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Recent Graduate Program Support Specialist

U.S. Department of Labor
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Open 09/11/2026 to 09/17/2026

Location: Washington, DC

Salary $57,736 - $91,815 per year based on grade

Applicants who graduated within the past 2 yrs (with an associate, bachelor, master, professional, doctorate, diploma, vocational, technical degree, or certificate, etc.) from a qualifying educational institution or career or technical education program (including registered Apprenticeship Program, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps). Veterans unable to apply within 2 yrs of their degree/certificate completion due to military service obligation, see Education section below.

This is a career ladder progression position; the incumbent will serve in a developmental capacity, wherein the work is less complex in nature and the supervisor or a senior level employee provides specific instruction and guidance.

For the GS-07 level:

  • Plans, coordinates, and carries out analytical and evaluative assignments concerning the effectiveness, efficiency, and administration of program operations and program-support functions.
  • Prepares program plans, project plans, implementation strategies, briefing materials, decision papers, reports, presentations, correspondence, guidance, and other products for management and program officials.
  • Coordinates with internal program offices, administrative support organizations, other Federal entities, contractors, and external stakeholders as necessary to accomplish assigned work.
  • Analyzes and supports the development and dissemination of program information intended for internal or external audiences.
  • Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with managers, program officials, employees, contractors, and external organizations.
  • Represents the office in meetings and working groups concerning program-support issues and provides information, analysis, and recommendations within delegated authority.
  • Provides technical, analytical, and operational support to the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Continuity of Operations (COOP) Program.
  • Supports the planning, coordination, conduct, and evaluation of COOP exercises, drills, training, and preparedness activities.
  • During exercises, emergencies, or COOP activations, supports the COOP program by maintaining situational awareness, coordinating and tracking information and actions, and assisting with implementation of established continuity procedures.

For the GS-09 level:

  • Plans, coordinates, and carries out analytical and evaluative assignments concerning the effectiveness, efficiency, and administration of program operations and program-support functions.
  • Prepares program plans, project plans, implementation strategies, briefing materials, decision papers, reports, presentations, correspondence, guidance, and other products for management and program officials.
  • Coordinates with internal program offices, administrative support organizations, other Federal entities, contractors, and external stakeholders as necessary to accomplish assigned work.
  • Analyzes and supports the development and dissemination of program information intended for internal or external audiences.
  • Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with managers, program officials, employees, contractors, and external organizations.
  • Represents the office in meetings and working groups concerning program-support issues and provides information, analysis, and recommendations within delegated authority.
  • Provides technical, analytical, and operational support to the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Continuity of Operations (COOP) Program.
  • Supports the planning, coordination, conduct, and evaluation of COOP exercises, drills, training, and preparedness activities.
  • During exercises, emergencies, or COOP activations, supports the COOP program by maintaining situational awareness, coordinating and tracking information and actions, and assisting with implementation of established continuity procedures.

Conditions of employment

  • Must be at least 16 years.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • The entire duration of the Recent Graduate Appointment constitutes a trial period. See Trial Period under the Required Documents section for more information.
  • Appointees must sign a DOL Pathways Recent Graduate Program Participant Agreement.

Qualifications

 

Applicants must have graduated, within the past two years, (with an associate, bachelor, master, professional, doctorate, diploma, vocational, technical degree, or certificate, etc.) from a qualifying educational institution or career or technical educational program including registered Apprenticeship Programs, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps). Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree or certificate due to military service obligation have up to six years after degree or certificate completion.

To qualify for Recent Graduate - Program Support Specialist, you must meet one of the options as described below.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

For the GS-07 level: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-05, in the Federal Service.

Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-07 includes:

  • Knowledge and skill to gather, assemble, and analyze facts, draw conclusions, devise solutions to problems, and identify changes and trends
  • Ability to perform data analysis, to include collecting, evaluating, and synthesizing data
  • Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to gain cooperation from others through tact, courtesy, and diplomacy

OR
Education: Possess one (1) full year of graduate education that provides the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;

OR
Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%;

OR
Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.): S.A.A. recognizes college or university students who have successfully completed all of the requirements for a bachelor's degree and achieved superior academic standing as evidenced by one of the three methods described below.S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of a. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or b. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below:Alpha Beta Gamma, Alpha Chi, Alpha Epsilon, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Alpha Epsilon Rho, Alpha Eta Mu Beta, Alpha Iota Delta, Alpha Kappa Delta, Alpha Kappa Mu, Alpha Lambda Delta, Alpha Phi Sigma, Alpha Pi Mu, Alpha Sigma Lambda, Alpha Sigma Mu, Alpha Sigma Nu, Beta Gamma Sigma, Beta Kappa Chi, Beta Phi Mu, Chi Epsilon, Chi Sigma Iota, Delta Epsilon Sigma, Delta Mu Delta, Delta Tau Alpha, Epsilon Pi Tau, Gamma Theta Upsilon, Kappa Mu Epsilon, Kappa Omicron Nu, Kappa Tau Alpha, Lambda Iota Tau, Lambda Pi Eta, Lambda Sigma, Mortar Board, Mu Kappa Tau, National Society of Scabbard and Blade, NSCS (The National Society of Collegiate Scholars), Omega Chi Epsilon, Omega Rho, Omicron Delta Epsilon, Phi Beta Delta, Phi Sigma, Phi Sigma Iota, Phi Sigma Tau, Phi Upsilon Omicron, Pi Alpha Alpha, Pi, Delta Phi, Pi Gamma Mu, Pi Kappa Lambda, Pi Omega Pi, Pi Sigma Alpha, Pi Tau Sigma, Pi Theta Epsilon, Psi Beta, Psi Chi, Rho Chi, Sigma Beta Delta, Sigma Delta Pi, Sigma Lambda Alpha, Sigma Lambda Chi, Sigma Pi Sigma, Sigma Tau Delta, Sigma Theta Tau, Tau Alpha Pi, Tau Beta Pi, Tau Sigma Delta, Theta Alpha Kappa, Upsilon Pi Epsilon.


For the GS-09 level: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal Service.

Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-09 includes:

  • Experience leading program activities, collecting, analyzing, and evaluating operational data to make substantive determination
  • Experience utilizing analytics and technical expertise in preparing and presenting technical reports to senior management
  • Experience presenting briefings or analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of program operations


OR
Education: Possess a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B or J.D, if related, that provides the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;

OR
Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%.