Job Summary

This position is being filled under the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. This position provides those who have graduated from a qualifying educational institution or certificate program within the past two years with opportunities for work in agencies and career development with training and mentorship. You must apply within two years of receving your degree or certificate (veterans have up to six years to apply due to their military service obligation).

Job Description

Applicants must have completed, within the previous two-years, a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical education program (which may include Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps). EXCEPTIONS TO THE TWO YEARS: Veterans, as defined in 5 USC 2108 , who, due to military service obligations, were precluded from applying to the Recent Graduate Program during the two-year eligibility. Veterans have a full two-year period of eligibility upon their release or discharge from active duty. The eligibility period shall not extend beyond six years from the date of academic completion. Current students or qualifying program participants may also apply, provided they are "up to nine months prior to completing their academic requirements". The application must include documentation that clearly shows the student is within the 9-month education completion window. Qualifying Education Institution: Any of the following educational institutions or curricula that have been accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To qualify at the GS-7 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as follows: Assisting in the execution of aircraft performance analyses (aerodynamics, propulsion, systems, and controls) while applying accepted principles, techniques, and practices of engineering, along with computational tools; and Assisting in preparing briefings, correspondence, reports, and/or memoranda. -OR- One full year of graduate-level education. -OR- Superior Academic Achievement as demonstrated by a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with one of the following. NOTE It is your responsibility to ensure your application clearly states how you meet one of the provisions below: A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher based on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last 2 full years of undergraduate study; A GPA of 3.5 or higher based on a 4.0 scale for required courses completed in a major field of study, or those courses completed in a major field of study during the last two years of undergraduate study; Class standing of upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision of the college; Membership in a national Scholastic Honor Society certified by the Association of College Honor Societies, excluding freshman honor societies. -OR- A combination of related graduate-level education and specialized experience. To qualify for the GS-9 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as follows: Assisting in the execution of aircraft performance analyses (aerodynamics, propulsion, systems, and controls) while applying accepted principles, techniques, and practices of engineering, along with computational tools; and Assisting in preparing briefings, correspondence, reports, and/or memoranda; and Developing new procedures to address complex investigation scenarios using engineering theories and methods. -OR- 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. -OR- A combination of both experience and education. For qualification purposes, an academic year is computed as follows: At the undergraduate level, successfully completed education that has not led to possession of a degree is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. Four years of progressive study or 120 semester hours meets the degree requirements. Additional credit cannot be given for duplicate course work. For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+ classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year above high school. An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard. NOTE: If your college, vocational, trade, technical or high schools' definition of "academic year" differs from above, you must submit proof of this difference (e.g., copy of course catalog that defines an academic year). Absent this documentation, you will be screened for academic qualifications based on the academic hours as defined in the bullets above. PROGRAM COMPLETION AND CONVERSION: Upon completion of the minimum 1-year career development program, Program participants may, at agency discretion, be non-competitively converted without a break in service, to a career or career conditional appointment. There is no guarantee for conversion. To be eligible for conversion, Recent Graduates must: Successfully complete the one-year developmental period identified. Demonstrate successful job performance. Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted. Complete 40 hours of formal interactive training within developmental period. Sign a Pathways Programs Participant Agreement upon appointment. Meet established goals outlined in the Recent Graduate's Individual Development Plan (IDP). Recommended by supervisor/manager for conversion to permanent OR term position. Additional Pathways Programs information can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Overview