2027 Dr. Chris Scolese Summer Internship Program

National Reconnaissance Office; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 58,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) offers a 10-week Summer Internship for students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in Virginia. Interns work on mission-aligned projects under direct supervision, with regular feedback to support growth.

Throughout the summer, interns participate in professional development, training experiences, and security Q&A sessions. Applicants must be enrolled full-time, maintain a 3.0 GPA, provide transcripts, and be available near Chantilly, VA for

Qualifications

• Enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate degree program.
• Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• Undergraduates must have completed 24 credit hours.
• Submit unofficial transcript; official transcript upon acceptance.
• Available for interview and processing.
• Be near Chantilly, VA for the 10-week program (June–August).
• Pre-employment drug screening is required.

Responsibilities

• Complete a project aligned with mission need under direct supervision and receiving timely feedback.
• Participate in professional development and training throughout the summer.
• Engage in speaker series, Security Q&A sessions, and mission overviews.
• Support internship program goals and understand NRO operations.

Skills

Strong communication

Organization

Deductive reasoning

Education

Full-time student enrollment

Job description

WE ARE THE NRO

For over 60 years, the NRO has developed, acquired, launched, and operated the satellites that are the foundation for America's advantage and strength in space. Using a diversified architecture of spacecraft, NRO collects and delivers the best space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance content on the planet. Learn more at nro.gov.

Basic Eligibility For A Position With The NRO

• Be a U.S. Citizen
• Be suitable for federal employment, as determined by a background investigation
• Be able to obtain and hold a TS/SCI security clearance, including a polygraph
• Have favorable results on a pre-employment drug test
• Register for the Selective Service System if male, over 18 years of age and born after Dec 31, 1959

NRO Summer Intern Program

The NRO Summer Internship Program provides students pursuing education with paid opportunities to work at the NRO and explore career paths related to their academic field of study or career interest. Interns will receive training and guidance to prepare them to support NRO projects and initiatives.

Summer interns are full-time employees on a temporary appointment for the period of 10 weeks between June and August. With a successful evaluation at the end of the summer, there may be an opportunity to return during subsequent summers based on mission requirements, continued eligibility, and the student's availability.

What You Will Be Doing

Intern Projects

Each intern will be given a project to complete that aligns with mission need. Specific duties will expose individuals to independent and team-oriented work opportunities. Each intern performs under direct supervision and will be provided feedback on a regular and timely basis.

Professional Development and Training

Throughout the summer, NRO interns will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of professional development and training experiences. Some of these events include speaker series with NRO seniors, Security Q&A sessions, and NRO mission overviews.

Who May Apply

To be eligible for the program, the requirements include:

• Be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited college or university.
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Undergraduates must have a completed a minimum of 24 credit hours at the time of application.
• Provide an unofficial transcript at the time of application and an official transcript upon acceptance into the program from the academic institution.
• Be available for an interview and other applicable processing.
• NRO prohibits illegal drug involvement during employment, regardless of state level legalization, and requires a passing pre-employment drug screening. Prior drug use is carefully evaluated.
• Be available, and geographically located near Chantilly, Virginia for the 10-week summer program from June – August.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Good organization and planning skills and be able to demonstrate effective project coordination and implementation based on past work or school experiences.
• Possess deductive reasoning skills and be able to analyze and synthesize information for problem-solving.

What You Need To Apply

Required – Resume and Transcript

In order to qualify for this position, your resume and transcripts must provide sufficient evidence of experience and/or education relevant to the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume will be evaluated based on the following criteria: range of occupational skills relevant to the position, alignment of education and/or work experience to the position, evidence of your experience collaborating with others, and evidence of your experience presenting information-communication skills. Please be clear and concise when describing your experience.

Please upload a pdf copy of your current transcript from the institution you are currently attending. If you have started a graduate program but have not completed your first semester, you must submit your conferred undergraduate degree, along with proof of enrollment in a full-time graduate program.

Although NRO will accept unofficial transcripts at the time of the application, an official transcript is required to receive a final job offer. The official transcript will show your full-time enrollment into a program for the Fall (2026) semester of the internship year.

Applicants submitting a resume that exceeds the two-page limit per OPM Memorandum, “Merit Hiring Plan,” dated May 29, 2025, will not be eligible for consideration. For more information regarding resume writing, see “Guidance for Applicants on 2-Page Resume” and visit the Resume Help Center.

We cannot accept transcripts with limited information. When uploading your transcript, ensure it includes the following information:

• Your Name
• College/University Name
• Overall GPA
• Number of course credits

Locations

• Chantilly, Virginia (All positions)
• Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado (Technical Career Field only)
• Fort Belvoir, Virginia (Technical Career Field only)
• White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico (Technical Career Field only)

Salary

2026 Salary Range for Washington D.C. Metro Area:

• Working towards:
  • Bachelor's Degree: GG-06, Step 05 - $58,884 per year
  • Master's Degree: GG-07, Step 05 - $65,435 per year
  • Doctorate: GG-09, Step 05 - $80,041 per year

Federal pay is a combination of base and locality pay which is based on the geographic location of where you work.

These positions are Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) positions in the Expected Service under Title 10 USC 1601.

Technical

Provides technical expertise in support of acquisition, operations, mission support, launch, and other NRO missions. Offers knowledge and experience in a broad range of technical domains and specialties including research, design, development, integration and testing, program management, launch, operations, maintenance, and disposal of cutting-edge overhead intelligence systems for national security. Examples of accepted educational pursuits for jobs in this career field include:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
• Computer Science
• Data Science
• Electrical Engineering
• General Engineering
• Information Technology
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Operations Research
• Program Analysis

What You Will Be Doing

NRO Interns (GG 6-9) will receive training and guidance in the following opportunities

• Prepares and evaluates plans and designs for engineering projects; researches trends and patterns; conducts technical analysis; evaluates the value and applicability of new technology; and provides engineering expertise and advice on program planning over a broad range of engineering, architecture or scientific programs
• Supports the management of issues and risks to balance cost, schedule and technical performance
• Supports the development of new methods and criteria, procedures and/or instructions for engineering, architecture or scientific problems; proposes new policies and practices
• Provides recommendations on engineering, architecture or scientific problems, programs, and functions to a broad customer base
• Supports the planning, development, and implementation of crucial projects and segments of NRO programs
• Supports the development and modification of analytic models and methods to meet the requirements of cost, performance, and effectiveness studies and variance analyses
• Gathers historical cost, performance and effectiveness data and establishes relationships between system characteristics and design criteria
• Conducts extensive systemic exploration of problems by an operations research approach; conducts analysis of alternatives, presents trend analysis data ascertaining potential problem areas
• Synthesizes science and technology capabilities to create new concepts and prototypes with guidance
• Develops draft test and evaluation plans with supervisory assistance; participates in the test and evaluation campaigns

Contracts

Ensures that contractual baselines are in compliance with Federal and NRO regulations, policies, and standards. A Contract Specialist serves as a Business Advisor, who in coordination with Acquisition Program Management, assist in developing and implanting acquisition strategies and requirements documents, contract management (negotiations, administration, and etc.), and monitor contractor performance throughout the lifecycle, ensuring overall mission success. Example jobs in this career field include:

• Contract Specialist

What You Will Be Doing

NRO Interns (GG 6-9) will receive training and guidance in the following opportunities:

• Support management on all aspects of contract management, including contract information, solicitation, negotiation, cost analysis, administration, termination and closeout
• Plan, develop, and establish procurement plans strategies, and approaches for acquisition projects
• Support the developments of procurement objectives for the program regarding competition and price range; construct the contract vehicle
• Prepare statements of work, acquisition plans, source selection plans and solicitation documents
• Responsible for contract administration functions following award throughout the contract life cycle
• Monitor and ensure contractor performance in accordance with the terms of the contract
• Support negotiations and issue contract modification driven by technological advances or upgrade operational requirements

Financial Management

Supports the NRO in formulation and execution of the NRO budget. Works with program management to ensure program closure. These responsibilities include analyzing program and/or acquisition data through qualitative and quantitative techniques, identifying and evaluating options to solve program budget issues, certifying funding availability, providing regulatory and procedural guidance, and providing overall financial management support to the NRO's directorates and offices. Examples of job responsibilities in this career field include:

• Budget Formulation – forecasting budget needs for future years by planning/balancing limited resources
• Budget Execution – day-to-day budget actions/reporting and contractor performance analysis
• Fiscal Law & Policy – Execute budgets within legal parameters and policy; unique to federal government
• Financial Systems – learn/leverage available systems/databases to perform analysis supporting decisions related to budget

What You Will Be Doing

NRO Interns (GG 6-9) will receive training and guidance in the following opportunities

• Financial Concepts of NRO
  • Fund commitment, obligation and expenditure
  • Organization specific financial requirement tools and resource planning
  • Transactions and financial tools to execute program resources
  • Appropriations Law to include purpose, time, and amount as they relate to budgets
  • Organizational budget hierarchy and alignment for resource management and accounting (financial statement) purposes
  • Execution metrics and oversight reporting of obligations and expenditures.
• Acquisitions Support to NRO Programs
  • Contract types and financial requirement planning
  • Contract deliverables and financial analysis/forecasting
  • Spend plans and forecasting of funding needs

Trial Period

All new DCIPS employees will be required to serve a two-year trial period.

Veteran's Preference

DoW Components with DCIPS positions apply Veteran's Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoW (DoD) Instruction 1400.25, Vol 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming Veteran's Preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, you must submit documents verifying your eligibility upon request.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation during the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:

• An applicant with disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job
• An employee with disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace
• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application, hiring process, or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please send your request to [e-mail].

Privacy Act Notice

Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): We use this information to determine qualifications for employment. This is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361. Read more about the Privacy Act of 1974.