Department of State Announces the Colin Powell Leadership Program
Office of the Spokesperson
The U.S. Department of State is proud to announce the new Colin Powell Leadership Program to further advance the Department’s commitment and efforts to hire a workforce representative of all segments of society and in support of the Secretary’s modernization agenda. The program will provide individuals the opportunity to pursue careers at the Department of State.
Colin Powell understood that diversity “is a source of strength, it is a source of our success,” and exemplified his leadership values—both as a general and as Secretary of State — by putting people first. The Colin Powell Leadership Program recruits highly motivated candidates from a variety of backgrounds who aspire to and possess the potential to become future civil service leaders at the U.S. Department of State.
This program will provide paid fellowships to recent college graduates and paid internships to students who are enrolled at accredited institutions of higher education. Both paths may lead to full-time employment opportunities at the Department and are focused on developing future leaders through training, mentoring, and on-the-job experience to provide them with the skills, tools, and resources needed for long-term success at the Department.
Internship opportunities will be in the Social Science Student Trainee (0199) and Administration and Office Support Student Trainee (0399) series. Fellowship opportunities will be in the Foreign Affairs (0130) and Management Analysis (0343) series. Applicants will apply via the USAJobs website and the first vacancy announcement is tentatively scheduled for mid to late September 2022. Subsequent announcements will be held annually in the spring. All applicants must be U.S. citizens and able to obtain and retain a secret or top-secret clearance. All positions will be located in the Washington, D.C. area.
To be eligible for the Colin Powell Leadership Internship Program, applicants must either be an enrolled or current student, on a part-time or full-time basis, pursuing their bachelor’s degree in a qualifying post-secondary educational program. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 out of 4.0 is required. The duration of the internship program will be determined by the participant’s anticipated graduation date and may not exceed four years from the initial appointment to the program.
Applicants for the Colin Powell Leadership Fellowship Program must have received a baccalaureate or graduate degree within the last two years with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 out of 4.0. The fellowship program is a one-year paid developmental program.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Department’s internships and fellowships page.
