- CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
- CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
- If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS
We are searching for a self-motivated, quality conscious Systems Administrator Intern to join our Computing Services Department, within the Information Technology Services Office at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. ARL Information Technology Services provides ARL’s administrative and research computing environments and capabilities, delivering secure, responsive, efficient, effective, and compliant IT services and operations to meet the demanding needs of ARL’s leading edge research.
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
You will:
Identify, analyze, and document processes to allow those processes to be streamlined or shifted to a lower tier team
Collaborate with technical teams to create or update standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Create or update training documentation for complex systems and applications
Assist with ticketing queues and other assigned tasks
Routinely interact with other Information Technology professionals
Required skills/experience areas include:
Ability to express yourself and your ideas clearly in order to contribute to strong teamwork and effective collaboration
Success in an office environment, where various forms of communication and organizational skills were crucial to be effective
Ability to quickly learn and understand processes and procedures
Strong ability to gather information through interviewing and reading specifications
Desire to learn and improve on computer-related knowledge
The ability to be flexible with rapidly changing priorities
Demonstrated ability to work through a difficult problem, sometimes by multi-tasking, while using proper steps to define/formulate ideas to reach a solution
Preferred skills/experience areas include:
Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required
Previous success with collaborations in a team-oriented culture
Knowledge of DoD Regulations: Familiarity with security standards and regulations, such as DoD 8500.01 and NIST guidelines
Your working location will be on-site, with the possibility of some work being hybrid on-site/work from home. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.
The successful candidate will work up to 20 hours/week during the fall and spring semesters and 40 hours/week over the summer. This is a paid internship opportunity located in State College, PA. Relocation and housing are not provided.
You will be subject to a government security investigation, and you must be a U.S. citizen to apply. Employment with the ARL will require successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our web site at www.arl.psu.edu.
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL): Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.
EEO IS THE LAW
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.
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PA State Labor Law Poster
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Skills Required
- Ability to express ideas clearly and contribute to teamwork and collaboration
- Success in an office environment with strong communication and organizational skills
- Ability to quickly learn and understand processes and procedures
- Strong ability to gather information through interviewing and reading specifications
- Desire to learn and improve computer-related knowledge
- Ability to be flexible with rapidly changing priorities
- Demonstrated ability to work through difficult problems and multitask using proper problem-solving steps
- Assist with ticketing queues and other assigned IT tasks
- Work up to 20 hours/week during fall and spring semesters; up to 40 hours/week over summer
- Must be a U.S. citizen
- Successful completion of pre-employment drug screen
- Successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies
- Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher (preferred)
- Previous success collaborating in a team-oriented culture (preferred)
- Knowledge of DoD regulations and security standards (DoD 8500.01, NIST guidelines) (preferred)
Penn State University Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Penn State University and has not been reviewed or approved by Penn State University.
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Retirement Support — Employer contributions to SERS and the TIAA Alternate Plan are described as significant, with supplemental retirement options available. Feedback suggests these choices and contributions create strong long‑term value.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Full‑time employees accrue over 24 sick and vacation days annually, with additional university holidays and a winter break. Feedback suggests this depth of leave supports work–life balance.
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Inclusive Benefits Coverage — A 75% tuition discount extends to employees, spouses, and dependent children up to age 26 across resident instruction, World Campus, and Penn College courses. Feedback suggests this broad eligibility meaningfully enhances total rewards, especially for families.
Penn State University Insights
What We Do
There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across 24 campuses, our nearly 88,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom—it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world. From access to state-of-the-art resources to interdisciplinary pursuits in collaborative atmospheres, a Penn State degree is more than an education. The experiences and knowledge gained here will form the foundation for the lives our students build. Their contributions to the world begin with a Penn State degree. We Are Penn State.
