Student Cooperative (PAID) - Western Pacific Area Field Office (WPAFO)
About This Position
The United States Postal Service Office of inspector General (USPS OIG) is seeking students enrolled in college/university programs to fill our Student Cooperative position in the Office of Investigations, Western Pacific Area Field Office (WPAFO), located in Sacramento, CA; Federal Way, WA; Long Beach, CA; Riverside, CA and Phoenix, AZ. This opportunity is for those interested in a career as a Federal Law Enforcement Special Agent within the USPS OIG.
Qualifications
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS You must meet ALL of the minimum requirements. Students must be currently enrolled full or half-time in an accredited college or university program, classified or academically ranked by semester hours as a Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Graduate student graduating no sooner than December 2027. (MUST SUBMIT TRANSCRIPT STATING CURRENT ENROLLMENT STATUS, GPA AND IN GOOD STANDING) Must be in academic good standing as defined by the college or university, earning at least a 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 GPA scale. Must be currently enrolled in a Law, Criminal Justice, Accounting, Social Sciences (Anthropology, History, Archaeology, Human Geography, Economics, Development Studies, Education, Criminology, Political Science, Translation Studies, Media Studies, Business and Management, Philosophy, Health, International Relations, Linguistics, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Psychology or Communication) undergraduate or graduate degree program.
Must have experience with computer software applications such as Microsoft Office, Excel, etc. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS Previous internship/co-op/employment in the criminal justice field Advanced experience with Microsoft Excel EVALUATION FACTORS Candidates will be evaluated on the skills that they possess that are directly related to the duties of the position and/or the experience, education and training that indicate the applicant's ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Only those candidates who meet all qualification and eligibility requirements and who submit the required information by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, April 16, 2026 will be considered.
Failure to demonstrate that you meet all of the evaluation factor requirements as listed below will result in a score of zero (0); an ineligible status, and you will not be referred for further consideration. Include your major accomplishments relevant to the evaluation factors in your resume. Skill in written and oral communications and ability to apply those skills in coordination and problem solving efforts.
Skill in the use of personal computers and basic office software programs, including Microsoft office. Ability to work on a wide range of assignments/projects with many different people. Please include in your resume how you meet each evaluation factor.
You will no longer be considered for this position if you: fail to respond to all the questions or receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor.
Major Duties
he Student Cooperative Program is available for continuous employment throughout the year, while enrolled in school. The USPS OIG's mission is to promote integrity, accountability, and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.
In support of the mission, of 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. This is a paid student co-op position! Bring your skills and voice to our team!
To learn more about the USPS OIG Office of Investigations, visit: Office of Investigations | Office of Inspector General OIG. The USPS OIG uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale. Grade and salary determinations will be made based upon a candidate's education and professional experience.
This position is being advertised at the Administrative Band level. The salary range for this position is $20.49 - $27.50/hour and includes locality pay is authorized. Sophomore $16.73 per hour plus locality pay Junior/Senior $17.78 per hour plus locality pay Graduate or Law Student $20.15 per hour plus locality pay Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the area of assignment.
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 following description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations. The student cooperative performs specialized duties with continuing responsibility for projects, questions, or issues that arise in the area of assignment/curriculum.
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.
Travel Required Occasional travel You may be expected to travel for this position.
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://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.
How You Will Be Evaluated
The Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications required for this position.
You will no longer be considered for this position if you: Receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor Fail to attach all required documentation Submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit If your application materials indicate that you are not minimally-qualified for this position If you fail to qualify on the interview Only the top-rated candidates will be referred to a review official or the selecting official for further consideration. Top-rated applicants may be required to participate in an interview.
Your rating may be further adjusted or rated as ineligible by the review official or the selecting official based on your interview performance. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision.
NOTE: If you receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor or on the interview, you will be considered NOT MINIMALLY QUALIFIED for the position and rated ineligible. Applicants for this position may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. During interviews, applicants may not use any AI tool or virtual assistant (such as ChatGPT) to help them answer questions, except for accessibility tools used as part of a reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process.
Additional Information
Student Cooperatives are not eligible for USPS OIG Employee Benefits. This 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 [email protected]. The decision on granting an accommodation request will be made on a case by case basis.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages.
You will no longer be considered for this announcement if your resume exceeds the two-page limit.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date, Thursday, April 16, 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://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, 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 EX 26-60B-12923603-DR, by closing date Thursday, April 16, 2026.
- RESUME - Required, IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages.
You will no longer be considered for this announcement if your resume exceeds the two-page limit.
Your resume MUST reflect that you have experience, knowledge, and/or skills in each of the Evaluation Factors. It is essential that your resume and supporting documentation provide sufficient information to substantiate your qualifications for the announced position (categorize as "Resume"). Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
Make sure your page margins are 0.5 inches. The recommended font styles are Sans-Serif, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noto Sans. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
2.
COMPLETE OCCUPATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE.
Click the "Apply Online" button and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire. (Required: You must click on "Submit My Answers" button at the end of the Questionnaire to complete this process) 3. TRANSCRIPTS - Required, from an accredited college or university. The information presented in the transcript must be verifiable and should contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses, semester hours, GPA, date and type of Bachelor's Degree issued.
Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. Attach document verifying that it has been deemed equivalent. For further information visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. (Required: Upload and save as "Transcript" document.) 4.
SF-50 - If you are or have been a Federal employee to demonstrate tenure and competitive/excepted service for eligibility purposes. (If applicable to you, you are Required to upload each applicable SF-50 and categorize as a "SF-50" document.) 5. UPLOAD SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS which may include: Certificates or Licenses, if applicable. Upload and save as "Certificate " or "License" document.
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 (www.opm.gov/forms) and all required documents related to your SF-15 claim. Veterans can request the Member 4 copy of their DD-214 at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, and can download a copy of their VA letter from https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal. (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") Reasonable Accommodation Documentation.
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 at http://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire .