[Hiring] Improving National Eagle Repository Communication with Tribal Applicants @U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Role Description

Make an impact while you learn. The Semester of Service Program offers students a volunteer project-based opportunity to support real Federal missions, gaining hands-on experience and valuable career-ready skills. The government-wide "Semester of Service" Student Volunteer Program enables Federal agencies to engage students in unpaid, project-based assignments of limited duration aligning with each agency's strategic priorities.

The National Eagle Repository (NER) seeks a student trainee to assist in improving communication and customer service provided to Tribal applicants. The selected applicant will:

• Analyze the communication needs, barriers, and deficiencies in NER's current communication with Tribal applicants.
• Develop outreach materials and strategies NER may use to provide superior service to this key audience.
• Handle a high volume of phone and email inquiries seeking information about the application process, updates on existing requests for eagle remains, specialized orders, and other applicant-specific inquiries.

The duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:

• Conducting an analysis of the most pressing communication needs for Tribal applicants to NER.
• Creating or proposing comprehensive, user-friendly instructional and outreach materials that provide the information most frequently sought by customers (e.g., fact sheets, visual aids, video tutorials or other tools).
• Developing a possible outreach strategy for broader distribution of instructional materials, promoting use of these materials by Tribal applicants and other audiences.
• Collaborating with NER staff to ensure accuracy of all instructions and process details, incorporating staff feedback into final products.

Qualifications

• Be an undergraduate or graduate student.
• Possess strong written and oral communication skills.
• Have the ability to work both independently and in collaboration with others.

Preferred qualifications:

• Prior experience developing or administering customer or visitor experience surveys, conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis, and basic statistics.
• Coursework, prior experience, or interest in communications, sociology, education, or other fields related to project objectives.
• Experience developing instructional, educational, or visual aid materials.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S National studying in the U.S. or abroad.
• Be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited college, university, or other accredited educational institution (at least undergraduate or above) throughout the 90-day Semester of Service opportunity.
• Students graduating before May 1, 2027 are not eligible.
• Selectees will be responsible for contacting a school official to sign a Semester of Service approval form indicating you are currently enrolled at least half-time and in good academic standing.
• Qualifying educational institutions must be located within the United States.
• Be in good academic standing as defined by your institution.
• Commit to volunteering 8 - 20 hours per week for a minimum of 90 days.
• Complete all required onboarding documentation assigned by the Department of the Interior and your academic institution.
• Agree to volunteer. This position is unpaid. No compensation, stipends, or hiring preference will be granted from this work.
• Agree to understanding volunteers are not Federal employees.
• Not be a current federal employee.

Benefits

• Meaningful project work with clear deliverables, regular supervision, and federal mentorship.
• Hands-on application of academic knowledge in real-world Federal operations.
• Exposure to Federal missions, workplace culture, and potential career pathways.
• Coverage under Federal Tort Claims Act.
• Workers' compensation for service-related injuries.
• Structured onboarding and ongoing supervision.