The Administrative Office (AO), an agency of the judicial branch of the federal government, is committed to serving and supporting the federal court system of the United States. The AO provides a broad range of legislative, legal, financial, technology, management, administrative and program support services to the federal courts. All Cooperative Education Students at the AO are on-site at the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building (TMFJB) and telework is not permitted.

Duties

OPPORTUNITY: The AO is seeking applicants for our agency's Cooperative Education (Co-Op) Program. The Co-Op Program allows students to be appointed on a temporary basis as an AO employee. The duration of the appointment is determined based on the student's academic schedule and anticipated graduation date. Participants in the Co-Op Program may be non-competitively converted to an Excepted Service appointment upon the conclusion of their studies. The opportunity is intended to provide valuable work experience for students interested in a public service career. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate-level program. The student will have an opportunity to improve his or her writing, research, analytical, logical, multi-tasking, and customer-service skills. Students will work 20 hours per week during the school year and are allowed to work up to 32 hours per week. Students will work full time during the summer months and other school breaks. The AO is committed to attracting the best and brightest applicants in our support of the third branch of government. We take pride in serving the Judicial Branch and supporting its mission to provide equal justice under the law. The mission of the Defender Services program is to ensure that the right to counsel guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment, the Criminal Justice Act (18 U.S.C.3006A), and other congressional mandates is enforced on behalf of those who cannot afford to retain counsel and other necessary defense services. By fulfilling its mission, the Defender Services program helps to (a) maintain public confidence in the nation's commitment to equal justice under law and (b) ensure the successful operation of the constitutionally based adversary system of justice by which both federal criminal laws and federally guaranteed rights are enforced. This specific position will be in the Defender Services Office, Administrative Operations Staff. The incumbent of this position will serve as a Financial Specialist on the Administrative Operations Staff financial team. The incumbent will be a part of a cooperative and high functioning team that specializes in the financial management of the defender appropriation's centrally managed funds. This dynamic team provides expert guidance and education to the Defender Services Office (DSO) and defender organization staff in the following areas: procurement; travel; obligation and disbursement of contract and grant funds; and more. The ideal candidate will have a strong desire to learn more about judicial budget, administrative, and travel policy, and will welcome working and learning in a fast-paced environment. Student candidates that are intellectually curious, self- motivated, and enjoy problem solving will do well in this position. Training will be provided to enable this specialist to perform the following duties: Reviewing, analyzing and applying travel policy for DSO related travel and financial related duties. Researching anomalies and working with stakeholders in the agency to find solutions. Developing weekly, quarterly, and year-end reports at the direction of program managers. Researching and compiling financial data for review by DSO managers. Reconciling invoices monthly. Training staff on the use of the judiciary travel system. Answering questions from internal and external travelers related to travel funding and policy. Processing, preparing, and monitoring travel authorizations and vouchers for external travelers. Identifying and tracking issues related to internal and external travel and seeking solutions. Assisting the travel service liaison with travel related problems. Reviewing notification emails to ensure that travel tickets are being issued in accordance with the Travel Authorizations and the Judiciary travel policies. Creating obligations in the judiciary financial management system for external travel expenses, to include training staff on the creation of various kinds of obligations related to external travelers. Various projects/tasks as assigned, including processing invoices, authorizations, and contracts.

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Qualification Requirements: Qualifications for the Cooperative Education Program positions are closely related to the criteria established for Executive Branch positions by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Co-Op positions are classified and paid under a broad-banded system. Salary is set commensurate with educational background and experience. Demonstrated relevant work experience will be credited. Applicants must be currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking student in either an undergraduate or graduate-level program. Applicants must have completed at least one year of undergraduate education beyond high school. Applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.0. A transcript will be required during the time of application to confirm proof of eligibility. Applicants must be available to work year-round in Washington, DC, and be able to remain employed at the AO for at least one year. Additional Qualification Requirements: In addition to meeting the BASIC QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS, applicants must also: Have the ability to work well in a team environment. Have strong communication and reading skills and be detailed oriented. Have a working knowledge of computer applications such as Microsoft Excel, Word, or WordPerfect. Have excellent writing, reading and interpersonal skills, and be able to organize a variety of assignments simultaneously and meet tight deadlines. The ideal candidate will be an undergraduate or graduate level student working towards a degree inFinance.

Education

School Affiliation: All students in the Cooperative Education Program must be enrolled in an accredited school, and must be working toward a degree, diploma, certificate, etc. on a full-time or part-time basis. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. You can receive credit for education received outside the United States if you provide evidence that it is comparable to an accredited educational institution in the United States. A transcript is required at the time of application for proof of enrollment and education.

Contacts

• Address Defender Services Office One Columbus Circle, NE Washington, DC 20544 US
• Name: Bassin Njie
• Phone: (202) 502-2202
• Email: [email protected]