The United States Government is Hiring Tech Talents for Presidential Innovation Fellow 2024 (PIF)

Applications are now open for the United States Presidential Innovation Fellow 2024 (PIF). Here’s what you need to know about the program.

About Presidential Innovation Fellow 2024

Presidential Innovation Fellows are mid-to-senior career technologists, designers, entrepreneurs, and strategists.

Each fellow is paired with a federal agency to complete a 12-24 month project as an entrepreneur-in-residence. Learn more about projects that have been completed by past fellows and the values that guide our work.

As a fellow, you’ll gain executive-level exposure in a federal agency. Behind the walls of government, you’ll tackle some of our nation’s biggest challenges.

Making government work better for the people we serve is our top priority. And you have the experience we need to drive that mission home. Together, we can have an incredible impact on how the government delivers to the public at every interaction, each and every time.

After you complete your fellowship, you’ll join our alumni community of more than 250 technologists and innovators in advancing mission-driven solutions at local, national, and international levels.

Requirements for the Presidential Innovation Fellow 2024

To be eligible for the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, you must be a United States citizen or a resident of American Samoa or Swains Island.

Additionally, fellows must be based in Washington, D.C. for the duration of the fellowship.

There are no education requirements.

All fellows will be required to complete a Public Trust background investigation.

Expertise

To qualify as a fellow, you must also have at least one year of experience in each of the following areas:

• Experience conducting user-centered needs analysis to define opportunities focused on emerging technologies;
• Experience leading or advising executive leadership on the launch of new technology initiatives and;
• Experience in at least one of the following areas:
  • Implementing or developing data analytics or business intelligence solutions
  • Leading the development or implementation of data strategy and policy
  • Experience in a data science, product, or design role focused on Artificial Intelligence products, platforms, or solutions.

Presidential Innovation Fellows typically have and demonstrate expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Data Strategy and AI: Data management, machine learning, data science, or modern statistical and computational methods.
• Product: Product development, product management, and/or agile software methodologies.
• Design and Experience: User experience (UX), human-centered design, service design, implementation design or customer experience (CX).
• Digital Transformation and Strategy: Digital marketing or advertising, healthcare innovation, change management, community outreach and engagement, DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility), venture capital, accelerators, or incubators; or corporate innovation.
• Cloud Infrastructure and Technology Leadership: Cloud computing, cloud infrastructure, or enterprise-level technology leadership.

Benefits of the Presidential Innovation Fellow 2024

All Presidential Innovation Fellows are hired at the GS-15 Step 1 pay grade. Learn more about the GS system that defines federal salaries.

As of January 2023, the GS-15 Step 1 salary for the Washington, D.C. locality is $155,700.

All fellows receive federal employee benefits. This includes medical, vision, and dental insurance, FSA accounts, life insurance, paid leave, and the Thrift Savings Plan (the government version of a 401K) with up to five percent matching.

Get Ready to Apply for the Presidential Innovation Fellow 2024

As part of your application, you’ll need to submit a federal-style resume. If you don’t already have one, it can take some time to put together. Here are tips on writing a federal resume and an example of what a federal resume might look like.

Links to professional portfolios or profiles may be included and are optional.

Selection Timeline for the Presidential Innovation Fellow 2024

Here is a tentative timeline for the Presidential Innovation Fellow 2024 so you can know what to expect.

• October 30, 2023 – November 17, 2023: Submit your application.
• December 2023-February 2024: Interviews (for a limited number of qualified candidates) take place with the Presidential Innovation Fellows team and potential agencies
• February 2024 – March 2024: Final selections and tentative offers will be made. Tentative offers are contingent on the successful completion of a background check.
• Spring 2024: After you accept a tentative offer, our pre-employment process begins – including a background check. Learn more about our process.
• Summer 2024: We welcome a new cohort of fellows.

Our interview process: What to expect!

For candidates selected to interview, here’s our process:

• Accessibility: If you are selected to interview, a member of our Talent Team will be in touch to ensure any accessibility considerations are covered. We typically conduct interviews as video calls, however, we realize that this option may not accommodate everyone’s needs. Throughout the hiring process, please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have a preferred method of communication and we will work with you to create a positive experience. If you require accommodations, please contact us directly at pif-application@gsa.gov at least 24-48 hours in advance of your scheduled interview.
• PIF interviews include questions regarding skills (your self-identified area of expertise), core competencies (behavioral questions, leadership, and/or navigating ambiguity), and core values (including diversity, equity, and inclusion). The PIF team will provide questions in advance of interviews to allow candidates time to prepare.
• Agency interviews are with PIF’s federal agency partner(s). This is a conversation with the agency’s PIF project champion. The PIF team will share finalist resumes with agencies who then identify candidates that they would like to interview.
• Format: All interviews occur virtually and are typically scheduled for 1-2 hours in length. We offer live captioning and other accessibility assistance to all candidates.
• Offer Process: Once the agency interviews are complete, the PIF team will meet with each agency to discuss their selections. This gives us our list of finalists to whom we make offers! We operate within the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and the GSA HR team will then make tentative offers to selected candidates. The PIF team will also set up calls with each incoming PIF to welcome them into our program and community, and answer any questions!
• Onboarding: PIF augments GSA onboarding with PIF-specific programming, followed by each PIF onboarding at their respective agencies.