Defense Innovation Summer Fellow

Job specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Defense Innovation Summer Fellowship (DISF) is a 10-week summer fellowship program that focuses on inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in national security. The program matches undergraduate, graduate, and recent graduate students with Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Mission Partners to address real-world challenges in national security. Fellows engage in projects supporting DIU tech verticals including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Autonomy, Cyber and Telecom, Emerging Technology, Energy, Human Systems, and Space.

The Fellowship falls under DIU's Commercial Operations Team, a component dedicated to fostering innovation and collaboration among DoD Mission Partners, Academia, Industry, new ventures & entrepreneurs, private capital investors, and other national security stakeholders to solve some of the most complex challenges facing the nation. The DIU Commercial Operations team leads DIU's collaboration with the commercial tech sector and the investment community. As a critical component of DIU, the Commercial Operations team is focused on implementing DIU 3.0's broader strategy to identify and scale commercial and dual-use technology, lower barriers to entry, and strengthen defense technology innovation on behalf of the DoD.

The Fellowship is a full time (40-hours per week), paid opportunity. The Fellowship is open to U.S. citizens at the undergraduate and graduate level. Fellows possess a diverse set of skills ranging from mobile and web app development, data analysis and visualization, hardware prototyping, social media strategy, and technology scouting. Fellows are embedded on-site with their assigned military project sponsor, where they will have the opportunity to work on a mission-focused real-world project. Over the course of the Fellowship, they will develop their professional toolkit, work directly with the military and national security leaders, and gain perspective as to how their skills and experience can have an outsized impact on national security.

Fellows are matched with a problem and military Mission Partner based on skillset, educational background, and interview feedback. Each problem will have a team of Fellows with complementary skill sets to ensure the creation of innovative and effective solutions.

Day-to-day responsibilities will vary for Fellows as their Mission Partners will set unique project-specific responsibilities for their teams. These responsibilities will be outlined in a 10-week plan that sets project-specific expectations and weekly milestones for the team to work towards. Fellows can expect daily morning check-ins with their Mission Partners to review tasks for the day, address project challenges, and highlight project success. These check-ins will be followed by full days of research and project development.

In addition to project-specific responsibilities, Fellows are required to attend DISF program-specific events, such as weekly virtual Speaker Series and two cohort-wide showcase events.

NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Other job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience, Education, Skills and Abilities:

Undergraduate or graduate student in a STEM field.
• Experience in hardware design and prototyping, software development, data analysis and visualization, technology scouting, communications and marketing strategy, OR policy research.
• Demonstrated technical or entrepreneurial experience. Evidence of past self-directed work is strongly preferred.
• Must have been accepted to the DISF Fellowship program prior to application submission.

The ideal individual will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a diversity of situations, with excellent written and verbal communication, analytical, interpersonal, and organizational skills, and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities and equities in a high-tempo environment serving DIU's mission.

The successful candidate will build ongoing rapport and interact seamlessly and with a professional demeanor across a broad range of individuals including members of the Senior Management Team, government contractors, Federal civilian and military employees, and cross-government stakeholders. The role is expected to handle exquisitely highly sensitive, confidential, and institutional information while exercising professionalism and discretion.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for frequently bending, stooping, sitting, walking or standing for prolonged periods of time; most of time is spent sitting in a comfortable position with the opportunity to move about. Occasionally there may be a need to move or lift moderately light items up to 35 pounds. Near visual acuity to review written documentation; ability to hear and understand speech at normal room levels and on the telephone; manual dexterity to operate a telephone and keyboard; lift horizontally and vertically.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job is performed in an office setting with exposure to computer screens and requires extensive use of a computer, keyboard, mouse and multi-line telephone system. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

ADDITIONAL QUALIFYING FACTORS:

As a condition of employment, must pass a pre-employment drug screening, as well as have acceptable reference and background check results.

The Tatitlek Corporation gives hiring, promotion, training and retention preference to Tatitlek shareholders, shareholder descendants and shareholder spouses who meet the minimum qualifications for the job.

As an equal opportunity employer, The Tatitlek Corporation recognizes that our strength lies in our people. Discrimination and all unlawful harassment, including sexual harassment, in employment is not tolerated. We encourage success based on our individual merits and abilities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or employment. We support and obey laws that prohibit discrimination everywhere we do business.