Student Trainee (Contracting)

Job Announcement:  Premier College Internship Program, Student Trainee (Contracting) 

Attention All Students!

🚀 Launch Your Business Career: Paid Summer 2027 Internship at Hill Air Force Base!

Are you ready to skip the entry-level grind and walk straight into a high-powered business career when you graduate?

Hill AFB Contracting Directorate is looking for ambitious undergraduate (sophomores and juniors) and master’s students for a 12-week paid summer internship (May–August 2027).  This isn't just a summer job… it’s a direct, fast-track pipeline to a permanent, full-time civilian business career with the United States Air Force Civilian Service (AFCS) upon graduation!

💼 What is the Premier College Internship Program (PCIP)?

The PCIP is a highly selective, 12-week paid federal internship designed to provide students with substantive, hands-on experience managing projects that directly support critical United States Air Force missions.

Participants will collaborate closely with experienced business professionals, receive strategic mentorship from senior leadership, and attend a fully funded national PCIP Symposium alongside peers from across the country.  This program offers high-level exposure to federal acquisitions, preparing interns for future leadership roles within the civil service.

📝 Your Role: The Business Brains Behind the Mission

As a Contracting Intern, you will act as a strategic business advisor.  You will help negotiate, price, and manage the multi-million-dollar contracts that keep our Air Force flying.  

Hill AFB is home to over 400 contracting specialists who manage contracts for some of the world's most advanced aerospace and defense portfolios, including:

• F-16 & F-22 Fighter Jets
• Sentinel ICBM & Minuteman III Systems
• Next-Gen Satellite and Communication Systems 
• Various Critical Munitions Programs

💰 Pay, Perks, and Federal Benefits

This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week summer position.  As a PCIP intern, you are a federal employee from day one and enjoy incredible benefits:

• Competitive Paid Salary:  Earn a great hourly wage while gaining elite resume experience 
• Paid Time Off:  Earn 4 hours of paid annual leave AND 4 hours of sick leave every two weeks
• Retirement Savings (TSP):  401(k) equivalent with up to 5% government matching
• Health, Dental, & Vision:  Access to premium federal health insurance plans (with the government paying up to 72% of your premiums)

🎓 The Post-Graduation Fast Track:  The Copper Cap Program

Successfully complete your PCIP summer internship and you will be fast-tracked directly into the Copper Cap (COP) Program upon graduation.  

Copper Cap Program Perks & Why It's a Gamechanger

• Guaranteed Full-Time Job:  Seamless transition to a permanent Contract Specialist civilian role
• Rapid Promotion Track:  Program features a structured, annual promotion plan leading directly to target equivalent GS-12 journeyman levels
• Student Loan Repayment:  Eligible for federal student loan repayment assistance
• Tuition Assistance:  Want your Master's degree?  Get 100% tuition assistance while working 

⚠️ Are You Eligible?

To qualify for this highly competitive program, you must meet the following criteria:

• Citizenship:  Must be a U.S. Citizen (ability to obtain/maintain a funded security clearance)
• Academic Status:  Full-time student enrolled in a bachelor’s (60+ credit hours earned) or master’s (12+ credit hours earned) degree program
• Graduation Timeline:  Must have at least one semester of school remaining after the summer of 2027 and have a graduation date between December 2027 and May 2029
• Academics:  Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.95 or higher 

Note:  Per the Office of Personnel Management, if you are obtaining your undergraduate degree and your university uses a pass/fail grading system you are ineligible to be considered for the Premier College Internship Program.  After degree completion, you can be considered for other contracting positions outside the Premier College Internship Program.  

✅ How to Apply

Ready to secure your Summer 2027 plans before the school year even gets busy?  

Don't wait… apply today.

Position Details & Information

• Location:  Hill Air Force Base (HAFB), Utah
• Application Deadline:  Sunday, 02 August 2026, 11:59 PM Mountain Time
• Submit Applications To:  lindsey.roberds@us.af.mil ; OOALC.PKX.Workflow@us.af.mil
• Required Email Subject:  PCIP Program, Contract Specialist Opportunity - Last Name, First Name

📄 Required Application Documents

Submission Guidelines:  All documents must be submitted as separate files, in PDF format, and clearly labeled.

Note: Applicants who do not follow instructions and fail to submit all applicable documents may be eliminated from consideration.

Documents & Specific Requirements

2-Page Resume

• Must include your education background (college/university, degree, GPA, and expected graduation month/year)
• Provide job history including your employer's name, supervisor/manager, and current contact information
• Include 3 professional references with telephone and email
• Highlight any existing security clearance (if applicable)

Unofficial Transcripts

• Submit copies of all transcripts if you have attended multiple universities or colleges
• If you have completed foreign education, an Equivalency Evaluation Report from a US-based credentialing evaluation service must be submitted

Enrollment Verification Letter

• Must explicitly include your anticipated graduation date and confirm your enrollment status as a full-time student

Essay

• Prompt: "Why are you interested in the Contracting Career Field?"
• Format: Maximum one page, single-spaced, one-inch margins, size 12 Times New Roman font

Military Service Record (DD214) - Submit only if applicable

Latest Notification of Personnel Action (SF50) - Submit only if applicable

❓ Additional Resources

To learn more about Government Benefits:  www.opm.gov/

To learn more about the Government Internship Programs:  https://afciviliancareers.com/students-and-graduates/