High School Work Study Program - Baltimore/Washington

Responsibilities HIGH SCHOOL WORK STUDY PROGRAM The National Security Agency's (NSA) High School Work Study (HSWS) Program application is open only to high school juniors who are enrolled in Business, Computers, Engineering, Manufacturing, Construction, Chinese courses, and who plan to participate in a school-sponsored Work Experience Program during their senior year. **Program is subject to change** APPLICATION INFORMATION: To apply, students must check with their High School Work Experience Coordinator to determine the school's application process as well as specific course requirements for their school. Job Summary The High School Work Study (HSWS) Program is currently a highly competitive program designed for high school students who plan to participate in a paid part-time internship during their senior year. Students have the opportunity to gain work experience in business, computer, engineering, manufacturing, construction, intelligence analysis aide, and Chinese language. The program provides hands-on work experience from September-August for 4 hours per day/20 hours per week Monday-Friday with a security clearance, part-time salary, paid leave, and the opportunity for permanent employment upon successful completion of the program. Qualifications Must be 16 years of age by 31 December 2026. - Must be eligible to be granted a Security Clearance. - Must be a U.S Citizen - Unweighted GPA of 2.5 or higher is preferred - Must be a High School Junior - Must have reliable transportation - Must complete at least two course in desired field of study prior to the completion of the junior year. - Students interested in the HSWS Program at Fort Meade, Maryland must reside within commuting distance of this location. Available Positions within the HSWS Program (Fort Meade, MD Only): Office Assistant- Type, file, maintain records, answer phones and operate business equipment such as word processors and personal computers. Applicant must complete a minimum of one business or non-technical computer course (such as Microsoft Applications, Keyboarding, Software Applications, Advanced Applications, Computer Skills for Academic Success, etc.) prior to the completion of their junior year of high school, or they will not be considered for a position in the HSWS Program. This will be verified on the transcript at the end of the junior year. Computer Aide - Operate our data processing equipment, often the most sophisticated equipment on the market. These positions are geared towards those students who are in STEM focused courses or have completed a minimum of two technical computer courses (such as Computer Science, Visual Basic, Java, Web Page Design, Intro to Engineering and Programming C++, etc.) by the end of their junior year of high school. This will be verified on the transcript at the end of the junior year. Engineering Specialist - Looking for students that are mechanically inclined. Install and maintain building architectural systems by building standard and executive style systems and repairing, altering or constructing replacement items from materials such as wood, plastic, or metal. Apply surface finish treatments such as painting or staining. They could also perform sanitization, declassification, excess or destruction. Sanitize, declassify or destroy the material using common hand tools or devices such as hammermills, pulverizers, incinerators, degaussers, or paper pulping equipment. Dispose of material through donation, recycling, reutilization, or resale. Designed for high school students who are enrolled in Construction, Engineering, Project Management or Manufacturing at a technical high school. Chinese - Students who are currently enrolled in advanced Chinese courses (Chinese 5 or higher). They will be required to use their Chinese language skills to perform daily duties. Students need to be excelling in their Chinese reading, writing and listening skills. In addition, students should be recommended by the school's lead Chinese language instructors. Intelligence Analysis (IA) Aide - This work role uses your writing and critical thinking skills to transform foreign intelligence and cybersecurity information into critical reports that will be used to understand high priority intelligence issues. Must be enrolled in at least one advanced English course and at least one advanced humanities course (Government, History, etc.), and completed at least two business or technical computer courses. **ATTENTION**: Applicants are not guaranteed to be placed in the position/area they select. The HSWS Program Manager will review the application materials (to include resume and transcript) and will make the final determination as to which position best utilizes the applicant's skills. Pay, Benefits, & Work Schedule Students will be on a Grade and Step Scale. All work studies are a Grade 01 Step 01. High School Work Study students are on a part-time schedule and make approximately $15.00 per hour (in Maryland). Students will earn Annual Leave and Sick Leave at a rate of one hour of Annual Leave and one hour of Sick Leave for every twenty hours worked. Students are to work a Monday - Friday work schedule. All students must work a minimum of 4 hours each day, 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. Report times are between the hours of 10:30 am and 12:30 pm with core work hours from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. The maximum number of hours a student may work per week is 32 hours. How To Apply - External Online applications must be submitted by 11:59PM EST on September 30, 2026. Applications received after the deadline, as well as incomplete packets, will not be considered. Students must also submit the following material via email to HSWS@uwe.nsa.gov by 11:59PM EST September 30, 2026: (1) One Student Evaluation form (please email HSWS@uwe.nsa.gov to request form or contact your guidance counselor) (2) Official transcript from High School, which MUST include their junior year work in progress courses for both first and second semester. (3) Resume- Must include the relevant courses completed or in progress as well as the position (Office Assistant, Computer Aide, Vo-Tech/Printing, Model Shop, Facilities and Logistics, Chinese Language, or Intelligence Analysis Aide) to which you are applying. Students must submit all required documents (resume, official transcript, student evaluation) in one email to HSWS@uwe.nsa.gov. Please do not submit as Google doc links. Early Acceptance Incentive Applications are accepted 1 September ' 30 September 2026, however, selections for this program are made on a rolling basis and applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as practical to allow sufficient time for review and security clearance processing. You may call NSA Washington's HSWS Office at (410) 854-4592 for specific questions regarding the program. To apply for this position, please click the 'Apply' button located at the top right of this posting. After completing the application for the first time, or reviewing previously entered information, and clicking the 'Submit' button, you will receive a confirmation email. Please ensure your spam filters are configured to accept emails from noreply@intelligencecareers.gov. Please note that you may be asked a series of questions depending on the position you apply for. Your responses will be used as part of the screening process of your application and will assist in determining your eligibility for the position. Be sure to elaborate on experiences in your resume. Failure to provide the required information or providing inaccurate information will result in your application not being considered for this position. Only those applicants who meet the qualifications for the position will be contacted to begin employment processing. Apply soonest, as job postings can close earlier than stated end dates due to changes in requirements. It is important to review and note the minimum qualifications, as only those applicants who meet the required qualifications will be contacted to continue the employment process. Please populate the resume tool to showcase any relevant work experience and education related to the position and answer any applicable screening questions. Information collected will be used to determine eligibility, and failure to provide accurate information may result in disqualification for this position. A confirmation email will be sent after submission of the first application and also after any future updates to submitted applications. **Due to time sensitive communications regarding applications, please ensure your spam filters are configured to accept email from noreply@intelligencecareers.gov. For job vacancies that include stated testing requirements, also include the following: @uwe.nsa.gov, @nsa.gov, and @pearson.com** 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. 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. 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.