HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Air Force officials here are recruiting two college students for a paid summer 2027 internship that offers hands-on experience managing programs designed to deliver capabilities to the warfighter.
The Program Management Premier College Intern Program places college sophomores and juniors in Hanscom AFB acquisition programs for 10- to 12-weeks, giving students an opportunity to work alongside program managers and learn how the Air Force develops, delivers and supports military capabilities.
“These paid positions have the potential to lead to a full-time program management trainee appointment after graduation,” said Tiffany Cote, member of the PM Workforce Management and Development office.
Air Force program managers help bring war-fighting capabilities from concept to completion, coordinating requirements, schedules, resources, technology development, testing and other activities needed to deliver and sustain those capabilities.
For Nikita Manakin, who participated in the program in 2023, the internship did more than provide professional experience. It helped him decide what he wanted to do after college.
“I was a finance major in college, and students in that area of study are heavily steered toward jobs in corporate finance, investment banking and hedge funds,” he said. “I pursued this internship to explore a career with purpose and real-world impact.”
Manakin interned in the Acquisition Excellence Directorate’s Strategic Services Division, Federally Funded Research Development Center Branch, where he shadowed the branch chief and lead program manager for one of the FFRDCs in the portfolio. The experience gave him insight into how FFRDCs support initiatives across the federal government.
Following his internship, Manakin was selected for the Palace Acquire Program, a two- to three-year accelerated training program for recent college graduates.
He is now in his third year with the program, working in Electronic Systems Directorate’s Force Protection Systems Division, Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Branch.
“The most important long-term benefit of having done the internship is simply the opportunity to explore this career path during my undergraduate studies,” he said. “Having the opportunity for a college internship gave me clarity as to what career I wanted to pursue.”
Hanscom AFB is home to organizations within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center that manage and support a multitude of Air Force acquisition programs, making the installation a unique environment for students interested in technology, national security and program management.
“We are looking for analytical, detail-oriented candidates with academic backgrounds in business, management, finance, economics, engineering, operations research or related fields who are eager to launch a career in national security acquisitions,” said Cote. “The core objective of our internship program is to build a robust, highly skilled pipeline of future Air Force civilian leaders.”
Applications for the summer 2027 program are due no later than Sept. 30.
For more information about the Program Management PCIP and to apply, visit https://afciviliancareers.com/PCIP-programmanagement/ for more information about the program and to apply.