Summary

NSA's Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program offers students exciting, impactful professional work opportunities (with pay and benefits!) to grow their knowledge of the Intelligence Community and federal government while advancing NSA's two primary missions: 1) Collecting, analyzing, and producing foreign signals intelligence; and 2) Providing cybersecurity solutions and guidance to protect critical national infrastructure.

Learn more about this agency

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Students

Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Duties

NSA's Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program at Fort Meade, MD offers students exciting, impactful and professional work opportunities (with pay and benefits!) to grow their knowledge of the Intelligence Community and federal government while advancing NSA's two primary missions: 1) Collecting, analyzing, and producing foreign signals intelligence; and 2) Providing cybersecurity solutions and guidance to protect critical national infrastructure. This Co-op opportunity is open to students who are majoring in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cyber Security (technical track), Data Science, Mathematics or Artificial Intelligence.

Right from the start, you will be involved in real life projects and will have full use of NSA labs, equipment, and advanced technologies. These areas will offer you increasing challenges and satisfying learning experiences, since our mission demands that we work on the cutting edge of technology. The full listing of each Co-op description and details can be found by visiting: Intelligencecareers.gov/nsa/students-and-internships. (If unable to open this link, please copy and paste into your browser).

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be eligible to be granted a TS/SCI security clearance after successfully completing a background investigation, a Full-scope Polygraph and a Psychological Evaluation
• Must be available and in the U.S. for operational and technical interviews and other applicable processing, both in-person and via telephone/internet, between the months of November 2026 and March 2027

Education

• Must be pursuing one the following majors: Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cyber Security (technical track), Data Science, Mathematics or Artificial Intelligence
• Must be a second semester college freshman or a college sophomore
• Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all college work complete

Additional information

Salaries are determined by the percentage of credits completed toward a degree. Each 20% block of credits completed with at least a 3.0 GPA will allow you to be promoted to the next grade. Grades range from GGD-03/05 to GGD-07/01 (which can be found at OPM.gov) annually. Due to the rotational nature of the Co-op program, students are paid proportionate to the number of weeks worked in a year and are authorized Leave without Pay during scheduled school rotations. The salaries aforementioned include a locality based comparability payment.

Students will receive annual leave, sick leave and paid federal holidays.

Program Details:

• 52 weeks of alternating semesters of school and work at NSA
• During work tours, students work a 40-hour week
• Subsidized student housing and travel entitlements during work tours if over 75 miles from Fort Meade, MD
• Tuition reimbursement for one technical course per semester (up to $2,500)
• Potentially eligible for full time employment following successful completion of the program

***PLEASE NOTE: As this program requires students to rotate between semesters of work and study, applicants are encouraged to discuss the possibility of participating in this type of program with their school (Academic Advisor, Co-Op Advisor, Registrar and/or Financial Aid Office, etc.) to determine the effect it may have on their full time student status during scheduled work tours as well as any effects it may have on scholarships and financial aid.

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

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

To apply for this position, please click the 'Apply' button located at the top right of this posting. After completing the application for the first time, or reviewing previously entered information, and clicking the 'Submit' button, you will receive a confirmation email. Please ensure your spam filters are configured to accept emails from [email protected].

***PLEASE NOTE: To be considered for our Co-op positions, you must submit a COMPLETE application package by 31 October. Your application package must include:

1. Unofficial transcript with a traditional grading scale (GPA)

2. PDF copy of your current resume

If your Registrar is capable of directly sending electronic transcripts, please have them sent directly to you and then email the transcripts to [email protected] as an attachment. Please do not send HTML transcripts accessible via a website or text versions thereof.

DEADLINE: Applications are accepted 1 September - 31 October. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for review and security clearance processing.

Required Documents

The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1262226

Agency contact information

NSA POC

Phone

1-844-424-4737

Email

[email protected]

Next steps

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1262226

Overview

Accepting applications

Location

Many vacancies in the following location:

Fort Meade, MD

No matching locations found.

Work site options

Telework eligible

No

Remote job

No

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.

Salary

$42,063 - $48,251 per year

Pay scale & grade

GG 3 - 7

Promotion potential

None

Learn more about pay scale and grade

Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule

Part-time

Travel Required

Not required

Appointment type

Temporary

Occupations and job series

• 0132 Intelligence

Supervisory status

No

Federal service type

This job is in the Excepted Service

Represented by a union

No

Drug test

Yes

Security clearance

Top Secret

Position sensitivity and risk

Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

• National security

Financial disclosure required

Yes

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number

1262226

Control number

883457800