Come make the most of your internship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)! The Student Trainee (Engineer) position is a great way to gain federal experience while pursuing an education. This is an opportunity to work with top professionals who exemplify and promote creative discoveries, innovative strategies, and collaborative exchange of information. Be a part of the mission - apply now!

Duties

As a Student Trainee (Engineering), your typical work assignments may include: Assist professional engineers and/or architects in performing technical engineering work. Provide technical support and assistance. Assist in assembly, installation, or operation of equipment, instruments, or facilities related to NIH biomedical research. Participate in design and testing activities, including the recording and proper interpretation of routine test results. Conduct basic field observations as well as obtain, identify, handle and store material samples. Develop design visualizations and other studies in 2, 3, and 4D with associated technical writing. Conduct surveys of existing conditions, and field observation of in-progress construction, commissioning, and validation activities. Provide technical support and assistance in the review of construction documents and specifications and forensic engineering. As a Pathways Student Trainee at the NIH, you will be engaged in projects/tasks related to your position and program area. The NIH Institute will share further information on the structure and content of the program with you during the interview process. This announcement can be used to fill a variety of Engineering related positions such as: Engineer, Engineering Technician, Environmental Engineer, Fire Protection Engineer, Architect, Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Computer Engineer, Industrial Engineer Technician, Industrial Engineer, as well as others.

Requirements

Qualifications

To be eligible, you must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis in an accredited educational institution for Spring 2025. These institutions include (but are not limited to): High School College (including 4-year colleges/universities, community college, and junior college) Professional, Technical, Vocational, and Trade School Advanced Degree Program Certificate Program* Registered Apprenticeship Program Other qualifying educational institutions *A note about certificate programs: Certificate programs are defined as post-secondary education in a qualifying educational institute and must be equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study. The certificate program must also be a part of an accredited college-level, technical, vocational, trade, or business school curriculum. Students graduating in Fall 2024 who are not accepted or enrolled for a new degree-seeking program after graduation will be rated ineligible for this position due to the requirement to have 480 work hours prior to conversion to the competitive service. To qualify for the GS-1 grade level: You must be enrolled in a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) program OR have general work experience providing support and assistance to engineers and technicians working in various engineering functions.: To qualify for the GS-2 grade level: You must have completed the requirements for a high school diploma or GED OR have 3 months of general work experience equivalent to a GS-1 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, providing technical support and assistance to engineers and technicians working in various engineering functions. To qualify for the GS-3 grade level: You must have completed at least 1 full year of post high school education OR have 6 months of general experience equivalent to at least the GS-2 level in the Federal service, or experience obtained in either the private or public sector, providing technical support and assistance to engineers and technicians working in various engineering functions. To qualify for the GS-4 grade level: You must have completed at least 2 full years of post-high school education or completed the requirements for an associate's degree OR have one (1) year of general work experience equivalent to a GS-3 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, providing technical support and assistance to engineers and technicians working in various engineering functions. To qualify for the GS-5 grade level: You must have completed 4 academic years of post-high school education leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree OR have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, providing technical support and assistance to engineers and technicians working in various engineering functions. Examples of qualifying experience include searching reports, manuals, office records, compiling data; assisting higher grade personnel in the accumulations, preparation and presentation of data; and, participating in phases of testing activities including recording and proper interpretation of routine test results. To qualify for the GS-6 grade level: You must demonstrate in your resume, at least 1 year of qualifying experience equivalent to a GS-5 in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector providing technical support and assistance to engineers and technicians working in various engineering functions. Examples of qualifying experience include: identifying project limits and providing design specification to complete work; searching technical reports to obtain information related to projects; preparing preliminary drafts, graphs, tables and minor detail designs; making financial estimates on costs and conducts life-cycle analysis of existing structures; selecting the best solution from several alternatives to maintain, rehabilitate, or replace equipment. To qualify for the GS-7 grade level: You have completed one (1) full academic year of graduate-level education OR demonstrate eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement Provision and completion of a bachelor's degree OR 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-6 in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector providing technical support and assistance to engineers and technicians working in various engineering functions. Examples of qualifying experience include assisting higher-level engineers in project planning and design functions for new facilities construction, renovation, or improvement projects; assisting higher-level engineers in analyzing engineering technical requirements; preparing graphs, curves, and tables for other engineers; performing drafting and minor detail design; evaluating technical blueprints for engineering and construction projects; and assisting in resolving specific design or construction problems.??????? Superior Academic Achievement: If you are claiming SAA you must provide evidence such as a copy of your official transcript at the time of application. To be eligible under Superior Academic Achievement at the GS-07 level you must meet one of the following requirements: a) graduating within the upper-third of the graduating class in a college, university, or major subdivision such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; b) obtain a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your 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; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; c) being elected for membership in a national scholastic honor society. Special Provisions/or Interns with Previous Related Education or Experience: Previous education and/or experience may be evaluated to determine the highest grade level for which the individual is qualified. You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12606614

Education

You must submit a copy of your transcripts. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

• All unofficial transcripts must include the following: enrollment status showing Spring 2025 courses, current overall GPA, major, and the number of credits for each course.
• Additional proof of enrollment for the upcoming Spring 2025 or Fall 2025 semester will be required before a final job offer can be extended.

You must be currently enrolled in at least half-time basis or accepted for enrollment for Spring 2025.

If you are recently enrolled for Spring 2025 semester and do not have a transcript, please provide either an acceptance letter or enrollment verification including number of credits with your application (e.g. I graduated in Fall 2024 with a bachelor's degree and am now enrolled in a master's degree program on at least a half-time basis for Spring 2025).

If you have been accepted for Spring 2025 semester and do not have a transcript or enrollment verification, please provide a copy of an acceptance letter with your application (e.g. I am a high school senior graduating in May/June 2025 and have been accepted for Fall 2025 enrollment in a bachelor's program). High school seniors that will graduate in May/June 2025 are required to provide an acceptance letter prior to onboarding.

If you are unable to provide transcripts with the required information, please provide other proof of enrollment (e.g., enrollment verification letter) for Spring 2025 on at least a half-time basis and include cumulative GPA.

Applicants who have completed their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization and must provide a copy of the evaluation prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

If you do not submit a transcript indicating your possession of the required education, you will not be considered for this position

Conversion Into the Competitive Service
While conversion is not guaranteed, NIH Student Trainees, with U.S. citizenship, may be converted to a career-conditional appointment within 180 days of successful completion of all program requirements as specified by the Pathways Participant Agreement.

Non-competitive conversion may be made to either a one-grade or two-grade interval position, depending on the agency's policy. An individual participating in the Internship Program who otherwise meets the Program requirements for conversion (i.e., work hours, satisfactory performance, educational requirements, training completed, etc.) may be converted to a position that has an established career ladder. Upon conversion, positions may have promotion potential up to the GS-13 grade level. Promotion potential is determined based on the position being filled within an Institute/Center. For a description of the positions listed above, please visit: http://www.jobs.nih.gov/globalrecruitment/.

Student Trainees must work 480 hours prior to graduation in order to be eligible for conversion.

The duration of a Pathways appointment under Sch D is a trial period.

A one-year probationary period will be required upon conversion into the competitive service.

Contacts

• Address National Institutes of Health 6701 Rockledge Drive Bethesda, MD 20892 US
• Name: Cheryl Caponiti
• Email: [email protected]