Fall 2025 - Student Opportunities in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

Salary:  $23.27-$37.77

Closing date: 2025-01-22

Reference number: RF-12660

About CSE

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) is Canada’s agency responsible for foreign signals intelligence, cyber operations and cyber security. Learn more about our mission.

Student positions at CSE are unlike most others. We offer both practical and developmental work experience and allow students to be part of meaningful, exciting, projects, with the hope that they will want to join us full-time following their studies.

CSE is committed to fostering a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion. This isn’t just an ideal, it’s crucial to our mission. Find out about our workplace culture, including our diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Become part of our team and you’ll understand why CSE is the most important organization you’ve never heard of.

Job summary

Electrical Design

• Tasks can include schematic capture, PCB layout, testing PCB prototypes, recording and analyzing test results, troubleshooting & diagnosing errors in PCBs, component research, receiving guidance from senior electronics CAD (ECAD) designers, and collaboration with mechanical CAD, fabrication, and firmware representatives.
• Knowledge of Altium Designer (or other ECAD software, e.g. KiCad), and PCB manufacturing methods is an asset.

 

Mechanical Design

• Tasks can include conceptual design, CAD modeling, production of assembly drawings and fabrication drawings, use of rapid prototyping techniques (e.g. 3D printing), testing of prototype designs, receiving guidance from senior mechanical CAD designers, and collaboration with ECAD and fabrication representatives.

• Knowledge of SOLIDWORKS (or other parametric CAD software, e.g. Fusion 360), design for manufacture, and manufacturing techniques is an asset.

Salary

To find out more about our student salary scale visit the Compensation page on our website.

Area of selection

Open to Canadian citizens.

Location

Ottawa, Ontario.  All jobs require full-time onsite presence in one of our two accessible facilities.

Learn more about where we work.

Conditions of employment

A valid Enhanced Reliability Status (ERS) or an Enhanced Top Secret (ETS) security clearance is a condition of employment that must be met before an offer can be made.

For more information about our hiring process, visit our hiring process and security page on our website.

Essential qualifications

In order to be considered, your cover letter must clearly explain how you meet the following education and experience requirements.

Education

You must be registered as a full-time student in a recognized post-secondary program in a field related to the position.

 

By the start of the work term, you must have completed at least two years of post secondary studies.

 

Note: The educational program must be recognized in Canada, and you must be able to provide a transcript from your most recent term. Students graduating prior to, or during, the work term are not eligible to apply.

Competencies

The following technical, behavioural and leadership competencies will be assessed at a later date. You do not need to include information about them in your application. 

Behavioural competencies

·        Cognitive thinking skills

·        Interactive communication

·        Working in a team

Leadership competencies

·        Achieving results

·        Collaboration

·        Integrity, respect & awareness

How to apply

You may submit your candidacy online by selecting “Apply” at the top or bottom of this page.

If you cannot apply online or have a disability preventing you from applying online, please inform us by email at students-etudiants@cse-cst.gc.ca prior to the closing date of this selection process.

Important information

The process will be conducted in the official language of your choice.

To address CSE’s current representation gaps, priority may be given to persons who self-declare as belonging to the following designated employment equity groups: women; Indigenous peoples, including First Nations who are status, or registered and non-status, or non-registered, Inuit and Métis; persons with disabilities, including people with a mental health condition and neurodivergent people; and persons from racial or ethnic groups. 

Please note the Employment Equity Act, which is under review, uses the terminology Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities.

CSE offers an assessment process that will accommodate any reasonable measures you require to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Those measures are available to all candidates during our processes. Information you provide will be addressed confidentially.

All communications with CSE relating to this process, including email messages and telephone conversations, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

We thank you for your interest in CSE. However, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.