Semester of Service Volunteer- Digital Innovation and Process Improvement Officer

Applicants will be considered based on their knowledge, skills or abilities related to project needs. Specifically, applicants should: Have strong research and analytical skills; Experience with workflow/process mapping and/or digital dashboards preferred; Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite; experience with data visualization or project management tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau, Trello) a plus; Excellent communication skills for conducting interviews and synthesizing findings; Interest in public sector innovation, international exchanges, or program management Make an impact while you learn. The Semester of Service Program offers students a volunteer project-based opportunity to support Federal missions, gaining hands-on experience & valuable career-ready skills. Students must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution & participation must be with the permission of the institution at which the student is enrolled.

• This vacancy announcement will be open from 07/30/2026 to 08/05/2026 or when 50 applications have been received. The vacancy will close on whichever day the first of these conditions are met. If the application limit is reached on the same day the announcement opened, the open and close date will be the same. Candidates are encouraged to read the entire announcement before submitting their application packages. The Office of Professional and Cultural Exchanges (ECA/PE) seeks a Semester of Service Student Volunteer to support a digital modernization and process improvement project with direct operational impact. The student will research, analyze, and recommend solutions to streamline and consolidate the office's recurring reporting requirements to senior Department leadership, and other due outs—into a single, integrated weekly exercise. The project will involve mapping current reporting workflows, interviewing State Department officials across ECA/PE's three constituent offices (Citizen Exchanges, Sports Diplomacy, and International Visitor Leadership Program/U.S. Speaker Program) and identifying best practices for tracking grants and upcoming events. The student will also explore options for developing a user-friendly dashboard to centralize reporting, grant tracking, and event planning, with the goal of leveraging StateChat (the Departments AI system) or similar tools to automate and tailor content to specific reporting formats. The final deliverable will include a set of recommendations and a prototype solution to enhance efficiency, transparency, and cross-office coordination. About our Office: Professional and Cultural Exchanges includes three offices: the Office of International Visitors and U.S. Speaker Program (V), which implements the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and the U.S. Speaker Program; the Office of Citizen Exchanges (CE), which comprises three divisions - cultural programs, global leaders, and youth programs; and the office of Sports Diplomacy. These offices support U.S. foreign policy priorities by conducting a broad range of exchanges that engage professionals in the government, non-profit, and private sectors; high school students; and representatives from the cultural and sports communities; and provides expert speakers on the full range of policy topics to embassies and consulates throughout the world.