Student Cooperative - Office of Audit (Multiple Directorates - Paid)

Are you currently enrolled in a college or graduate program and seeking a valuable opportunity while you study?

The Office of Audit within the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is looking for passionate and driven students for our Student Cooperative program. These opportunities will support multiple directorates in:

• Arlington, VA
• Bethesda, MD
• Denver, CO
• Raleigh, NC
• Woburn, MA

Bring your skills and voice to our team!

IMPORTANT NOTES: The Student Cooperative Program provides year-round, part-time employment for students actively enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program. It is not a semester-only opportunity and cannot be limited to spring, summer, or fall participation.

This announcement is open from Thursday, 16 2026 through Wednesday, 05 August 2026 or when fifty (125) applications have been received.

ELIGIBILITY FOR STUDENT COOPERATIVE PROGRAM:

Open to U.S. Citizens who are students currently enrolled full or part-time in an accredited college or university program, classified or academically ranked by semester hours as a Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Graduate student with a graduation date no sooner than May 2027.

About the Office of Audit

The USPS OIG' s Office of Audit conducts and supervises objective, independent audits and reviews of U.S. Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission programs and operations to:

• Prevent and detect fraud, waste, and misconduct;
• Promote economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and program integrity;
• Keep the Board of Governors, Congress, Postal Regulatory Commission, and Postal Service management informed of problems, deficiencies, and corresponding corrective actions;
• Foster transparency through timely and well-messaged reports to a myriad of stakeholders.
• Learn more about our audit process here.

About Our Directorates

Audit Services directorate provides guidance and support to the Office of Audit, including budgeting, contracting, audit policies, quality assurance, data analysis, statistical sampling, audit reporting, training, strategic planning, project administration, and coordination across the OIG.

Contracts & Supply Management directorate audits major Postal Service contracting efforts to determine if costs are being effectively and efficiently controlled by current purchasing policies, initiatives, and practices.

Human Capital Management directorate conducts audits of Postal Service human resources, security, government relations, and environmental sustainability programs. The U.S. Postal Service employs more than 634,000 individuals nationwide to provide reliable, universal service that connects people and grows businesses.

Mail Safety & Security directorate coordinates with the United States Postal Inspection Service in performance audits. Our audits aim to protect the sanctity of the mail and promote program integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness within the US Postal Service and US Postal Inspection Service.

Network Operations directorate audits the Postal Service's processing, transportation, and delivery operations.

Technology Operations directorate conducts various types of audits and evaluations of the Postal Service's cybersecurity and technology processes, tools, and operations. The directorate audits one of the world's largest technology infrastructures, which includes five national deployment and solution centers, 32,000 network locations, 20,000 servers, and more than 930 applications operating on more than 180,000 devices.


About the Student Cooperative Position

The student cooperative will gain valuable experience by contributing to audits 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.

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 $20.45 to $26.99. 

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 Student Cooperative Program offers competitive, locality-adjusted pay based on academic standing. Base hourly rates are as follows:

• Sophomore students: $16.73 per hour, plus applicable locality pay
• Junior and Senior students: $17.78 per hour, plus applicable locality pay
• Graduate and Law students: $20.15 per hour, plus applicable locality pay

Position Minimum Requirements

You must meet all minimum requirements listed below.

• Degree/Major Requirement: Students must be currently enrolled in an auditing, accounting, or related field (see below list of related degrees) 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 May 2027 (must submit transcripts stating current enrollment status, GPA, and in good standing.)
• GPA Requirement: 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.
• Work Location Requirement: Students must report in person to the USPS OIG duty station to which they are assigned.
  • During the academic semester: 10-30 hours per week
  • During school breaks: Up to 40 hours per week (with management approval)
• Systems Experience: Must have experience with computer software applications such as Microsoft Office, Office365, Word, Excel, etc.