Summary
Joining the Secret Service, Office of Human Resources, Talent Development and Employee Engagement Division will allow you to implement organizational practices, policies and procedures for increased effectiveness. This Student Trainee (Psychology) position starts at a salary of $45,146 (GS-5, Step 1) or $55,924 (GS-7, step 1) with promotion potential to $88,926 (GS-9, Step 10).
For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here.
Duties
The selectee will serve as a Student Trainee (Psychology) in the Office of Human Resources, Talent Development and Employee Engagement Division. Typical work assignments include:
- Assisting with portions of research or practical projects (i.e. individual segments of a larger project); and helping to address problems in human resource management and development)
- Assisting with survey planning and design to designed populations, conducting studies to determine the predictive effectiveness of existing test for specific occupations.
- Assisting senior members in tasks of limited scope and complexity related to the development and validation of special-purpose test and related instruments for application to specific and general examining needs.
- Assisting with data collection to support human capital research efforts.
Apply for this exciting opportunity to impact human resource functions that support work under the Personnel Research Psychologist discipline.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service
If selected for this position, you will be required to:
- Obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page.
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
- Be at least 16 years or older at the time of appointment.
- Remain enrolled at a qualifying educational institution on at least a half-time basis. The definition of half-time is the definition provided by the school in which the student is enrolled. Interns employed in the Internship Program who need to complete the equivalent of less than half a course load in the enrollment period immediately prior to graduating are still considered students for program purposes.
- Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (for undergraduate students); or 3.0 (for graduate students) at time of application and throughout internship appointment. (No rounding).
- Complete a Pathways Participant Agreement upon entrance on duty.
- Sign an Individual Development Plan upon entrance on duty.
- Submit updated Unofficial Transcripts and enrollment verification after grades have been issued for an academic period, such as semester or quarter, as defined by the educational institution.
- Coordinate work schedule with supervisor based on academic schedule and the needs of the agency.
Qualifications
To be eligible for the Pathways Internship Program applicants must meet below eligibility:
Must have accepted enrollment OR be enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) on a full- or half-time basis (as defined by the institution which they attend) in one of the accredited educational institutions:
- public or private high school;
- state-approved home school;
- technical or vocational school;
- 2-year or 4-year college or university;
- graduate or professional school; or
- postsecondary home school curriculum
In addition to meeting the above eligibility you must also meet the following minimum qualification for the respective grade(s) in which you are applying:
GS-05: You qualify for the GS-05 level (starting salary $45,146) if you possess the following:
- Completion of 4 academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.
GS-07: You qualify for the GS-07 level (starting salary $55,924) if you possess the following:
- 1 full year of graduate level education; or eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement Provision and completion of a bachelor's degree.
The following are preferred degree categories:
- Industrial Psychology
- Organizational Science
The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Students must maintain student eligibility and enrollment throughout the duration of the appointment (Applicants must be actively enrolled at an accredited institution). Applicants that have graduated or will graduate prior to the completion of the program are ineligible to participate without proof of future enrollment in an accredited university.
Program Completion and Conversion Eligibility: Program participants may be converted, without a break in service, to a term, career or career conditional appointment upon completion of program requirements. To be eligible for conversion, Student Trainee must:
- Successfully complete academic course of study.
- Complete a minimum of 640 hours of work experience under the Internship Program; (USSS may waive up to 320 hours of the 640-hour requirement for non-competitive conversion when an Intern has completed 320 hours of career-related experience AND has demonstrated high potential by outstanding academic achievement and exceptional job performance) while enrolled as a full-time or half-time degree or certificate-seeking student.
- Meet OPM qualification standards for the position to be converted.
- Maintain acceptable performance under the agency's approved performance management system.
- Receive favorable recommendation for conversion from Supervisor.
It is important to remember that eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that the agency will decide to opt for conversion.
An Intern converted to a full-time career or career-conditional position in the competitive service, who has completed one year in the program, does not have to serve a probationary period and will acquire competitive status immediately upon conversion. Time served in the Internship Program counts as the trial period.
Education
This position has an education requirement you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes the following: name, name of the educational institution, declared degree program, anticipated date of degree conferral, course title(s), credits completed, grade received, and date of completion and Grade Point Average (GPA).
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire. All answers provided in the online process must be substantiated by your resume. Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and the minimum qualification requirements, in order to be considered. If we cannot determine how your application meets the minimum requirements above, you will be removed from consideration.
Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are considered in the following order: (1) preference eligible veterans having a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more; followed by (2) other 10-point preference eligible veterans; (3) 5-point preference eligible veterans; and (4) non-preference eligible (i.e., non-veterans). For information on veterans' preference, please click here.
An interview may be required for this position. If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/25/2024 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign into USAJOBS,
- Complete the online questionnaire and submit the required documents. See Required Documents section for more detail.
- You must complete the application process and submit any required documents no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 10/25/2024.
To view the required online assessment questionnaire please visit
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12582971.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account (
https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login).All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides the Announcement Status and a "You applied on" date. This information does not confirm the agency application status. Use the "Track this Application" link for additional information regarding the agency application status, the documentation you submitted, and any correspondence sent related to this application. The Announcement Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Announcement Status means, visit:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application.
We strongly encourage you to apply online. If you cannot apply online, you may contact the APT TALENT MANAGEMENT DIVISON at Pathways@usss.dhs.gov OR by calling (202) 406-6420 between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:30 pm EST (excluding Federal holidays) prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance.
The Secret Service provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your eligibility. Best-qualified applicants will be referred for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. For more information on applying for Federal employment, please click here.