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Summary This is a Student Internship position under the Pathways Internship Program. To qualify for this Internship, you MUST be a continuing student enrolled or accepted for enrollment for the current/upcoming semesters for the duration of the internship as a condition of employment, taking at least a half-time course load. You will be required to provide documentation to support eligibility. Students may be employed throughout the academic year. Responsibilities This is a developmental position with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of Transportation (DOT). The position is designed to provide interns with challenging assignments that will broaden their perspectives on issues facing the government and prepare them for future positions throughout the government. The Pathways Student Intern (Civil Rights Analysis) will support Florida Division's oversight of Federal-aid Highway Program (FAHP) and Discretionary Grant recipients, ensuring they comply with a broad range of civil rights authorities including Title VI (23 CFR 200, 49 CFR 21, USDOT 1050.21); Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) (49 CFR 26); Contractor Compliance & On-the-Job Training (OJT) (23 CFR 230, FHWA 1273); Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (49 CFR 27, 28 CFR 35); and Prevailing Wages (23 CFR 635, 29 CFR 5), as well as two apportioned supportive service programs (23 CFR 230.113, 230.204). You will: Shadow routine program activities, learn the scope of each civil rights program and how they apply/contribute to all aspects of the overall transportation process, from long range planning to project development, design through construction. Conduct stakeholder assistance, legal research, and day to day administrative decision making. Under supervision, you will conduct project reviews, approve annual program documents, deliver training to recipients and sub-recipients, investigate complaints, and develop reports with clear, concise recommendations. Work closely with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), its local public agencies (LPAs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), as well as with non-DOT direct recipients that may be less familiar with the FAHP or reimbursable grants to provide early, continuing technical assistance, mitigating the risk of noncompliance, and providing exceptional customer service. These duties fall within Florida Division, which includes both Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands transportation agencies. Travel within Florida and the Caribbean is an important component of the position but is always scheduled in advance and in consideration of the Intern’s school obligations. The ideal candidate is a student pursuing a degree in urban planning, sociology, law, law enforcement, social work, or environmental science. Past studies or competence in the Spanish language is not required, but ideal. The ideal candidate should be proficient with the Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel, and has a working or rudimentary knowledge of PowerBI, Visio, and ArcGIS or similar geospatial platforms. The candidate has foundational written and oral communication skills, but not necessarily extensive experience. Above all, the best candidate is enthusiastic and curious, willing to leave the office and learn by doing. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet the requirements of the program. You must be at least 16 years of age Required documents must be submitted by the closing date. Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date PATHWAYS ELIGIBILITY - To be eligible for appointment to a position in the DOT Internship Program, throughout the duration of the appointment, an individual must: Be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree or certificate in a qualifying educational institution on a half to full-time basis (as determined by the educational institution). Be seeking a degree that is relevant to this position. Be able to work at least 16 hours per week, depending on your academic schedule, and preferably full-time during the summer. Grade qualifications must be met prior to start date. If selected you: must sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement; may be employed throughout the academic year; must maintain status as a current student; maintain good academic standing, at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 grading scale. must furnish course registration information at the start of each school term; and must provide verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic term. For more information on the Pathways Program, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Program-Fact-Sheets CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP: Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. DECLARATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT: Selectee is required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine suitability for federal employment. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding. TRIAL PERIOD: The intern is in a trial period throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. Qualifications Please be sure that you have read and meet the Pathways program requirements under the Requirements section. Then, to further meet the minimum qualifications for this position, review the following grade specific education requirements to determine full eligibility before applying. Note that if you are graduating at the end of this current semester, and not continuing your education, you are not eligible for this internship. You must be enrolled as a student while employed as an intern. You must meet the following education requirements for each grade by the start of the internship (anticipated to start Summer 2024). You may use 2024 in-progress semester/quarter hours to qualify for a higher grade level. Qualifications will be determined based on completed and in-progress hours stated on your unofficial transcript submitted at the time of application. To be qualifying, you must successfully complete and receive credit for the courses and provide an updated official transcript before you enter on duty. Apply to the grade(s) that you will be eligible for and provide the applicable supporting documentation. GS-05: Completion of four (4) academic years of post-high school study (undergraduate) leading to a bachelor’s degree or equivalent degree. GS-07: Completion of one academic year of graduate level education; OR eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement* provision, as defined in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Operating Manual for Qualification Standards, and completion of a bachelor's degree. GS-09: Completion of two academic years of graduate level education (above a bachelor's degree), or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree. *Superior Academic Achievement for GS-07 eligibility option: (Bachelor's degree) - In the upper one-third of graduating class; OR a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of 4.0, as recorded on official transcript, or based on courses completed during final 2 years of curriculum; OR a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of 4.0, based on average of required courses completed in major or required courses in major completed during the final 2 years of curriculum. Academic Year Clarification: At the undergraduate level, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. When academic credit is expressed in 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 institution. At the graduate level (above a Bachelor's degree), one year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full time study requirement for GS-07. When academic credit is expressed in 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 institution. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Oral Communication - Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed. 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. For additional information about applying to Federal Pathways Internship Positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-PIP Education Refer to the Requirements section for information pertaining to the Pathways Internship Program, and refer to the Qualifications section for the education requirements for each grade. Additional Information WORK SCHEDULE: Pathways intern hours worked cannot interfere with academic studies. Interns may work either full-time or part-time hours. This is an Excepted Service appointment. As a part of the Pathways Internship Program, the appointment may be extended until the selectee's educational program requirements have been completed. The student intern may be converted, without a break in service to a term (time-limited) or permanent appointment upon graduation, to a position that has a career ladder targeted up to the GS-12, provided they are a US citizen who has worked at least 640 hours in an appropriate program and receive a favorable recommendation from the supervisor for retention. There is no guarantee of a permanent position following this internship. The selectee is on a trial period while on a Pathways Internship appointment. Other Information: The Florida Division has a strong history of developing employees. The Division has sponsored several Pathways Interns in previous years, including one in Finance. The intern matriculated to the FHWA Professional Development Program (PDP)and into a successful finance career with FHWA. As Pathways may be an intern’s first ‘real’ job, we want the experience to be enriching, rewarding, and unforgettable. Our Pathways coaches have all attended FHWA Coach’s Training and, like Division leadership believe that integrating the participants’ past experiences with FHWA employee experiences results in more well-rounded individuals for all involved and is part of what makes FHWA a top government employer. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation