Student Trainee (Social Science)

Office of Inspector General • Boston, MA

10h

About The Position

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Evaluation and Inspections. The Office of Evaluation and Inspections (OEI) conducts national program evaluations to provide HHS, Congress, and the public with timely, useful, and reliable information on significant issues. The trainee will receive formal and on-the-job training which are intended to enhance individual technical competencies. Assignments may include duties similar to the duties listed below. Program Administration Interns may work either part- or full-time. Each agency must sign a Participant Agreement with the Intern that sets forth the expectations for the internship. Intern's job will be related to the Intern's academic career goals or field of study. Interns may be converted to a permanent position (or to a term position lasting 1-4 years) within 120 days of successful completion of the program. To be eligible for conversion, Interns must: Complete at least 480 hours of work experience in the Internship Program, complete their degree or certificate requirements, meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted, meet agency-specific requirements in the Participant's Agreement, and perform their job successfully. At the discretion of OIG, after an Intern has worked at least 320 hours of career-related work experience in a Pathways Programs Internship appointment, we may waive, for conversion eligibility, up to 240 of the required 480 hours of work for Interns who demonstrate high potential as evidenced by outstanding academic achievement and exceptional job performance. OIG can credit comparable non-federal internship experience, formal internship agreements with federal agencies, formal internship agreements with third-party providers, active-duty military service, registered apprenticeship programs, student volunteer service, and other federal programs designed to give internship experience to students. You must meet all eligibility requirements for the Pathway Internship Program and minimum qualifications requirements for the position by the closing date of this announcement.

Requirements

• U.S Citizenship is required.
• Registration with the Selective Service (if applicable).
• Suitability for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
• Age requirement
• Individuals accepted for enrollment or students enrolled in an accredited high school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate.
• Must provide an unofficial academic transcript that reflects your current enrollment and a verification of Fall 2026 enrollment. If you have been accepted for enrollment at a qualifying academic institution, you must submit an acceptance letter from the academic institution on the institution's letterhead.
• Upon completion of the Pathways Intern Program to be eligible for conversion into the 101 series, Social Science Analyst: Applicants must have completed a 4 year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a behavioral or social science ; or related discipline appropriate to this position OR ; Must have 4 years of appropriate experience that demonstrates you have acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field OR ; Must have a combination of the education and experience described above.
• GS-7: Must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service which provided the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience demonstrates working collaboratively as a member of a team to: (1) conduct a systematic and objective inquiry, including conducting background research, designing a study, scoping, identifying issues, or collecting and analyzing data; (2) distill complex information into key facts or recommendations; and (3) prepare written documents that communicate information in an organized and grammatically correct manner.
• GS-9: Must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service which provided the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience demonstrates working collaboratively as a member of a team to conduct program evaluations or social science research, including, at a minimum, the following areas: (1) conducting a systematic and objective inquiry, including conducting background research, designing a study, scoping, and identifying issues; (2) collecting and analyzing quantitative data (e.g., using R, SAS, SPSS, SQL, Python); (3) distilling complex information into key facts or recommendations; and (4) developing clear, concise, and compelling written presentations of the results.

Nice To Haves

• Resume must be limited to two-pages to receive consideration.

Responsibilities

• Assists the project lead to identify potential inspection assignments related to Medicare, Medicaid, and public health and human services programs.
• Assists in conducting pre-inspection research of laws and regulations; GAO reports; OIG audits, investigations and inspection reports; other studies; and pending or recently enacted regulations or legislation related to the assigned inspections on Medicare, Medicaid, and public health and human service programs.
• Engages in a variety of research, evaluation, and analysis assignments in Medicare and Medicaid, public health, and human service programs to gain broader knowledge of the programs and experience in the inspection process.
• Gathers and organizes narrative and statistical information using established statistical methods, techniques, and models, such as questionnaires, interviews, standard computer software applications, and data trends.
• Assists in developing data driven findings and recommendations for program evaluations and reporting of results to officials and stakeholders.
• Prepares various statistical tables and reports, new or modified work methods, management processes and procedures for administering program services, guidelines and procedures for evaluating program operations.
• Analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of programs to identify program vulnerabilities and potential waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Participates in discussions, meetings, conferences, and conference calls with administrative, senior subject matter, and technical personnel, and other federal agency officials to secure and provide information; to evaluate and inspect facts; to present conclusions, recommendations, and alternatives; and to obtain concurrence and prepares alternate courses of actions.

Benefits

• You will earn annual and sick leave if your appointment exceeds 90 days, enjoy Federal paid holidays, and be able to participate in the Transhare Subsidy Benefit Program.
• Once you have been continuously employed for a year, and meet other requirements, you may be eligible to enroll in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.
• HHS OIG participates in the Wounded Warrior Federal Leave Act of 2015.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern