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.

This is not a summer job. The position is potentially ongoing, evaluated quarterly, until graduation from an academic institution.

As a student co-op, you'll be part of a high-performing team that's embracing the latest in computing technologies to unlock opportunities that help everyday people. Your main goal will be to solve complex data problems that enable meaningful insights. You will develop your analytics experience by working side-by-side with industry leaders, receiving hands-on learning, and applying your skills to leverage new technology to help drive business strategies and achieve data-driven results.

You'll make valuable contributions from day one by continuously learning, engaging in diverse sets of experiences, and building close-knit relationships across the organization. RISC offers the opportunity for development in many areas including research, analytics, engineering, business intelligence, customer experience, communication, and critical thinking to support investigators, auditors, and operational groups.

The Student Cooperative Program is available for continuous employment throughout the year, while enrolled in school.

Candidates will be evaluated on the skills that they possess that are directly related to the duties of the position and 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 03/02/2026 will be considered.

The USPS OIG uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale. Grade and salary determinations will be made based upon a candidate's education and professional experience.

This position is being advertised at the Administrative Band level. The base salary range for this position is $16.73 - $20.15/hour. Locality Pay is authorized.

Sophomore $22.41 per hour includes locality pay
Junior/Senior $23.81 per hour includes locality pay
Graduate or Law Student $26.99 per hour includes locality pay

Student Cooperatives are not eligible for USPS OIG Employee Benefits.

Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the area of assignment. The following description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations. The student cooperative performs specialized duties with continuing responsibility for projects, questions, or issues that arise in the area of assignment/curriculum. Each assignment typically consists of a series of related actions or decisions prior to final completion.

• Working in cloud-based tools and platforms to explore structured and unstructured data using SQL and Python
• Integrating data from a variety of sources to discover and implement actionable insights
• Designing new or optimizing existing analytical workflows to automate report generation and enable self-service
• Summarizing and presenting results of analysis using business intelligence tools
• Contributing to the design and development of web applications
• Designing and developing data analysis methodologies and products to improve business operations
• Communicating with peers, stakeholders, and management, orally and in writing, the progress of development efforts as well as product functionality and results
• Cultivating relationships and fostering networking opportunities across various levels of the organization

RISC supports the agency with a wide range of investigative and audit analysis covering areas such as mail operations, logistics, retail, narcotics, mail theft, healthcare, financial, and contracting program areas. This opportunity is ideal for those looking to gain experience at a federal level, while continuing their studies and gaining practical knowledge and skills. You will be assigned a mentor who will help guide you throughout your work. If you are a student who is self-motivated, detail-oriented, a fast learner, and passionate about learning new technical, business, and people skills, then this job is right for you.

Students can expect a work-school balance with the possibility of working 10-30 hours per week while in school and up to 40 hours per week when school is not in session.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be able to pass a drug screening
• 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. (10-30 hours per week while in school and up to 40 hours per week when school is not in session)

Qualifications

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

You must meet ALL of the minimum requirements.

• Students must be currently enrolled full or half-time in an accredited college or university program, classified or academically ranked by semester hours as a Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Graduate student, graduating after May 2026. (MUST SUBMIT TRANSCRIPT STATING CURRENT ENROLLMENT STATUS, GPA AND IN GOOD STANDING)

AND

• 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

AND

• Must be able to report to work year-round in the USPS OIG Arlington, VA, office a minimum of 10 hours per week (Monday-Friday) during core business hours.

AND

Must possess the following:

• Technology Driven - Stay on the edge of what's new and exciting in analytics platforms and data driven solutions.

• Creativity - Bring your unique perspective to projects and other activities.

• Initiative - Develop your entrepreneurial spirit and get excited about developing new solutions or reinventing current ones.

• Self-Driven - Work well independently or as part of a team.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Interest in the application of geographical information systems, data science, data analytics, data engineering, or customer/user experience
• Experience using Microsoft Office programs including Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Knowledge of creating visualizations or analytical models using ArcGIS, Power BI or other business intelligence software, whether in work, school, or another environment
• Experience using Microsoft Power Platform applications like Power Apps
• Knowledge of analytic techniques including trends, predictions, and performance analysis sufficient to work independently using conventional procedures and practices
• Knowledge in building and maintaining data pipelines in cloud-based tools such as Azure Databricks, Azure Data Lake, or similar platforms
• Demonstrated experience in researching, tracking, and analyzing data using database applications, whether in work, school, or another environment
• Knowledge of developing and maintaining web services and interfaces

EVALUATION FACTORS

Failure to demonstrate that you meet all of the evaluation factor requirements as listed below will result in a score of zero (0); an ineligible status, and you will not be referred for further consideration. Include your major accomplishments relevant to the evaluation factors in your resume.

• Possess skills or training in data-centric languages or web technologies (e.g., SQL, Python, R, HTML/CSS, JavaScript).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure), geospatial applications (ArcGIS Online), and general IT infrastructure.
• Demonstrated interest in the fields of data science, business intelligence, or user experience (UX).
• Effective verbal and written communication skills for presenting findings and collaborating with teams.

How you will be evaluated

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

The Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications required for this position.

You will no longer be considered for this position if you:

• Receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor
• Fail to attach all required documentation
• Submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit
• If your application materials indicate that you are not minimally-qualified for this position
• If you fail to qualify on the interview

Only the top-rated candidates will be referred to a review official or the selecting official for further consideration. Top-rated applicants may be required to participate in an interview. Your rating may be further adjusted or rated as ineligible by the review official or the selecting official based on your interview performance. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision. NOTE: If you receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor or on the interview, you will be considered NOT MINIMALLY QUALIFIED for the position and rated ineligible.

Applicants for this position may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. During interviews, applicants may not use any AI tool or virtual assistant (such as ChatGPT) to help them answer questions, except for accessibility tools used as part of a reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process.

You must submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of this announcement, Vacancy Announcement EX-26-25A-12889926-PC, by closing date 03/02/2026.

Next steps