Cooperative Education Program

National Security Agency; Honolulu (HI); Hybrid; USD 16,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

COLA Hawaii 8.64%

Paid annual leave & sick leave

Paid federal holidays

Job summary

National Security Agency offers a Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program giving students paid, impactful work experience while supporting NSA's missions in intelligence and cybersecurity. Applicants must be US citizens, be a sophomore or early junior, and pursue CS/CE/EE/Cyber Security (technical) or Chinese language majors.

Eligibility for TS/SCI clearance is required after background checks. Co-ops in Hawaii include a locality-based COLA of 8.64%, plus annual leave, sick leave, and paid federal

Qualifications

• US citizenship is required
• Majors include CS, CE, EE, Cyber Security (technical) or Chinese language
• Must be a second semester college freshman or a college sophomore
• Preferred GPA 3.0 or higher
• Must be eligible to obtain TS/SCI security clearance after background checks

Responsibilities

• Participate in NSA Co-op program rotations.
• Earn paid, benefits-bearing work experience while supporting NSA missions.

Skills

US Citizenship

CS/CE/EE/Cyber Security major

Chinese Language major

College sophomore or freshman

GPA 3.0+

TS/SCI eligibility after background

Education

Computer Science

Computer Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Cyber Security

Chinese Language

Second semester freshman or sophomore

Job description

Job Posting: 1262241

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

Only applicants that meet the following qualifications will be considered:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be pursuing one of the following majors: Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cyber Security (technical track) or Chinese Language focused major
• Must be a second semester college freshman or a college sophomore
• Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all college work completed
• 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

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.SPECIAL INCENTIVES/BENEFITS:Hawaii enjoys several tangible and intangible quality of life benefits. All assignees currently receive a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), taxed by the State of Hawaii and exempt from Federal taxation. For calendar year 2026 this percentage is 8.64% and is subject to change an annual basis.

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);
• 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.