of education in a graduate program, advanced degree, or certificate program, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide documentation from the institution in order to establish the length of their academic program to be used to project their expected graduation date. 

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements & submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement.  Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. 

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system "Gateway to State" by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. The following documents must be submitted for your application package to be considered complete. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents are received within the required timeframes. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, system failure or downtime, etc. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

• Resume: limited to two pages that includes the following information: 1) contact information; 2) completed course work (unit/credit hours); 3) academic standing/GPA; 4) work/volunteer experience including the work schedule & hours worked per week as well as dates or employment; & title, series, & grade, if applicable; 5) supervisors name, phone number & email address for each work period listed & whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; & 6) references. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

• Transcript(s): unofficial copies are sufficient with the application; however if selected, official transcripts will be required. Applicants in high school should submit their most recent report card. If your transcripts do not provide the information listed below, include additional official academic documentation that meets the requirements. Transcripts MUST include:

• Student's name
• Name of the school
• Specific degree program
• Current & Cumulative GPA/academic standing
• Past & current coursework
• Evidence of meeting the “qualifications” as listed in the announcement 

Proof of Enrollment or Class Registration for the Fall 2026 semester: 1) If you are not presently enrolled for Fall 2026 semester, you may upload an acceptance letter to a qualifying program for the Spring 2027 semester OR 2) if you will graduate from your current academic program Fall 2026 semester, you may upload an acceptance letter to a qualifying program for the following semester along with your current proof of enrollment (Note: When completing the questionnaire, be sure to select your “new” program’s projected graduation date to avoid possible disqualification). The acceptance letter must be dated within the last 12 months and must specify the term of acceptance and the program to which you have been accepted.

Proof of Graduation Date: transcripts or official educational supporting documentation that reflects a projected graduation date after the Fall 2027 semester. 
Veteran’s Documentation: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit proof of veterans' preference with your application.

If claiming 5-point veteran’s preference, you must provide a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 is preferred), which must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. If you are currently on active duty, you must provide a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, & the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this vacancy announcement. If the appropriate information is not submitted to confirm your current or expected discharge status, dates of service, etc., you will not receive credit for the claimed active duty military service.

If claiming 10-point veteran’s preference (i.e., preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more), you must submit the documentation required by the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs).  If we cannot verify your 10-point preference status, you will receive 5-point preference if veterans' preference requirements have been met. For further information regarding Veterans, click here. For applicants claiming 10-point derived veterans’ preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), a completed SF-15 must be submitted with the application with all required supporting documents listed on the form. For Sole Survivorship preference, you must provide a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation which shows your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge. To gain access to your DD214 online, please click here.

If the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility or you fail to submit any of the required documents, it will disqualify you from being considered for this job opportunity.

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