Student Cooperative - Office of Investigations

Clarification from the agency

Open to U.S. Citizens who are students currently enrolled full or part-time in an accredited college or university program, classified or academically ranked by semester hours as a Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Graduate student with a graduation date no sooner than May 2027.

About the Office of Investigations

The USPS OIG's mission is to promote integrity, accountability, and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service. In support of the mission, the Office of Investigations has special agents stationed all across the country conducting investigations in contract fraud, financial fraud, narcotics, mail theft, official misconduct, health care provider fraud, health care claimant fraud, and cyber crimes.


About the Student Cooperative Position

The successful candidate will assist in gathering data and conducting limited inquiries regarding individual case assignments; assist in case development including, surveillance, forensic analysis, researching assembling, compiling, tabulating information, and preparing memoranda of activity, for agents use in developing search and arrest warrants, and further assisting agent's in evaluating evidence for administrative, civil, and criminal hearings or trials.

The student cooperative will gain valuable experience by contributing to investigations and projects. A student cooperative:

• Performs specialized administrative duties with continuing responsibility for projects, questions, or problems related to a review/project. Each assignment typically consists of a series of related actions or decisions prior to final completion.
• Addresses a wide variety of problems or situations common to the segment of the program or function to which the employee is assigned. Decisions or recommendations are based on the development and evaluation of information that comes from various sources.
• Identifies and studies factors or conditions and determines their interrelationships as appropriate to the defined area of work.
• Takes or recommends actions that are consistent with the objectives and requirements of the program or functions.
• Recognizes the dimensions of the problems involved, collects the necessary information, establishes the facts, and takes or recommends action based upon application or interpretation of established guidelines.
• Provides applicable oral and written support for briefings and other related products.
• Adapts and interacts well in situations that involve diverse team and work dynamics.

Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with these positions may vary based upon the area of assignment. The preceding description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations.


Position Compensation

These positions are being advertised at the Administrative Band level, equivalent to a GS-05. The hourly pay range for these positions is $$19.58 to $$23.59. Authorized locality is included in this range for all geographic area locations. Learn more about locality specifics by visiting: OPM's General Schedule (GS).

The following are the base hourly pay rates for students, categorized by year of study:

• Sophomore studentsearn $16.73 per hour, plus additional locality pay.
• Junior and Senior students earn $17.78 per hour, plus additional locality pay.
• Graduate or Law students earn $20.15 per hour, plus additional locality pay.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be able to pass a drug screening.
• Must be able to pass a background investigation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Moderate Background Investigation (MBI) clearance.
• Must be able to work a minimum of 10 hours per week.
• May require some travel.
• Must be able to report to the USPS OIG location you are selected for during core business hours.
• Must be able to interview in-person or virtually via Microsoft Teams if referred.

Qualifications

Candidates will be evaluated on the skills that they possess that are directly related to the duties of the position and/or the experience, education and training that indicate the applicant's ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Only those candidates who meet all qualification and eligibility requirements and who submit the required information by 11:59 PM EST on 10/01/2026 will be considered.


Position Minimum Requirements

You must meet all minimum requirements listed below.

• Degree/Major Requirement: Students must be currently enrolled full or half-time (see major list below) in an accredited college or university program, classified or academically ranked by semester hours as a Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Graduate student graduating no sooner than May 2027 (must submit transcripts stating current enrollment status, GPA, and in good standing.)
• GPA Requirement: Must be in academic good standing as defined by the college or university, earning at least a 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 GPA scale.
• Work Location Requirement: Students must report in person to the USPS OIG duty station to which they are assigned.
  • During the academic semester: 10-30 hours per week
  • During school breaks: Up to 40 hours per week (with management approval)
• Systems Experience: Must have experience with computer software applications such as Microsoft Office, Office365, Word, Excel, etc.

Criminal Investigator (1811) Related and Accepted Degrees:

• Law, Criminal Justice, or Accounting OR
• Social Sciences (Anthropology, History, Archaeology, Human Geography, Economics, Law, Development Studies, Education, Criminology, Political Science, Translation Studies, Media Studies, Business and Management, Philosophy, Health, International Relations, Linguistics, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Psychology or Communication)

Desired Qualifications

• Previous internship/co-op/employment in the criminal justice field
• Advanced experience with Microsoft Excel

Evaluation Factors | How You Will Be Evaluated

A structured Interview will be conducted for the top rated applicants to validate your experience meets the critical competencies at the minimum proficiency level:

• Skill in written and oral communications and ability to apply those skills in coordination and problem-solving efforts.
• Skill in the use of personal computers and basic office software programs, including Microsoft office.
• Ability to work on a wide range of assignments/projects with many different people.

Note: Please include in your resume how you meet each evaluation factor listed above. You will no longer be considered for this position if you: fail to respond to all of the questions or receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor.

How you will be evaluated

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

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be assessed on:

• Minimum qualifications
• Evaluation factors
• Quality of resume and supporting documents
• Interview performance (if recommended/selected)

Important Application Rules (Disqualification Triggers)
You will not be considered if you:

• Fail to attach all required documents
• Submit a resume exceeding two pages
• Submit materials showing you do not meet minimum qualifications
• Receive a zero rating on any evaluation factor
• Use AI tools during the interview (except approved accessibility tools)
• Fail to qualify during the interview

Top-rated applicants will be referred to an interview panel or selecting official for the required interview. Ratings may be further adjusted or determined as ineligible by the interview panel or the selecting official based on interview performance. Applicants may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications or virtual assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) is prohibited during interviews. An exception for accessibility tools must be submitted through reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process.

NOTE: This announcement may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates for future hiring needs. Applicants may be considered for positions in other directorates within the Office of Investigations.

You must submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of this announcement, Vacancy Announcement 13068703, by closing date 10/01/2026.

Important Note: Make sure you submit all required documents with your application. Failure to do so will result in your disqualification.


1. Resume (Mandatory)

• Must not exceed two (2) pages
• 0.5" margins; recommended fonts: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Roboto, Noto Sans
• Upload as PDF (<=5MB)
• Additional guidance can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?

2. Occupational Assessment Questionnaire (Mandatory)

• Self-assessment questionnaire addressing the requirements, experience, and evaluation factors of the position

3. Transcripts (Mandatory)

• Must include institution name, your name, course list, hours, GPA, degree awarded
• Foreign education requires U.S. equivalency review documentation
• For further information visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

4. Supporting Documents (If Applicable)

• Certificates/Licenses
• Veterans Preference Documentation. If you are claiming veterans preference you must submit the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and/or other proof of veterans preference eligibility including your VA letter, form SF-15 (https://www.opm.gov/forms/standard-forms/) and all required documents related to your SF-15 claim. Veterans can request the Member 4 copy of their DD-214 at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, and can download a copy of their VA letter from https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage. (If applicable to you, you are required to upload each veterans' preference document and categorize as "DD-214" or "SF-15" or "Other Veterans Document")

Next steps