Summer Recent Computer Science Graduate Jobs in Washington

Summary
This vacancy is for a Computer Scientist (Recent Graduate) position in the Human Resources Division located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line - Suitland Station.
This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Computer Scientist (Recent Graduate), 1550-7/9, FPL GS-12, positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
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Duties
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• Routine maintenance and design of regular, recurring software development and software testing of a limited scope in the area of data processing and application development.
• Analyze specific needs and product requirements to create code for software programs based on a specified set of rules, standards and/or policies.
• Follow software development life cycle and project management best practices for software development.
• Participate in such things as system documentation, configurations management, stakeholder engagement, risk identification and quality management as determined by senior staff.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must successfully complete a background investigation.
• A one-year probationary period may be required. If non-competitively converted, the time spent as a Recent Graduate will count towards the probationary period.
• This position is in the excepted service.
• This is a bargaining unit position. This position is covered by one or more of the following bargaining units: American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2782(HQ) or AFGE Local 1438(DN).
• You must sign a Pathways Agreement.
• This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the date the first (200) applicants are receive or on September 15, 2026, whichever comes first.

Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Basic Entry Requirements for All Grade Levels:
You must be a Recent College Graduates from qualifying institutions within two years of degree or certification (Veterans precluded by their military service obligation, will have up to six years to apply). Students with a transcript with a degree confer date on or before September 30, 2026, will be considered for the Recent Graduate Program. Graduation / expected graduation date MUST be indicated on your resume.
NOTE: To show proof of meeting the Basic Entry Requirements, all applicants MUST submit a copy of their college transcripts. See the Required Documents section for more information.
Minimum Education Requirement:
Individual Occupational Requirement for all grades:
Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.
Evaluation of Education:
Applicants should have sufficient knowledge to understand the fundamental concepts and techniques of computer science. Courses designed to provide an introduction to computer science techniques and methodologies, to problems of system design, and to other specialized fields are acceptable. Courses or experience in teaching elementary, business, or shop mathematics are not acceptable.
In addition to meeting the minimum education requirement listed above, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below for each grade level.
GS-07:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For the GS-07, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: supporting software and system development in a professional and/or academic environment; AND assisting in the development of software through various techniques such as data structures, software engineering, and computer communication.
OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-07 BASED ON EDUCATION: 1 full year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement.
SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement is defined as:(1) Class standing You must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision based on completed courses, (2) Grade-point average (G.P.A.) You must have 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 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, or (3) Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society You are a member of one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achshonor.org/)
GS-09:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For the GS-09, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: providing routine maintenance and design of software development and software testing throughout the software development life cycle; analyzing needs and product requirements to create code; AND conducting routine program testing to ensure quality control.
OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-09 BASED ON EDUCATION: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.
NOTE: Education and experience may be combined for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer.
After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.
Additional information
The Census Bureau is seeking bright, innovative, results-oriented individuals to join our Recent Graduates Program (RGP). The RGP is a one-year program that targets individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Successful applicants will be placed in a dynamic, one-year career development program. Throughout the program, you will participate in formal training, job assignments and receive a mentor to develop competencies applicable to the Census Bureau's mission and needs. These positions are at the grade 7/9 entry levels, with an opportunity for permanent appointment upon successful completion of the program.
To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, Recent Graduates must:

• Successfully completed at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the RGP.
• Demonstrate successful job performance.
• Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.

In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answer to these questions is not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
Applicants who apply under this Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) may opt-in (at their request) to allow the sharing of their resume, and other associated documents with other Federal Agencies who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade and pay band (or its equivalent), and full performance level in the same duty location or commuting area of the duty location listed on the JOA.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a RA for Online Assessments.
Recent Graduates and their supervisors must sign Pathways Agreements setting forth expectations for the program. To find additional information regarding the Pathways RGP, please visit the following website: USAJOBS - Recent Grads
The Department of Commerce also provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.