Student Trainee (AI Data Engineer)

About the role

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) invites students to apply to our Intern positions. The ideal candidates are current Certificate Program, Undergraduate or Graduate students who demonstrate innovation and self-initiative. You will have an opportunity to train and develop your skills in career fields such as human resources, policy, healthcare, insurance, retirement, or information technology and have a positive impact on the people and communities that OPM serves.

Responsibilities

As a Student Trainee, you will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of tasks and projects. Some of the responsibilities you may undertake include:

• Assist with SQL queries, data extraction, and data transformation activities using established procedures and direct guidance.
• Support data pipeline monitoring, execute predefined data validation scripts, and document results for review.
• Prepare and maintain documentation for data pipelines, schemas, and data engineering activities using approved templates.
• Learn and apply cloud data platform concepts, Databricks, Azure, GitHub, Azure DevOps, and AI-assisted development tools.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies, capture meeting notes, track assigned tasks, and provide status updates to the team.
• Use AI tools to research technical concepts and draft documentation or summaries for review by higher-graded engineers.

Requirements

To be eligible for this position, you must meet the following requirements:

• Currently enrolled in an educational institution
• A solid team player who’s also an independent thinker
• Deadline-driven, organized, and able to multitask
• A robust analytical skill set
• Strong verbal, written and presentation skills
• Endless curiosity and a penchant for thinking the impossible
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software products
• Attentive to team needs as demonstrated by rapid and high-quality responsiveness to requests
• Excellent interpersonal skills; able to maintain solid rapport with team members as well as maintain professionalism with those outside of the team
• Excellent oral and written communications skills that demonstrate a professional demeanor and the ability to interact with others with discretion and tact
• Keen attention to detail
• Capable of identifying and completing tasks independently, with a sense of urgency and ownership
• Demonstrated success at maintaining high personal work standards
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and tact
• Strong presentation skills to audiences comprised of all levels of leadership
• Highly motivated, self-starter able to work autonomously and drive the work they own forward effectively

Qualifications

You must meet the education requirements detailed below by the close of the vacancy.

• GS-4: Completion of two academic years of post-high school study or associate’s degree.
• An academic year of undergraduate education is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in an accredited college or university.
• An academic year of graduate education is based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program.

To meet the Intern Eligibility requirements, you must be a student 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 you are enrolled).

Conditions of Employment

Citizenship: Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. You will be required to report to an OPM assigned office.

• Selective Service: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Age: You must be at least 16 years of age
• Background Investigation: Must be suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation.
• Availability for Work: Applicants hired on a temporary appointment will be afforded the opportunity to work a part- or full-time schedule during the period of August 2026 through December 2026.
• Student Status: Applicants must have at least 1 academic year (fall and spring session) remaining in their studies before they complete their current degree requirements.
• Graduation Status: Applicants that graduate prior to August 2027 will not be considered for this position unless you have been accepted into a follow-on degree or certificate program and provide verification of future enrollment status prior to start date.
• Pathways Agreement: If selected, you will be required to sign a Pathways Agreement which specifies the conditions of your employment as we’ve indicated in this job announcement.
• Trial Period: Selectee must complete a trial period while on the Pathways internship appointment.
• Bargaining Unit: This position is not eligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit