Student Cooperative - Office of Investigations

Summary

Are you currently enrolled in a college or graduate program and seeking a valuable opportunity while you study? The Office of Investigations within the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is looking for passionate and driven students for our Student Cooperative program. This opportunity will support the Northeast Area Field Office (NEAFO) located in: San Juan, PR If you are interested in a career as a Federal Law Enforcement Special Agent in the USPS OIG, apply today!

Duties

About the Office of Investigations The USPS OIG's mission is to promote integrity, accountability, and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service. In support of the mission, the Office of Investigations has special agents stationed all across the country conducting investigations in contract fraud, financial fraud, narcotics, mail theft, official misconduct, health care provider fraud, health care claimant fraud, and cyber crimes. About the Student Cooperative Position The successful candidate will assist in gathering data and conducting limited inquiries regarding individual case assignments; assist in case development including, surveillance, forensic analysis, researching assembling, compiling, tabulating information, and preparing memoranda of activity, for agents use in developing search and arrest warrants, and further assisting agent's in evaluating evidence for administrative, civil, and criminal hearings or trials. The student cooperative will gain valuable experience by contributing to investigations and projects. A student cooperative: Performs specialized administrative duties with continuing responsibility for projects, questions, or problems related to a review/project. Each assignment typically consists of a series of related actions or decisions prior to final completion. Addresses a wide variety of problems or situations common to the segment of the program or function to which the employee is assigned. Decisions or recommendations are based on the development and evaluation of information that comes from various sources. Identifies and studies factors or conditions and determines their interrelationships as appropriate to the defined area of work. Takes or recommends actions that are consistent with the objectives and requirements of the program or functions. Recognizes the dimensions of the problems involved, collects the necessary information, establishes the facts, and takes or recommends action based upon application or interpretation of established guidelines. Provides applicable oral and written support for briefings and other related products. Adapts and interacts well in situations that involve diverse team and work dynamics. Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with these positions may vary based upon the area of assignment. The preceding description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations. Position Compensation These positions are being advertised at the Administrative Band level, equivalent to a GS-05. The hourly pay range for these positions is $$19.58 to $$23.59. Authorized locality is included in this range for all geographic area locations. Learn more about locality specifics by visiting: OPM's General Schedule (GS). The following are the base hourly pay rates for students, categorized by year of study: Sophomore students earn $16.73 per hour, plus additional locality pay. Junior and Senior students earn $17.78 per hour, plus additional locality pay. Graduate or Law students earn $20.15 per hour, plus additional locality pay.

Qualifications and evaluation

How You Will Be Evaluated You will be assessed on: Minimum qualifications Evaluation factors Quality of resume and supporting documents Interview performance (if recommended/selected) Important Application Rules (Disqualification Triggers) You will not be considered if you: Fail to attach all required documents Submit a resume exceeding two pages Submit materials showing you do not meet minimum qualifications Receive a zero rating on any evaluation factor Use AI tools during the interview (except approved accessibility tools) Fail to qualify during the interview Top-rated applicants will be referred to an interview panel or selecting official for the required interview. Ratings may be further adjusted or determined as ineligible by the interview panel or the selecting official based on interview performance. Applicants may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications or virtual assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) is prohibited during interviews. An exception for accessibility tools must be submitted through reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process. NOTE: This announcement may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates for future hiring needs. Applicants may be considered for positions in other directorates within the Office of Investigations.

Education

Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation here: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation. Special Instructions for Candidates with Foreign Education: Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in U.S. education programs. You must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. credential evaluation service to interpret equivalency of your education against courses given in U.S. accredited colleges and universities. For further information visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date, 10/01/2026, to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account: https://secure.login.gov/, select the Application Status link, and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. You are strongly urged to read and print the entire vacancy announcement.

Required documents

You must submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of this announcement, Vacancy Announcement 13068703, by closing date 10/01/2026. Important Note: Make sure you submit all required documents with your application. Failure to do so will result in your disqualification. 1. Resume (Mandatory) Must not exceed two (2) pages 0.5" margins; recommended fonts: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Roboto, Noto Sans Upload as PDF (<=5MB) Additional guidance can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? 2. Occupational Assessment Questionnaire (Mandatory) Self-assessment questionnaire addressing the requirements, experience, and evaluation factors of the position 3. Transcripts (Mandatory) Must include institution name, your name, course list, hours, GPA, degree awarded Foreign education requires U.S. equivalency review documentation For further information visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 4. Supporting Documents (If Applicable) Certificates/Licenses Veterans Preference Documentation. If you are claiming veterans preference you must submit the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and/or other proof of veterans preference eligibility including your VA letter, form SF-15 (https://www.opm.gov/forms/standard-forms/) and all required documents related to your SF-15 claim. Veterans can request the Member 4 copy of their DD-214 at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, and can download a copy of their VA letter from https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage. (If applicable to you, you are required to upload each veterans' preference document and categorize as "DD-214" or "SF-15" or "Other Veterans Document")

Additional information

Student Cooperatives are not eligible for USPS OIG Employee Benefits. Reasonable AccommodationsThis agency provides Reasonable Accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require accommodations for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please send an email to jobs@uspsoig.gov. The decision on granting an accommodation request will be made on a case-by-case basis.