Duties

Summary

This position is in NASA’s Pathways Intern Employment Program (IEP) which provides students with opportunities to explore NASA careers and gain meaningful developmental work experience.

For information on the types of positions NASA typically fills and Center specific program information and requirements, please refer to the “Additional Information” section of this announcement.

Please read the entire announcement before applying.
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Responsibilities

  • This vacancy is open to students pursuing Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or Public Administration majors.
  • Serving as a Student Trainee works under the guidance of accounting, budget, or administrative professionals in routine and progressively responsible duties directly related to the individual?s academic studies and occupational career goals.
  • Specific duties will be dependent upon the assigned occupational specialty in preparation for more difficult tasks as a professional trainee after graduation.
  • Disciplines include, but are not limited to Financial and Administration, Accounting, Auditing, and Budget Analysis.

Travel Required

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

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S
  • If you are a male born after December 31, 1959, you must be registered with the Selective Service to be eligible for federal employment and this program
  • At the time you apply for this announcement, you must be a degree or certificate seeking student who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited educational institution on at least a half time basis as defined by the institution
  • At the time you apply for this announcement, you must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.9 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)
  • The expected start date is no earlier than May 24, 2021, and no later than September 27, 2021. Start dates will be the discretion of the hiring Center within this timeframe.
  • To be eligible for consideration for this program, you must be able to work a minimum of 640 hours after your start date with NASA and before you complete your certificate or degree requirements.
  • Certain NASA Centers may have additional work requirements beyond the minimum 640 work hours. Refer to the “Additional Information” section for details
  • If you are selected, you must be at least 16 years old at the time you are hired
  • If you are selected, you must maintain continue your enrollment at your current educational institution during periods you are not working at NASA. You must also maintain a GPA of at least 2.9 on a 4.0 scale (or eqiuvalent)
  • If you are selected, you will be required to sign a Pathways Participant Agreement which outlines the condidtions of employment.
  • If you are selected, you will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation or higher level clearance. The level of investigation/clearance may differ and be required based on the duties/location-NASA Center requirements
  • Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Risk Designation for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements
  • Salary is based on the “Rest of the US” pay table. Actual salary will be based on the duty location for which you are selected
  • Assignments are at the Center’s discretion and are limited to the duty locations advertised in this announcement.

Qualifications

Starting GS grade levels are determined by education level COMPLETED at this time:

  • For GS-4: Completed at least 30 semester credit hours or at least 45 quarter hours of undergraduate education.
  • For GS-5: Completed at least 60 semester credit hours or at least 90 quarter hours of undergraduate education.
  • For GS-6: Completed 90 or more semester credit hours or 135 or more quarter hours of undergraduate education.
  • For GS-7: Accepted into a master’s or Juris Doctor program OR in the first year of a master’s or juris doctor program.
  • For GS-9: Completed 1 academic year* of a master’s or Juris Doctor program, OR accepted into a doctorate program OR in the first year of a doctorate program

*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.

You will be considered for the highest grade for which you qualify.

During the application process, you will be asked to select the lowest grade you are willing to accept for this position. Please be careful in selecting the lowest grade to ensure you do not screen yourself out of consideration by selecting a grade higher than for which you are eligible.

Education

To be eligible for this position, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree in:
Accounting, Business Administration, Finance or Public Administration

You must be enrolled in a degree program at a college or university that is accredited by a recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ .

Degree programs from institutions outside the United States: If you are currently enrolled in a degree program at a foreign college or university, your degree may need to be evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs, in order for you to be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position. Your degree must be deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit must be given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

College Transcript: Applicants must submit a copy of their most recent college transcript that lists the school’s name, student’s name, degree program, major, GPA, college courses, course title, and number of credit hours completed. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, however should you be selected, official transcripts will be required prior to your appointment date. If your college transcript does not list all of this information, you must provide supplemental documentation from your educational institution that specifies the information missing from your transcript.

Accepted for Enrollment: If you have been accepted for enrollment in an institution but have not yet begun coursework, you must submit an Acceptance Letter from the institution AND your most recent academic transcript from your previous program.

Additional information

PLEASE TAKE CARE IN PREPARING AND SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION.

When completing the Questionnaires, please pay close attention to the selections and inputs you are making. Entries regarding your eligibility made in error cannot be modified after the application is submitted and you will lose consideration if you are determined to be ineligible based on the answers to the questionnaire.

This announcement is for positions at the following Centers: Johnson Space Center (Houston Texas), Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, Maryland), Langley Research Center (Hampton, Virginia) and White Sands Test Facility (Las Cruces, New Mexico).

To view Center-specific program requirements visit: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nasa_pathways_programrequirements_2021.pdf

If we find that you do not meet Center-specific eligibility requirements after referral to the hiring manager, you may not receive further consideration.

Interns may be promoted to higher grades based on the amount of education completed and acceptable performance. However, promotions are not guaranteed. Special rate tables may apply for graduate students.

You will serve a trial period for the duration of the Intern appointment.

Interns may be considered for conversion to a Term or Permanent appointment within 120 days of completion of degree requirements provided they:

  • Successfully completed an academic course of study with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.9 (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Complete a minimum of 640 hours of work experience before completing degree requirements;
  • Meet the qualification requirements for the position to which they are converted (including any required coursework); and
  • Maintain acceptable performance.

Eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that NASA will offer conversion to a Term or Perm job.

The Intern may be converted to a position with promotion potential to the GS-12 level.

As identical vacancies are identified, additional selections may be made.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you receive the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be evaluated for this position based on the eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your referral status, we will rely on your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Your eligibility will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies: Accountability, Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading, Self-Management (Achievement), Stress Tolerance, Teamwork

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your responses may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Under NASA’s category rating process, applicants will be assessed on the position competencies and placed in one of three categories identified and defined below:

  • Best Qualified Category – Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
  • Highly Qualified Category – Applicants who demonstrate a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria.
  • Qualified Category – Applicants who demonstrate the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Names of all eligible candidates in the Best Qualified category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration (unless a sufficient number of qualified veterans are found – in which case only those names will be initially certified ). Candidates within the Best Qualified category who are eligible for veteran preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

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

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes: Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. College Transcript or Acceptance Letter (please see below for more information) Veterans’ preference documentation, if applicable: If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans’ preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For spouses claiming derived veterans’ preference, proof of marriage is also required. For more information on veterans’ preference and possible other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit FedsHireVets College Transcript: Applicants must submit a copy of their most recent college transcript that lists the school’s name, student’s name, degree program, major, GPA, college courses, course title, and number of credit hours completed. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, however should you be selected, official transcripts will be required prior to your appointment date. If your college transcript does not list all of this information, you must provide supplemental documentation from your educational institution that specifies the information missing from your transcript.

Accepted for Enrollment: If you have been accepted for enrollment in an institution but have not yet begun coursework, you must submit an Acceptance Letter from the institution AND your most recent academic transcript from your previous program. Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.

Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.

If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here .

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.