Clarification from the agency

Recent College Graduates from qualifying institutions within two years of degree or certification (Veterans precluded by their military service obligation, will have up to six years to apply).

• Prepare initial work plans and draft reports.
• Review operational plans and current incoming work projects.
• Make recommendations for improving methods.
• Determine the need for work standards and control systems.
• Review reports and studies to ensure appropriate rules and regulations are utilized.

Conditions of employment

• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must successfully complete a background investigation.
• A one-year probationary period may be required. If non-competitively converted, the time spent as a Recent Graduate will count towards the probationary period.
• This position is in the excepted service.
• This is a bargaining unit position. This position is covered by one or more of the following bargaining units: American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2782(HQ) or AFGE Local 1438(DN).
• You must sign a Pathways Agreement.
• This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the date the first (200) applicants are receive or on 03/17/2026, whichever comes first.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

You must meet the Basic Entry Requirements and Specialized Experience to qualify for the Recent Graduate as described below.

Basic Entry Requirements for All Grade Levels:

Applicants must have graduated, within the past two years, with an associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree, or a certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Veterans precluded by their military service obligation have up to six years to apply.

Students with a transcript with a degree confer date on or before May 17, 2026 will be considered for the Recent Graduate Program. Graduation/expected graduation date MUST be indicated on your resume.

NOTE: To show proof of meeting the Basic Entry Requirements, all applicants MUST submit a copy of their college transcripts. See the Required Documents section for more information.

AND - Specialized Experience

Specialized Experience: For the GS-07, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: conducting management studies; supporting higher-level analysts in the completion of requested studies and reviews; analyzing issues for effectiveness, efficiency and productivity; and providing tentative recommendations to improve processes.

OR

Education: Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement, or 1 full year of graduate level education

Superior Academic Achievement: Bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement is defined as:(1) Class standing -- You must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision based on completed courses, (2) Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- You must have 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 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, or(3) Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- You are a member of one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achshonor.org/)

OR

Combination of Education and Experience.

Specialized Experience: For the GS-09, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: conducting management studies of work processes and procedures; reviewing reports and studies to ensure user requirements are met; supporting higher-level analysts in the completion of requested studies and reviews; analyzing issues for effectiveness, efficiency and productivity; and providing recommendations to modify, revise, or update processes and procedures.

OR

Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Rule of Many Rating Procedures: Applicants will be ranked in score order based on their assessment rating plus veterans' preference points, as applicable. All applicants with a score of 80 or higher, including veterans' preference points, will be referred to the hiring official.

How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: In the Rule of Many, only the CP/CPS veterans are listed at the top of the certificate. All other preference eligibles will be placed in score order. In the event of a tie, other preference eligibles will be placed ahead of non-preference eligibles.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

Do NOT include the following types of information in your application, if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position:

• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12887992.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply. Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

Your application package should include the following documents:

• Resume: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be deemed disqualified and removed from consideration. Your resume must include your educational and relevant work experience for the position for which you are applying to include the title and dates (mm/yy) of employment along with the number of hours worked per week. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position.
• Veterans' Preference Documentation: Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans' preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: Veteran's Resource Page.
• Education Documentation: If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. This also applies to Census Bureau employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to OPM's Qualification Policy for more information.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at Academic and Professional Mobility | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

It is the applicant's responsibility to provide documentation or proof that he or she has met the applicable educational provisions described.

NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.

• Resume
• Transcript

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