Summer 2027 - Student Opportunities in Language/Linguistics (Chinese)

Cse Cst; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 33,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Communications Security Establishment (CSE) in Ottawa is offering Summer 2027 student opportunities in Language and Linguistics with a focus on Chinese. You will read, listen, and translate Chinese materials to support SIGINT reporting alongside language analysts, with potential for full-time opportunities after studies.

Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a Canadian post-secondary program (3rd or 4th year) and provide a transcript.

Qualifications

• Be a registered full-time student in Canada; transcript required.
• Summer 2027 term; on-site, full-time placement.
• Demonstrate strong analytical skills and willingness to learn.

Responsibilities

• Assist in drafting SIGINT reports by reading material in Simplified or Traditional Chinese.
• Listen to Mandarin or Cantonese material, analyze relevance and importance.
• Translate or transcribe material for use in client reports.
• Collaborate with technical experts and learn telecommunications tools.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Chinese language skills

Teamwork

Research skills

Education

Canadian recognized post-secondary program (3rd/4th year, full-time)

Job description

Summer 2027 - Student Opportunities in Language/Linguistics (Chinese)

$23.79 - $38.62

Closing Date:

2026-10-01

Reference number : RF-16971

About CSE

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) is Canada’s agency responsible for foreign signals intelligence, cyber operations and cyber security. Learn more about our mission .

Student positions at CSE are unlike most others. We offer both practical and developmental work experience and allow students to be part of meaningful, exciting, projects, with the hope that they will want to join us full-time following their studies.

We are looking for students from all academic backgrounds, who are interested serving Canadian national interests, and who possess Chinese languages skills from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, to work in a dynamic and innovative operational environment.

As a student positioned alongside Foreign Language Intelligence Analysts, you will play an essential role in assisting in the drafting of SIGINT reporting by reading material in Simplified or Traditional Chinese, listening to material in Mandarin or Cantonese, analyzing its relevance and importance, and producing translations or transcriptions to be used in the production of reports for clients within the Government of Canada. These reports help inform federal decision-making to safeguard Canadian interests and protect Canadians’ lives.

With your strong analytical skills, you will piece together information collected from a variety of communication sources. You will conduct research, synthesize the material, add value, and provide context by drawing on your linguistic and cultural expertise. You will also work closely with technical experts in other parts of CSE and will have an opportunity to learn more about telecommunications technology and different analytical tools.

To find out more about our student salary scale visit the Compensation page on our website.

Area of selection

Open to Canadian citizens.

Location

Ottawa, Ontario. All jobs require full-time onsite presence in one of our two accessible facilities.

A valid Enhanced Reliability Status (ERS) or an Enhanced Top Secret (ETS) security clearance is a condition of employment that must be met before an offer can be made.

In order to be considered, your cover letter must clearly explain how you meet the following education and experience requirements.

Education

You must be registered as a 3rd or 4th year full-time student in a recognized post-secondary program in Canada. Your academic specialization does not need to be directly related with the specifics of this opportunity. Academic diversity is important for analysts; you are asked to show strong analytical skills alongside a strong willingness to learn.

Note: The educational program must be recognized in Canada, and you must be able to provide a transcript from your most recent term. Students graduating prior to, or during, the work term are not eligible to apply.

The following technical, behavioural and leadership competencies will be assessed at a later date. You do not need to include information about them in your application.

• Analytical Thinking
• Familiarity with various computing systems
• Cognitive thinking skills
• Interactive communication
• Working in a team
• Achieving results

Assets

Assets are “nice-to-have” expertise and skills we’re interested in. You will not be eliminated if you do not meet or possess these qualifications. However, if you do have them, they may be used to identify which team you could best complement .

Please demonstrate on your application if you meet or possess the asset education or asset experience listed below.

Experience with the following would be an asset but not necessary :

• Ability to code in Python, R, C, or other programming languages
• Knowledge of telecommunications technology
• Knowledge of geospatial analysis tools and techniques