Trump administration launches a campaign to hire 1,000 engineers for two-year federal positions

The Trump administration is offering 1,000 engineers two-year federal positions in order to speed up development in AI technology. The engineers will work on specific government projects, including building digital platforms, with roles available in software engineering, AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics.

The U.S. government plans to recruit 1,000 employees for two-year federal positions in AI and other tech positions, after which they will be considered for jobs at major tech companies, including Nvidia and Google.

The two-year structure appears to be designed specifically to attract top talent who might not want to commit to permanent government positions.

AI engineers, cybersecurity experts, and data scientists remain in short supply as demand continues to surpass the available workforce.

Is the Trump government hiring engineers?

The U.S. government announced a major hiring effort on Monday to bring 1,000 engineers into two-year federal positions, especially candidates with artificial intelligence and technical expertise who can work on complex government projects. The first round of hiring is expected to be completed by March 31.

Scott Kupor, the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, revealed that the administration wants to “get the benefit of really smart people working on some of the world’s most complex and difficult problems.”

The engineers will have roles spanning software engineering, AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics, and tackle specific projects within government agencies.

One confirmed project involves building a digital platform for the Trump administration’s savings accounts for children. The program is part of the administration’s AI agenda, which is being led in part by David Sacks, a former PayPal executive.

Former President Joe Biden established a similar initiative to recruit AI professionals for government jobs. That program resulted in about 200 hires, according to a 2024 statement from the Biden administration.

However, of those 200 hires, only about 75 remain in government roles, according to Kupor.

What happens after U.S. two-year program ends?

Private companies have pledged to consider the engineers who participate in the program for positions after they complete their government service. According to the program’s website, the list of companies includes major tech giants like Apple, Google, and Nvidia.

Private companies have responded by offering massive compensation packages. For instance, senior AI engineers at major tech firms often earn a total compensation exceeding $500,000 annually when stock options are included.

Cryptopolitan recently reported that tech companies like Google, xAI, Meta, and others are offering monetary compensations such as $100 million signing bonuses and immediate access to equity in order to attract and retain talent.

The federal government traditionally cannot match these salary levels, which explains why the Trump administration structured this program with private sector support. Companies that have struggled to recruit workers can also benefit from the government initiative.