Duties

Summary

The Internship Program is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from undergraduate to graduate level, with opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while still in school and while getting paid for the work performed. Students who successfully complete the program may be eligible for conversion to a permanent job in the civil service.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• This position is in the Office of Planning, Analysis and Risk Management (OPARM).
• OPARM leads FSIS efforts related to strategic planning and evaluation, data analysis and advanced analytics, data science and enterprise risk management, and internal controls.
• As a Student Trainee (Mathematical Statistician), your duties will include, but are not limited to the following:
• > Using statistical (including data science), data visualization and other software applications or tools to query and analyze data, draw conclusions, and make recommendations with respect to existing policies and planned initiatives.
• > Expressing ideas and concepts orally and in writing, and by numeric and graphic means, to support the coordination and tracking of data analysis activities.
• > Reviewing, analyzing, monitoring, visualizing, and interpreting public health and operational data.
• > Performing quality checks to assess consistency of data reporting across program areas.
• > Tracking project activities, tasks, and status to ensure data and performance-related deliverables are properly monitored, completed, and communicated.
• > Performing other duties as assigned.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12 - Promotion Potential for Student Trainee position is 07. Upon conversion to a permanent position, Promotion Potential is GS-12.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Accepted for or currently enrolled in a qualified educational institution.
• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Satisfactory Background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Service in the Pathways Program confers no right to further employment in either the competitive or excepted service.
• All USDA Student Interns must be at least 16 years of age at the time of their appointment.
• A USDA Pathways Programs Participant Agreement must be completed before the Student Trainee's Entrance-On Duty (EOD).
• All requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet BOTH the Pathway Internship Eligibility requirements as well as the minimum Qualifications for the position:

To Be Eligible For An Appointment Under The Internship Program You Must Meet The Following Requirement: Student applicants must be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, *certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled. Student Trainees must be in good academic standing, as defined by the institution they are attending. Generally at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) for undergraduate programs (cumulative; no rounding) and a 3.0 GPA for advanced degree programs. Individuals must meet the definition of a student throughout the duration of their Internship appointment.

(*NOTE: Certificate Program: This term is defined, in 5 CFR 362.102, and means postsecondary education in a qualifying educational institution equivalent to at least 1 academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.)

To Qualify At The GS-05 Grade Level: Successful completion of4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree OR Bachelor's degree.

To Qualify At The GS-07 Grade Level: Successful completion of 1 full academic year of graduate level education OR Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) after completing a bachelor's degree. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.

1. Class standing . Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.

2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) . Applicants must have a grade-point average of:

a. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better)as recorded on their 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

b. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society . Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies: https://www.achshonor.org/. Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.

PROGRAM COMPLETION:
This is an indefinite appointment. Upon successful completion of the program and at the agency's discretion, the appointee may be non-competitively converted to a term or career or career-conditional appointment, upon conversion this position has a full performance level of GS-12. Service in the Pathways Program confers no right to further employment in either the competitive or excepted service. An agency wishing to convert a student must therefore execute the required action to do so within 120 days of successful completion of the degree and program requirements.

If this position is eligible for conversion, the anticipated position for conversion would be into the following occupations: GS-1529/1550-09.11.12 Interdisciplinary OR GS-1501-09.11.12 Data Analyst. The anticipated position may change based on the needs of the organization. Interns must qualify and meet the individual occupational requirements for the position.

A student performing work in anyone of the following areas, will have to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for that particular series.

Mathematical Statistics Series, 1529: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1500/mathematical-statistics-series-1529/

Computer Science Series, 1550: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1500/computer-science-series-1550/

General Mathematics and Statistics Series, 1501: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1500/general-mathematics-and-statistics-series-1501star/

CONVERSION FROM STUDENT TRAINEE:
Prior to conversion to a term or career or career conditional appointment, Student Trainees must satisfactorily complete all training, program, and educational requirements.

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Successfully complete academic course of study.
• Complete a minimum of 640 hours of work experience under the Internship Program.
• Complete 40 hours of mandatory AgLearn Training.
• Meet the OPM Qualification Standard for the position the Intern may be converted to.
• Maintain acceptable performance under the agency's approved performance management system.
• Receive favorable recommendation for conversion from supervisor.

Education

If Using Education To Qualify: To use your education as a basis for meeting the Minimum Qualification Requirements (MQR) for this position, you MUST submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements. If specific course work is required to fulfill the MQR, you must supply transcripts from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken to receive credit for that course work. See the "Qualifications" section of this announcement for more details.

COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS:
You MUST submit a copy of your college transcripts which show:

• Your Field of Study
• School Name
• Student's Name
• Current GPA or Academic Standing
• Past and Current Course Work
• Degree Program
• Major/Concentration

An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty.

SPECIFIC COURSE WORK:
To be eligible and to qualify for a conversion to a term or career or career-conditional appointment, Student Trainees must meet the following academic degrees and course requirements for that particular series.

Mathematical Statistics Series, 1529

Degree: that included 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, of which at least 12 semester hours were in mathematics and 6 semester hours were in statistics.

Evaluation of Education: Courses acceptable toward meeting the mathematics course requirement above must have included at least four of the following: differential calculus, integral calculus, advanced calculus, theory of equations, vector analysis, advanced algebra, linear algebra, mathematical logic, differential equations, or any other advanced course in mathematics for which one of these was a prerequisite. Courses in mathematical statistics or probability theory with a prerequisite of elementary calculus or more advanced courses will be accepted toward meeting the mathematics requirements, with the provision that the same course cannot be counted toward both the mathematics and the statistics requirement.

Computer Science Series, 1550

Degree: Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.

Evaluation of Education: Applicants should have sufficient knowledge to understand the fundamental concepts and techniques of computer science. Courses designed to provide an introduction to computer science techniques and methodologies, to problems of system design, and to other specialized fields are acceptable. Courses or experience in teaching elementary, business, or shop mathematics are not acceptable.

General Mathematics and Statistics Series, 1501

Degree: Mathematics, statistics, or actuarial science. The degree must be in a major field of study (at least at the baccalaureate level) that is appropriate for the position.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, candidates are to ensure these requirements are met. If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation demonstrating that you meet the eligibility and MQR for this position, your application will be deemed incomplete & any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. Visit https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home for a database of accredited postsecondary institutions and programs.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information or you will be ineligible for further consideration.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 80 out of a possible 100.

If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from federal service.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact: USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. See more information at: CHCO Council.

Please click Veterans Policy for further information about veteran specific hiring options.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures using category rating. Applicant who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of two or three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on the applicant's quality of experience and the extent the possess the following competencies:

• Analytical Skill
• Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
• Data Analysis
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Interpersonal Skills
• Planning and Evaluating

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the Best Qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

**REMINDER** Applicants, be sure that experience/education as described on your resume contains accurate and sufficiently detailed information to clearly demonstrate that you have the listed competencies. All information used to evaluate your application must be received by the closing date of the announcement. Once the position is closed, no additional information will be accepted.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal service.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10987877

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

1. Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties, including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; and title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk

2. Cover Letter, optional.

3. College Transcripts: If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you MUST submit a legible copy of your college transcripts which show your Field of Study, School Name, Student's Name, Current GPA or Academic Standing, Past and Current Course Work, Degree Program, and Major/Concentration . An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit http://www.naces.org/members.htm . All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

4. Veterans' Preference: If claiming veterans preference, you must submit a DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty, you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veterans preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veterans preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) you submitted.

If claiming 10-point veterans preference, you must provide the DD-214 or certification requirements (see above), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans Preference and a Department of Veterans Affairs Letter. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref .

Note: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. veteran's preference) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.

If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.