Intern - Strategic Operations, Summer 2026

</br><b>Job Description </b></br><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;<br/>line-height:normal">In this position, you will participate in BAE Systems' nationwide LEAP Internship & Co-op Program, where you will Learn, Engage, Apply, and Progress within the company. The LEAP Program will provide you with the opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals on impactful projects, engage in career development opportunities, and network with our business leaders and the other students in the program.<br><br>BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems (SMS) is seeking an intern for its Strategic Operations (StratOps) team in the Washington, DC area. The Strategic Operations intern will support activities related to policy analysis, stakeholder & customer engagement, market analysis, strategic business planning, and other activities as needed in support of the company’s civil space and defense-related portfolios. The position will be hybrid with three days (Tues-Thurs) in the office, with the option to work fully in person.<br><br>The Strategic Operations (StratOps) Strategic Capabilities Unit, consists of Washington DC Operations, Marketing & Communications and Strategic Development. The StratOps team promotes and elevates the business within our markets, works with customers and industry to influence and drive growth and facilitate collaboration across the business enterprise to increase opportunities.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;<br/>line-height:normal"><br><strong>What You’ll Do:</strong><br> </p><ul><li>Provide research and analysis on key topics, including executive or legislative branch activity impacting our customer community, including in Department of Defense, NASA and NOAA.</li><li>Draft messaging for white papers, talking points, presentations, and materials to support stakeholder/customer meetings.</li><li>Opportunity to attend customer meetings and industry events in the Washington, DC area.</li><li>Assist with providing assessments of markets and business opportunities.</li><li>Establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships within the department and across the company. Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.</li><li>Make formal and informal presentations both orally and in writing.</li><li>Ensure a collaborative and integrated approach to engaging internal and external stakeholders.</li><li>Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.</li><li>Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Capabilities Units and the Company. Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.</li><li>Perform other duties as necessary.</li></ul> <p><strong>On-Site Work Environment:</strong> This position requires regular in-person engagement by working <strong>on-site three or more days </strong>each normally scheduled week in the primary work location. Travel and local commute between company campuses and other possible non-company locations may be required.</p><br><strong>Working Conditions:</strong><br> <ul><li>Work is performed in an office environment in Arlington, Virginia. Expected in person days are Tues-Thurs, with the option to work fully in person.</li><li>Hours 9 am – 5 pm ET Monday – Friday.</li></ul><p><br><strong>Hourly Rate:</strong> $22.75 - $30.25</p></br></br><b>Required Education, Experience, & Skills </b></br><ul><li>Must have completed your sophomore or junior year and be enrolled in a degree program for the fall of 2026. We will also accept students enrolled in a graduate degree program. </li><li>Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education. </li><li>Degree in political science, public policy, business, economics, marketing and communications, public relations, STEM fields, or a related discipline. Students with an interest in pursuing a career in aerospace preferred. </li><li>Effective at working with people at all levels, including senior executives, and willing to contribute wherever needed.</li><li>A demonstrated ability to provide concise and insightful analysis of complex topics.</li><li>Excellent communication skills.</li><li>Excellent leadership, judgment, and organizational skills.</li><li>Ability to operate in a dynamic environment.</li><li>An interest in the intersection of technical and policy/business issues, congressional and executive branch budgeting process, and/or policy development.</li></ul><span style="color:#ffffff;">#LI-HC1</span></br></br><b>Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills </b></br><ul><li>Degree in political science, public policy, business, economics, marketing and communications, public relations, STEM fields, or a related discipline. </li><li>Students with an interest in pursuing a career in aerospace preferred. </li></ul><br><br><b>Pay Information</b><br>Full-Time Salary Range: $47320.000 - $62920.000<br><br>Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.<br><br>Temporary employees generally are not eligible for BAE Systems benefits, but can elect to participate in the 401(k) savings plan. Temporary employees working 20+ hours per week are eligible for medical benefits, the employee assistance program, and business travel accident insurance.<br></br></br><b>About BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems </b></br>BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.<br><br>Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Space & Mission Systems is a leading provider of national defense and civil space applications, advanced remote sensing, scientific and tactical systems for government and commercial customers. We continually pioneer ways to innovate spacecraft, mission payloads, optical systems, and other defense and civil capabilities. Powered by endlessly curious people with an unwavering mission focus, we continually discover ways to enable our customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters most.<br><br>This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.<br><br>Multiple positions may be available on this opening.