The USPS OIG is seeking students enrolled in college/university programs to fill our Student Cooperative (PAID) position in the Research and Insights Solution Center located in Arlington, Virginia. Bring your skills and voice to our team!

Duties

In-Office Requirement: The U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General values collaboration, teamwork, and effective communication to foster our dynamic working and learning environment. The position adheres to our agency's telework policy to facilitate this and requires an in-office presence of at least two days per pay period. Remote work is not available for this role. Are you interested in government oversight, public policy, and public service? Do you enjoy researching, learning, and writing about a variety of topics? Can you summarize, analyze, and synthesize a lot of information? If so, then you may be the perfect candidate to apply for the student cooperative opening at the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General's Research and Insights Solution Center (RISC). In our Research division, we write white papers assessing economic, business, operational, and policy issues affecting the U.S. Postal Service, such as the role of the Postal Service in rural areas, innovative digital and retail offerings, and other critical issues affecting USPS operations. We are seeking a student who can help us produce high-quality reports and other content and communicate our work to Postal Service stakeholders and the public. We are looking for a high-energy student who is intellectually curious and a critical thinker. A qualified candidate will possess stellar written communication skills and have experience editing and producing different kinds of written content. Experience developing dynamic content to communicate information - including through compelling webpages, visual or audio media, or data visualization -- is a plus. As a co-op, you will be exposed to a variety of projects and tasks in the Research division. Although the duties and responsibilities associated with this position could vary based upon the agency's needs, you may be expected to perform the following tasks: Contribute to the research and writing of white papers and workpapers; Perform desk research and/or data analysis; Communicate with peers and management, verbally and in writing, the status of projects, support requests, and other tasks, as assigned; Proofread draft white papers for grammatical correctness and clarity and suggest edits to improve quality, readability, and story-telling; Review materials for compliance with the agency's style guide; Help develop and produce other forms of content, potentially including web story maps, podcasts, and videos; Assist in the planning and day-of execution for both internal and public events, such as workshops and roundtables. Through working at RISC, student co-ops can enhance their skills in writing, editing, quantitative and qualitative research, and data analysis while preparing for a career in public service. This opportunity is ideal for those looking to gain experience at the federal level. Student co-ops enjoy a healthy work-school balance and continuous employment with the possibility of 20 weekly hours. Additionally, co-ops are assigned a mentor to guide them throughout their work with RISC. 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 08/22/2024 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 $16.29 - $19.62/hour. Locality Pay is authorized. Sophomore $21.71 per hour includes locality pay Junior/Senior $23.07 per hour includes locality pay Graduate or Law Student $26.15 per hour includes locality pay Student Cooperatives are not eligible for USPS OIG Employee Benefits.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be able to pass a drug screening and medical assessment questionnaire.
• 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.

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, not graduating prior to May 2025. (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 in the USPS OIG Arlington, VA, office twice per two-week pay period and work a minimum of 10 hours per week (Monday-Friday) during core business hours. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS Enrollment in a program seeking an advanced degree in public policy, business, economics, communications, journalism, marketing, business administration, or any other related discipline. Strong writing skills and experience in drafting and editing a variety of written products, such as research papers, short reports, workpapers, and summaries. Demonstrated ability to present complicated information in a style highly readable by the general public. Strong organizational skills and the ability to work both individually and collaboratively in a fast-paced, high-profile environment. Experience editing and proofreading, including ensuring adherence to a style guide. Proven ability to communicate research findings through visual, audio, and/or video web content. Experience creating and delivering presentations and/or planning public events. Basic knowledge of and experience with analyzing data and/or quantitative research methods. 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. Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, especially the use of persuasive and concise writing. Experience producing a variety of content to communicate findings, including written, visual, and/or audiovisual products. Demonstrated ability to conduct thorough desk research, data analysis, and/or qualitative/quantitative research. Experience documenting, summarizing, and communicating conclusions in high-quality analytical reports, research papers, workpapers, and other written materials.

Education

Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation here: www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred. Special Instructions for Candidates with Foreign Education: Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in U.S. education programs. You must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. credential evaluation service to interpret equivalency of your education against courses given in U.S. accredited colleges and universities. For further information visit:
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address AIG Research Insight Solution Center 1735 North Lynn Street Arlington, VA 22209 US
• Name: Vacancy Inquiries
• Email: [email protected]