Internship

Graduate Research Scholar

NDSU Partnership

Updated on 8/17/2026

Deadline 8/31/26
Bluestaq

Bluestaq

51-200 employees

Secure data infrastructure for mission-critical sectors

Compensation Overview

$28 - $42/hr

No H1B Sponsorship

Colorado Springs, CO, USA + 1 more

More locations: Fargo, ND, USA

Hybrid

Academic-year research is based in Fargo; the mandatory summer internship is on-site in Colorado Springs. Relocation is not offered.

US Citizenship, US Top Secret Clearance Required

Master's, PhD

Category
AI & Machine Learning (1)
Required Skills
LLM

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Requirements
  • Currently enrolled in, or admitted to, an M.S. or Ph.D. program at North Dakota State University in a qualifying discipline.
  • Have a strong academic record and genuine interest in applying artificial intelligence and data to national-security challenges.
  • Be a U.S. citizen and eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
  • Complete the joint Bluestaq/NDSU review and selection process.
Responsibilities
  • Conduct Bluestaq-defined research beginning in Fall 2026 in one or more focus areas: Large Language Models, data sourcing and tagging, knowledge graphs or graph stores, agentic artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and prompt engineering.
  • Work independently and with North Dakota State University faculty advisors, with research direction and technical alignment provided by Bluestaq.
  • Complete a paid summer internship at Bluestaq headquarters in Colorado Springs as a direct continuation of the sponsored research.
  • Deliver immediate mission impact through hands-on application of the sponsored research.
  • Advance capabilities in Large Language Models, knowledge graphs, natural language processing, and agentic artificial intelligence for defense and national-security customers.
Desired Qualifications
  • Current U.S. security clearance; current clearance holders are strongly encouraged to apply.
  • Student interest and alignment in shaping the Bluestaq-defined research work.

Bluestaq provides secure data infrastructure that supports missions across defense, commercial, healthcare, and space sectors, enabling safe storage, sharing, and processing across cloud, hybrid, and edge environments. It builds platforms that handle data storage, processing, and controlled access with encryption and compliance so teams access the right data when needed. The company stands out through mission-focused, scalable data solutions and a people‑first culture, reflected in Inc. 5000 honoree status and Best Workplace awards. Its goal is to enable mission-ready data globally to support critical operations across multiple sectors.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Founded

2018

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Colorado approved 585 net new jobs in 2022, signaling sustained growth ambitions.
  • Bluestaq said in 2026 it is hiring 22 roles, concentrated in Colorado Springs.
  • July 16, 2026 ARQ launch expands addressable markets into healthcare, finance, agriculture, and government.

What critics are saying

  • ARQ's commercial launch on July 16, 2026 lacks disclosed customers, revenue, or renewal proof.
  • Bluestaq's defense-to-commercial pivot pits it against Palantir, Databricks, and Snowflake immediately.
  • If ARQ wins no repeat commercial accounts by 2027, the platform story collapses.

What makes Bluestaq unique

  • July 16, 2026: BLUESTAQ / ARQ spans CLOUD, EDGE, ENCLAVE, and MOBILE deployments.
  • Bluestaq sells secure data movement without replacing legacy systems; that reduces switching friction.
  • Built from defense and intelligence work since 2018, not generic enterprise software.

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Benefits

Annual performance bonus

Private health cover allowance

Health/wellness allowance

Professional subscription

Salary sacrifice and salary packaging options

Paid Vacation

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

24%

1 year growth

24%

2 year growth

24%
SpaceNews
Jul 16th, 2026
Bluestaq launches BLUESTAQ / ARQ defense-grade data infrastructure now available for commercial, government, and enterprise organizations.

Bluestaq launches BLUESTAQ / ARQ defense-grade data infrastructure now available for commercial, government, and enterprise organizations. Eight years of architecture built for the most demanding environments on the planet. Now available to every organization with the same problem. COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, July 16, 2026 - Bluestaq today announced the launch of BLUESTAQ / ARQ, the company's commercial data infrastructure platform. / ARQ is built for organizations in healthcare, financial services, agriculture, government, and commercial operations that need their data to move securely, compliantly, and without replacing what they already have. The data problem isn't new. Critical information exists across systems that don't talk to each other, governance requirements turn days into months, and integrations that should take a week take a year. Bluestaq has been solving this problem since 2018, not in a lab, but in operational environments where data failures carry real consequences. Federal security operations. Multi-agency coordination at scale. Environments where the architecture either works or it doesn't. The problem is the same whether the stakes are operational, clinical, financial, or agricultural and so is the platform. Platform Architecture BLUESTAQ / ARQ is the foundation. Four deployment environments meet organizations wherever they operate: * ARQ / CLOUD is built for organizations operating in modern, scalable cloud environments. * ARQ / EDGE supports on-premises, tactical, and sovereign infrastructure where cloud connectivity cannot be guaranteed. * ARQ / ENCLAVE serves classified and high-security network environments. * ARQ / MOBILE puts iOS, Android, and ATAK-class access in the hands of distributed and field-deployed teams. Four capabilities extend / ARQ's reach across data sources, distribution channels, and decision workflows: * ARQ / MARKET connects organizations with vetted data vendors worldwide for the discovery, procurement, and governed secure delivery of commercial datasets. * ARQ / AI delivers intelligence at mission speed - we bring the infrastructure, you bring the analytics. * ARQ / FABRIC federates, synchronizes, and replicates data across every / ARQ deployment into a real time connected global data mesh. * ARQ / INTEROP connects / ARQ to the systems you already trust, integrating directly with your analytics platforms, operations systems, and dashboards. Throughout it all, customers retain full ownership and control of their data. "We built this in environments where the data had to move and there was no room to get it wrong. Eight years supporting critical operations around the globe. We learned this problem is the same everywhere. Healthcare, agriculture, financial services. Organizations with invaluable data stuck in systems that don't talk to each other. / ARQ is the connective infrastructure that makes it move. I am jacked about the partnerships we are building across the defense, allied, agriculture and financial communities, and we are just getting warmed up." Dr. Seth Harvey, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Bluestaq Availability BLUESTAQ / ARQ is available immediately. Visit arq.bluestaq.com or contact the team at [email protected] to schedule a discussion. The Architecture of Trust. Built to work. Proven in mission. Media Contact Rebecca Decker Chief Operating Officer, Bluestaq [email protected] | (719) 394-1059 About Bluestaq Bluestaq is a data company founded in 2018, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with additional offices in London, Canberra, and Brisbane. The company builds secure, hybrid data platforms for organizations that refuse to accept "good enough" when it comes to moving their most important data. The data's there. It's always been there. We just made it move.

PR Newswire
Jul 16th, 2026
Bluestaq launches BLUESTAQ / ARQ defense-grade data infrastructure now available for commercial, government, and enterprise organizations.

Bluestaq launches BLUESTAQ / ARQ defense-grade data infrastructure now available for commercial, government, and enterprise organizations. Jul 16, 2026, 06:00 ET Eight years of architecture built for the most demanding environments on the planet. Now available to every organization with the same problem. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Bluestaq today announced the launch of BLUESTAQ / ARQ, the company's commercial data infrastructure platform. / ARQ is built for organizations in healthcare, financial services, agriculture, government, and commercial operations that need their data to move securely, compliantly, and without replacing what they already have. The data problem isn't new. Critical information exists across systems that don't talk to each other, governance requirements turn days into months, and integrations that should take a week take a year. Bluestaq has been solving this problem since 2018, not in a lab, but in operational environments where data failures carry real consequences. Federal security operations. Multi-agency coordination at scale. Environments where the architecture either works or it doesn't. The problem is the same whether the stakes are operational, clinical, financial, or agricultural and so is the platform. Platform Architecture BLUESTAQ / ARQ is the foundation. Four deployment environments meet organizations wherever they operate: * ARQ / CLOUD is built for organizations operating in modern, scalable cloud environments. * ARQ / EDGE supports on-premises, tactical, and sovereign infrastructure where cloud connectivity cannot be guaranteed. * ARQ / ENCLAVE serves classified and high-security network environments. * ARQ / MOBILE puts iOS, Android, and ATAK-class access in the hands of distributed and field-deployed teams. Four capabilities extend / ARQ's reach across data sources, distribution channels, and decision workflows: * ARQ / MARKET connects organizations with vetted data vendors worldwide for the discovery, procurement, and governed secure delivery of commercial datasets. * ARQ / AI delivers intelligence at mission speed - we bring the infrastructure, you bring the analytics. * ARQ / FABRIC federates, synchronizes, and replicates data across every / ARQ deployment into a real time connected global data mesh. * ARQ / INTEROP connects / ARQ to the systems you already trust, integrating directly with your analytics platforms, operations systems, and dashboards. Throughout it all, customers retain full ownership and control of their data. "We built this in environments where the data had to move and there was no room to get it wrong. Eight years supporting critical operations around the globe. We learned this problem is the same everywhere. Healthcare, agriculture, financial services. Organizations with invaluable data stuck in systems that don't talk to each other. / ARQ is the connective infrastructure that makes it move. I am jacked about the partnerships we are building across the defense, allied, agriculture and financial communities, and we are just getting warmed up." Dr. Seth Harvey, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Bluestaq Availability BLUESTAQ / ARQ is available immediately. Visit arq.bluestaq.com or contact the team at [email protected] to schedule a discussion. The Architecture of Trust. Built to work. Proven in mission. Media Contact Rebecca Decker Chief Operating Officer, Bluestaq [email protected] | (719) 394-1059 About Bluestaq Bluestaq is a data company founded in 2018, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with additional offices in London, Canberra, and Brisbane. The company builds secure, hybrid data platforms for organizations that refuse to accept "good enough" when it comes to moving their most important data. The data's there. It's always been there. We just made it move. SOURCE Bluestaq LLC

GovCon Wire
Apr 18th, 2024
Army Veteran Brandon Tripp Joins Software Developer Bluestaq as Chief Growth Officer

Army veteran Brandon Tripp joins software developer Bluestaq as chief growth officer.

The Business Journals
Mar 21st, 2022
Bluestaq LLC increases headcount by 585

Bluestaq expects to create 585 net new jobs over the next eight years.

KRDO
Jan 19th, 2022
Bluestaq increases headcount by 60

Bluestaq outgrew its original location at Catalyst Campus in downtown Colorado Springs and is close to outgrowing its current location in the 1st Bank building; the company plans to hire an additional 60 employees during the next 18 months.