Student Trainee (Budget)

Summary

This vacancy announcement will be open from September 30th, 2026 to October 6th, 2026 or when 50 applications have been received. The vacancy will close on whichever day the first of these conditions are met. If the application limit is reached on the same day the announcement opened, the open and close date will be the same. Candidates are encouraged to read the entire announcement before submitting their application packages.

Duties

Pathways Opportunities in the Department of State This position is in the Bureau of African Affairs (AF), Office of the Executive Director (AF/EX), Budget and Finance Division (AF/EX/BFD). AF/EX/BFD manages AF's overseas posts and domestic office budgets, issues allotments, manages bureau obligations and expenditures, provide budget policy guidance, and conducts budget formulation for outyear funding. The AF/EX/BFD staff supports all Headquarters budget and finance functions and embassy operations to include conventional day-to-day operations, embassies on order or authorized departure (OD/AD), and Special Incentive Post (SIP). The incumbent serves as a Pathways Intern responsible for assisting in the financial management of both overseas and domestic activities in AF. This position is eligible for situational telework only. This position reports to and is rated by the Deputy Chief Budget Officer.

Qualifications and evaluation

A review of your resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the crediting plan (CP) to determine if you are qualified for this job. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification (MQ) requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. The evaluation process consists of an online assessment and a subject matter expert (SME) resume review of applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates based on the CP assessment. Resumes longer than 2 pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Responses to questions that are not fully supported by your resume may result in a rating adjustment. Applicants who meet the MQ requirements will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Qualified (Q) - In addition to meeting MQ, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of the required competencies and knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) for the position. Well Qualified (WQ) - In addition to meeting MQ, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in some but not all of the required competencies and KSAs for the position. Highly Qualified (HQ) - In addition to meeting MQ, applicants must fully demonstrate proficiency in all of the required competencies and KSAs for the position. Resume review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Your resume should demonstrate how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience statement. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded in your resume will not be opened.). If meeting basic qualifications through education only or a combination of education and experience, applicants will not be referred to the SME panel but will be reviewed by the HR Specialist for referral. Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the HQ category [except when the position being filled is scientific/professional at the GS-9 or higher. Other eligible and qualified 10 pt. preference eligible and veterans with 5 pt. preference are placed above non-preference eligible applicants within the category in which they qualify. View OPM's veterans' preference website for more information. In accordance with the Office of Personnel Management policy, for undergraduate level education, successfully completed education is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. 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. If that information is not provided by the applicant, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours will be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Education

An individual who needs to complete less than the equivalent of half an academic/vocational or technical course-load immediately prior to graduating is still considered a student for the purposes of this Program. The Pathways Internship Program targets students accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled in a qualifying educational program in an accredited institution, on a full or half-time basis with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while still in school. Applicants must meet the definition of "student" in order to be considered for this opportunity. At the successful conclusion of the program, interns may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a Federal career or career-conditional position in the competitive service. Conversions to the competitive service are not guaranteed. Pathways candidates must meet the DOS qualification standards applicable to the position being filled. All applicants must meet the qualifications by the closing date of this announcement. Cumulative GPA of 2.0 at time of application and must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment; Degree does not have to be related to the position/series; however to be eligible, candidate must meet the OPM qualification standards for the position to which the Intern may be converted. Certificate Requirements: Undergraduate certificates must contain a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours. Graduate certificates must contain a minimum of 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours. For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+ classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year above high school. The Department of State no longer accepts certificates that are credited with Continuing Education Units (CEUs). 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. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence at the time of application. Late submissions of proof of accreditation will not be accepted. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials. Student means an individual 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), including awardees of the Harry S. Truman Foundation Scholarship Program under Public Law 93-842. Students need not be in actual physical attendance, so long as all other requirements are met. An individual who needs to complete less than the equivalent of half an academic/vocational or technical course-load immediately prior to graduating is still considered a student for purposes of this Program.

Benefits

Employees hired under the Pathways Programs on appointments for 90 days or more are eligible to earn annual and sick leave. Interns hired under the Internship Experience Program (IEP) appointment for a period expected to last longer than 1 year are eligible for health and life insurance coverage as long as they are expected to be employed under this appointment for over 1 year and are expected to be in a pay status for at least one-third of the total period of time from the date of their initial appointment to the date of the completion of the Program. The cost of premiums is split between the employee and the agency, as it is for all permanent employees. As a Department of State employee, Interns are eligible to receive a transit subsidy each month to compensate for travel to and from work via certain types of public transportation.

How to apply

Complete applications (to include all required documents) must be submitted electronically through the "Gateway to State" system. To begin the application process, please click on the "Apply Online" button to the right. Candidates have until 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process. This includes submitting the online application as well as any required documents as defined in the Required Documents section. Candidates are encouraged to complete their applications well before the application deadline to ensure they receive consideration. Should candidates be missing any of the required documents or submit their application late, they will be disqualified for consideration of employment. There is a maximum number of applications for this vacancy announcement. The vacancy will close on the closing date listed above or when the maximum number of applications is received. The vacancy will close when the first of these conditions are met. If the application limit is reached on the same day the announcement opened, the open and close date will be the same. Technical assistance with your on-line application can be obtained by contacting the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com OR by calling (866) 656-6830 or (703) 269-4944 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. EST.

Required documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system "Gateway to State" by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. The following documents must be submitted for your application package to be considered complete. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents are received within the required timeframes. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, system failure or downtime, etc. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Resume: limited to two pages that includes the following information: 1) contact information; 2) completed course work (unit/credit hours); 3) academic standing/GPA; 4) work/volunteer experience including the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates or employment; and title, series, and grade, if applicable; 5) supervisors name, phone number and email address for each work period listed and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and 6) references. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Transcript(s): unofficial copies are sufficient with the application; however if selected, official transcripts will be required. Applicants in high school should submit their most recent report card. If your transcripts do not provide the information listed below, include additional official academic documentation that meets the requirements. Transcripts MUST include: Student's name Name of the school Specific degree program Current and Cumulative GPA/academic standing Past and current coursework Evidence of meeting the “qualifications” as listed in the announcement - Proof of Enrollment or Class Registration for the Fall 2026 semester: 1) If you are not presently enrolled for Fall 2026 semester, you may upload an acceptance letter to a qualifying program for the Spring 2027 semester OR 2) if you will graduate from your current academic program Fall 2027 semester, you may upload an acceptance letter to a qualifying program for the following semester along with your current proof of enrollment (Note: When completing the questionnaire, be sure to select your “new” program's projected graduation date to avoid possible disqualification). The acceptance letter must be dated within the last 12 months and must specify the term of acceptance and the program to which you have been accepted. - Proof of Graduation Date: transcripts or official educational supporting documentation that reflects a projected graduation date after the Fall 2027 semester. - Veteran's Documentation: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit proof of veterans' preference with your application. If claiming 5-point veteran's preference, you must provide a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 is preferred), which must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. If you are currently on active duty, you must provide a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this vacancy announcement. If the appropriate information is not submitted to confirm your current or expected discharge status, dates of service, etc., you will not receive credit for the claimed active duty military service. If claiming 10-point veteran's preference (i.e., preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more), you must submit the documentation required by the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs). If we cannot verify your 10-point preference status, you will receive 5-point preference if veterans' preference requirements have been met. For further information regarding Veterans, click here. If the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility or you fail to submit any of the required documents, it will disqualify you from being considered for this job opportunity.

Additional information

Pathways Internship Experience Program (IEP) appointments are made on a non-temporary basis. Further information on Conversion to the Competitive Service can be found by clicking here. The U.S. Department of State is not obligated to make an offer of employment, nor is the student obligated to accept an offer of employment. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION - This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at OAA@state.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.