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.

Key to achieving DOT-OIG's important mission is effectively communicating the results of audits and investigations to policymakers. As a Student Trainee (Writer-Editor), you'll join our high-performing Communications Team, serving under the Chief Communications Officer within the Office of Strategic Communications and Programs. You'll work closely with senior writer-editors, visual communications specialists, and other staff to learn hands-on how we strive to clearly and concisely convey complex information in a variety of formats. You'll play a key role in helping to write, edit, and organize important projects for both external and internal audiences.

Learn more about DOT-OIG's mission and impact, and why we're consistently ranked one of the top places to work in the Federal Government, on our website: https://www.oig.dot.gov/about-oig/careers

As a Student Trainee (Writer-Editor), You Will

Perform editorial reviews of audit reports, correspondence, and similar material related to programs and policies of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) under the supervision of a manager or senior writer-editor.
Review audit reports and other written products to ensure they meet the highest quality standards and comply with established policies and procedures under the supervision of a manager or senior writer-editor.
Ensure all editorial reviews support consistency in mechanics and expression; logical organization, development, and support of conclusions; internal consistency; readability; clarity; flow; appropriate tone; adequacy and appropriateness of graphics and tables; correctness of spelling, grammar, and punctuation; and compliance with Government Printing Office and internal style guides. This will be accomplished under the supervision of a manager or senior writer-editor.
Assist auditors/analysts in developing and presenting complex information and converting it to understandable terms for different levels and interests of audiences. Working with a senior writer-editor, provide recommendations and guidance in the development or revision of audit announcements, reports, testimony, correspondence, and presentations.
Provide advice and assistance on all aspects of reporting throughout the audit cycle, including the development of underlying support for presentations in reports under the guidance of senior team members. Assist supervisor and senior team members with conducting training for staff on writing techniques.
Conduct staff interviews and research and write articles for DOT-OIG's employee newsletter and other products, as appropriate.

NATURE OF THE APPOINTMENT: This is a student internship opportunity under the DOT Pathways Program. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may be converted to a permanent or TERM appointment. Extensions to this appointment may occur. There is no guarantee of extensions or conversions.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

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.

Writing Sample Requirements

Given the primary duties of this position, you are required to provide with your application 1 sample of a product or portion of a product that you have either authored or substantially revised or edited. Examples may include but are not limited to academic papers, reports, testimonies, articles or recent publications, congressional or executive correspondence, and speeches. Your sample will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Clear, concise, and convincing presentation
Appropriate diction, tone, and balance
Logical organization and flow
Correct grammar and punctuation

Please submit a writin g sample that is at least 2 and no more than 3 pages long. Samples outside of this page range will not be considered. Sample at a minimum should demonstrate your ability to produce a high level of readability. NOTE: You may later be required to provide an additional writing and/or editing sample for the interview phase of this process.

Examples of OIG products can be found at: https://www.oig.dot.gov

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

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.

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.
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.

OR

Education: 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.

OR

Combination 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.)

OR

Superior 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.

Additional Information

APPLICANTS MUST MEET QUALIFICATIONS BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL LIKE VACANCIES IN THE ANNOUNCED DUTY LOCATION.

If you served on active duty in the U.S. Military and were separated under honorable conditions, you may be eligible for veteran's preference. More information on veterans' is available in the VetGuide that may be found on the United States Office of Personnel Management website at www.opm.gov . If you are entitled to veteran preference, you should indicate the type of veteran preference you are claiming on your resume/application. In order to verify your veteran preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 (certificate of release or discharge from active duty); official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g. documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions. In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a purple heart recipient, or widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the natural mother of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10 point veteran preference" and the other required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your claim.

Veteran preference eligibles will be listed ahead of non-veterans.

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service.

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