Want a job at WPAFB? WSU event gives tips

People interested in jobs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base should start their search at the USAJobs.Gov website, but to succeed they need to bring something more intangible: passion, according to Alice Williams, human resources manager at the base staffing office.

“You have to be self-motivated, driven, passionate,” said Williams, who spoke during a recruiting event Tuesday at Wright State University. “It’s your career. Be responsible for it. If you want something, go for it. You’ve got to be willing to put in the work.”

About 35,000 people work at Wright-Patt, which is the state’s largest single site employer. There are multiple job opportunities there, including special programs such as internships for students and the PALACE Acquire Program for recent graduates, said Wright-Patt recruiters who spoke to students as part of Wright State’s Employer Speaker Series.

“We will typically try to find a good spot to outplace you within our center once you complete that three-year (PALACE Acquire Program.) It’s pretty much a guaranteed job when you complete that program,” said David Scott, a training manager at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Information Protection Directorate.

Credit: Lynn Hulsey

Credit: Lynn Hulsey

Students attending the event learned about internships as well as full-time jobs in at the base, including work involving negotiating contracts, cybersecurity, buying equipment and managing the life cycle of aircraft and the equipment and supplies used by the U.S. Air Force.

Scott and other speakers touted the good pay, health care and retirement benefits and opportunities for student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement at Wright-Patt.

Speakers said the base has opportunities for people who want to travel the world, enjoy challenging work and who want to be a part of the effort to help the nation’s “warfighters.”

Temporary summer positions are also available at the base. They include lifeguard, recreation aid, fitness aid, youth programs, laborer, clerical and administrative assistant, engineering technician, engineering equipment operator and other positions, according to a Wright State news release about the event.

The recruiters from the various Wright-Patt units also spoke to students one-on-one about job opportunities.

“I come from an Air Force family, so the base is very close to home for me,” said sophomore accounting major Dejia Reese, 21, of Huber Heights, who was waiting to speak to a recruiter.

Alex Hughes, 27, of Greenville said he plans to get a master’s in aerospace engineering after he graduates in 2026 with a degree in material science engineering from Wright State.

“Working at the Air Force base would be a great opportunity,” Hughes said.


How to apply for a job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Create a profile on USAJobs.gov.

Upload resume or create one using the resume builder tool.

Search for jobs by title, pay and keywords.

Use the saved search feature to get emails from USA Jobs when announcements post.

Review website sections about who may apply, how to apply and required documents.

Follow prompts to complete the application process.

Source: U.S. Department of the Air Force

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