This position is located in the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Headquarters, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Washington, DC. The incumbent for this position serves as a Student Trainee (Writer-Editor) under the Chief Communications Officer within the Office of Strategic Communications and Programs.  

Duties

Since Congress established the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) in 1978, we have been dedicated to providing independent and objective reviews of the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of DOT programs and operations. We are committed to detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse within the Department. Our work impacts the lives of every American, as the safe and efficient movement of people, goods, and information is vital to economic growth, global partnerships, and quality of life. Our audits and investigations lead to recoveries of significant amounts of improper payments, cost savings opportunities, and program improvements that directly enhance the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of the Nation’s transportation infrastructure.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Enrolled at least half time at a qualifying educational Institution
• Plan to not graduate before May 2025 semester
• Must sign a Pathways Student Agreement.
• Cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher.
• This position is subject to a background investigation.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. 1. To be eligible and qualify based on Superior Academic Achievement: you must possess a conferred bachelor's degree with a 3.0 or higher AND be currently pursuing another degree or certificate program related to the position such as English, creative writing, communications, media studies, or another writing-intensive humanities field with a 2.7 GPA and graduating in or after May 2025 (Spring 2025) semester. Please attach your conferred bachelor's degree AND current degree/certificate transcripts.  If you are currently enrolled in an associate, or bachelor's program and plan to graduate before June 30, 2024, please submit your current transcripts and proof of enrollment in another undergraduate, graduate, or certificate (for-credit) program such as class schedule, acceptance letter, and enrollment email. You must be graduating from your current degree program before June 30, 2024, and be enrolled in another degree/certificate program for Fall 2025.  2. To be eligible and qualify based on Graduate School Education only: you must have completed one full academic year of graduate education (18 credits) in a related field such as English, creative writing, communications, media studies, or another writing-intensive humanities field and be graduating in or after May 2025. Please attach your most recent transcripts. 3. To be eligible and qualify based on experience: you must be pursuing a degree or certificate program related to the position such as English, creative writing, communications, media studies, or another writing-intensive humanities field with a 2.7 GPA and graduating in or after May 2025 (Spring 2025) semester AND have 1 year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level as stated below. Please attach your most recent transcripts. GS-7: To qualify, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service or private sector with the following: Experience writing and/or editing materials such as reports, briefings, speeches, research papers and correspondence; Experience participating with a team to produce a written product; Experience performing intermediate to advanced writing and editing tasks in Microsoft Word. These may include using templates and styles, creating documents with multiple sections and styles, creating and positioning text boxes, and troubleshooting formatting issues and inconsistencies. Your application will be evaluated based on the following competencies: (1) Writing, (2) Attention to Detail, (3) Communications and Media. OREducation: Completed one full academic year of graduate education in a related field such as English, creative writing, communications, media studies, or another writing-intensive humanities field. ORCombination of Education and Experience: Applicants that possess a percentage of the required specialized experience and a percentage of the required graduate level education such that, when the percentages of the required graduate education and specialized experience are added together, they equal 100%. (Only graduate education and only professional experience equivalent to the GS-5 or higher is creditable.)ORSuperior Academic Achievement: You possess a degree that is qualifying for this position that meets the criteria for eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement provision through one of the following methods. No more than 10% of academic credit can be based on pass/fail or similar non-traditional grading systems.* 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on the official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum* 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) 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.(Grade-point averages will be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9)* Upper 1/3 ranking in graduating class (you must submit proof with your application)* National Scholastic Honor Society. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (You must submit proof with your application.)NOTE: ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT A COMPLETE COPY OF THEIR TRANSCRIPTS. DEGREE AUDITS ARE NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR OFFICIAL/UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS.IF SELECTED, AN OFFICIAL/SEALED TRANSCRIPT WILL BE REQUIRED PRIOR TO AN APPOINTMENT DATE BEING ESTABLISHED. IF YOU HAVE EARNED A DEGREE FROM A FOREIGN INSTITUTION,YOU MUST SUBMIT WITH YOUR APPLICATION EVIDENCE THAT ANY EDUCATION COMPLETED IN A FOREIGN INSTITUTION WAS APPROPRIATELY ACCREDITED BY AN ACCREDITING BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AS EQUIVALENT TO U.S. STANDARDS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, REFER TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEB SITE AT http://www.ed.gov.

Education

Education: All academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.

Undergraduate or Graduate Education: Degree in English, creative writing, communications, media studies, or another writing-intensive humanities field. 

Contacts

• Address DOT, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL 1200 New Jersey Ave SE Washington, District of Columbia 20590 United States
• Name: Karen Muller
• Phone: 202-366-1490
• Email: [email protected]