If you’re a talented developer or designer, you’re getting a lot of offers. But you need a serious challenge. And we’re pretty sure you won’t find anything as serious as this.

We know what you’re thinking: a government job? It's probably the last thing you had in mind. What on earth would you do here? Amazing things, that’s what.

The CFPB Design+Technology Fellowship is a two-year program for developers, graphic designers, and UX pros to help us build a new government agency.

Join us, and you will be given an opportunity to help create a dream technology environment for a new organization. In the process, you’ll improve the lives of millions of Americans. Maybe you’re just out of college and you are looking to sharpen your skills. Or maybe you want a break from building widgets and want to spend some time making things that really matter.

Either way, you’ll never have another opportunity like this.

What you’ll do here

The mission of the CFPB is to make markets for consumer financial products and services work for Americans. The CFPB relies on intense collaboration between the technology team and our expert staff. You’ll play a critical role in achieving our mission by experimenting, designing solutions to problems, and making ideas happen. The opportunities to contribute are limitless, and may include:

• Providing market insight: Are foreclosures up? Are credit card debts reaching a tipping point? What's driving student loan defaults? As a CFPB Design+Technology Fellow, you will work side-by-side with economists and researchers to spot trends in the marketplace. You will build visualizations that distill complex data into graphics that impact decision-making. And you will create tools for our public web site that explain complex issues in ways that everyday people can understand.
• Bringing regulatory examination into the digital age: The CFPB employs hundreds of examiners who monitor the practices of thousands of consumer financial institutions. It's important that they do that job well. They need the best tools possible. You can help build them for us.
• Assisting consumers directly: Our consumer response team solves real problems for people in difficult financial situations with few places to turn. Help us help consumers.
• Enabling consumers to make informed decisions: People need fair, unbiased, and understandable information about their finances. Design the tools and disclosures that millions of people rely upon to make financial choices.
• Streamlining government: Help ensure all of the above goes smoothly by building tools that make the Bureau more efficient and more transparent. Publish our budget and procurement data so the whole country can see our books. Improve the FOIA process so that citizens have increased access to information. Build a developer community around our APIs. Design systems that allow CFPB staff to communicate and collaborate more effectively. And do all of this on a common platform that lets us easily share these tools with the rest of the federal government.

How to apply

1. Click the link for the position you are interested in:
   Back-end web developer | Front-end web developer | UX designer | Graphic designer
   NOTE: You may apply to any and all positions; each position’s applicant pool will be reviewed independently of the others.
2. You will be taken to USAJobs.gov, which will ask you to create an account. While viewing the job announcement, be sure to scroll down and pay special attention to the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section.
3. Click the “Apply Online” button for the job or jobs you are interested in.
4. Upload your résumé (or select one that you have previously uploaded).
   NOTE: In order to be considered for any position, your résumé must clearly indicate that you have the equivalent of at least one year of professional experience in the given field.
   After clicking the “Apply for this position now!” button, you’ll be taken to another web site called Career Connector.
5. Click the green button that says “Apply to this vacancy.” You’ll be asked a series of questions about your qualifications.
   1. Eligibility questions: If you are unsure what about the question regarding “non-competitive appointments,” choose No.
   2. Series: Check the box for 2210-Information Technology Specialist.
   3. Grade: If you are unsure whether you would like to be considered for Grade 51 or 52, you may choose both; this pertains to your experience and impacts your salary.
   4. Location: You may select both Washington and home duty without affecting your application.
   5. Required documents: Many of these documents, including the cover letter, are actually optional. The only required documents are those that prove your privileged hiring status. If you are unaware of any such status, you don't have to provide those documents.
6. Please be sure to submit 3–5 of your best work samples as part of the process, and follow the instructions in the application carefully.
7. Once you have finished applying, you should receive an email verification.

Once the application window closes, a panel of experts will review your application and evaluate you based on your résumé and work samples. This process will take several weeks because we want to thoroughly and fairly evaluate each of you.

Next, we will contact you to let you know whether you have been selected for an interview. The interviews will take place in DC or over the phone. After the interviews, we will contact all candidates to let you know whether we have chosen to extend you an offer.

Thanks again for your interest, and good luck!

Frequently asked questions