Cooperative Education Program

National Security Agency; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 26,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pay and benefits

Job summary

NSA offers Cooperative Education (Co-op) opportunities in Maryland for Fort Meade. Salaries are based on credits completed and grades, with locality pay included.

The program supports four to seven grades and requires eligibility for a TS/SCI clearance after background checks, with interviews conducted between November 2026 and March 2027. Selected students gain hands-on work in intelligence and cybersecurity, contributing to NSA's missions while balancing academic commitments and federal

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be pursuing one of the listed majors (CS, CE, EE, Cyber Security, Data Science, Math, AI).
• Must be a second semester freshman or sophomore.

Skills

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Computer Science

Computer Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Cyber Security

Data Science

Mathematics

Artificial Intelligence

Job description

NSA has received approval from the Department of War to hire for specific critical positions during the hiring freeze, per DoW memorandum 'Immediate Civilian Hiring Freeze for Alignment with National Defense Priorities' dated 28 February.

Job Description

Cooperative Education Program - Maryland

Fort George G. Meade Complex, MD
Pay Plan: GG , Grade: 03/1 to 07/10
Open: 2026-09-01, Close: 2026-11-01

Job Posting: 1262226

Job 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.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• 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
• 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

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.

NSA is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations. All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to applicants with disabilities during the application and hiring process where appropriate.

DCIPS Disclaimer

VETERANS AND TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS Thank you for your service! The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions at NSA are in the Excepted Service under Title 10, United States Codes (U.S.C.), Section 1601 appointment authority. Veterans' Preference In accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, "DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System Employment and Placement," NSA applies veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5, U.S.C., to eligible candidates. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you are required to provide acceptable documentation of your preference eligibility upon application. Acceptable documentation includes:

• DD-214: "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions (Copy 4); OR- Certification of Service:A written document on letterhead from the appropriate branch of the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. The certification should include the military service dates, including the expected discharge or release date; AND- Standard Form 15 (SF-15)Application for 10-point Veteran Preference (http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf).
• If you are claiming a service-connected disability of 30 percent or more, the documentation you provide must specifically demonstrate this level of disability; AND- VA Letter of Disability (for 10pt and Sole Survivorship rating)You may obtain a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs reflecting your level of disability for preference eligibility by visiting a VA Regional Office, contacting a VA call center, or online (https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/).

Failure to provide sufficient documentation of veterans' preference eligibility may preclude NSA from identifying you as a preference eligible candidate during the hiring selection process.