NSA Summer 2027 Internship Program - Human Capital Management - Entry

National Security Agency; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 410,000 - 546,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing accommodations & travel entitl

Paid federal holidays

Annual leave and sick leave

Job summary

Join NSA's Summer Internship Program at Fort Meade, MD for a 12-week paid experience in Human Capital Management. Students from across the country will work on talent management, recruitment, onboarding, data stewardship, and analytics while contributing to NSA's national security mission.

Open to undergraduates up to Ph.D. students, the internships emphasize hands-on work, professional growth, and exposure to government workforce initiatives, with competitive pay and opportunities for housing

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at time of application (undergraduate, graduate, doctorate).
• Specific education requirements vary by program.
• Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• 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 for interviews Oct 2026–Apr 2027; UIT may be required.

Responsibilities

• Participate in NSA Summer Internship Programs at Fort Meade, MD for 12 weeks.
• Support Human Capital Management mission in talent management, recruitment, onboarding, and analytics.
• Gain hands-on experience with workplace data stewardship and employee programs.

Skills

U.S. Citizenship

Security clearance eligibility

Ability to work in the U.S.

Education

Enrolled in a degree-seeking program (undergraduate, graduate, doctorate)

GPA 3.0 or higher (preferred)

TS/SCI clearance eligibility

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.

NSA Summer 2027 Internship Program - Human Capital Management - Entry - Maryland

Fort George G. Meade Complex, MD

Pay Plan: GG , Grade: 04/1 to 09/10

Open: 2026-08-15, Close: 2026-09-05

Job Posting: 1261537

Responsibilities

The NSA Summer Internship Programs at our Fort Meade, MD location offers students exciting, impactful professional work opportunities (with pay and limited 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. These summer internship opportunities are open to students who are pursuing education in a variety of degree programs.Human Capital Management:The Human Capital Management (HCM) Program is seeking students eager to explore the Talent Management (TM) mission at the NSA. As the Agency's strategic human capital leader, TM develops and delivers programs that make NSA/CSS an employer of choice, boosting productivity, commitment, and engagement while enhancing the overall quality of life for its employees. TM achieves this through strategic leadership, innovative workforce strategies, comprehensive employee support, and trusted partnerships.As an intern, you'll gain hands-on experience in one of several critical functional areas, depending on your assigned mission area. You might contribute to talent identification and acquisition by supporting external hiring, recruitment marketing, and onboarding. Alternatively, you could assist in human capital operations, such as data stewardship and managing civilian benefits and global assignments. There are also opportunities to focus on workplace safety and health, or to drive human capital innovation through strategic workforce planning, occupational analysis, and applying analytics to tackle complex recruitment and retention challenges across the Enterprise.Each path offers a unique chance to make an impact and gain valuable insights into human capital management at the NSA.

Job Summary

Join students from across the country and lend your knowledge to national security in one of NSA's over 30 summer internship programs. These 12 week paid programs run from mid-May to mid-August and are open to undergraduate freshman up to Ph.D. students depending on internship requirements. These internships are open to a wide variety of majors and give students the opportunity to work directly with mission-critical problems and experience the excitement of working in NSA spaces.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be enrolled in a degree‑seeking program (undergraduate, graduate, doctorate) at time of application
• Specific education requirements vary by program
• Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• 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 October 2026 and April 2027***PLEASE NOTE: You may be required to complete an Unproctored Internet Testing (UIT) requirement measuring cognitive ability, motivation, and English proficiency.

Benefits

• Students are paid a competitive salary commensurate with their education level.
• All internships are 10 - 12 weeks during the summer.
• Receive annual leave, sick leave and paid federal holidays.
• Students who attend school in excess of 75 miles from Fort Meade, MD are eligible for housing accommodations and travel entitlements of a round trip airfare ticket to and from school or mileage reimbursement up to the cost of a government‑issued airline ticket.
• Daily transportation to and from work is NOT provided. Students participating in the program are highly encouraged to bring a vehicle. Carpooling with other students MAY be available, but is NOT guaranteed.
• Participation in agency‑wide extracurricular programs.

Equal Opportunity & Other Policies

U.S. Citizenship is required for all applicants. 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. NSA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities during the application and hiring process.

DCIPS Disclaimer

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.

Narrative Questions

The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. (Please attach in application)

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.