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ODNI Entry-level Intelligence Research Specialist

Office of the Director of National Intelligence
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) leads the nation's effort to protect the United States from terrorism by integrating, analyzing and sharing information to drive whole-of-government action and achieve our national CT objectives.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
09/22/2023 to 09/29/2023
This job will close when we have received 500 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$64,957 to - $84,441 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
McLean, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
23-12140730-DNI/NCTC/EXDIR
Control number
750829000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to current and former Federal employees with competitive or excepted status; and all U.S. Citizens. Former members of the Peace Corps (including trainees and volunteers) will not be considered for ODNI employment until five full years have elapsed since separation from the Peace Corps. Current GS 9 employees in entry level positions from other US Government agencies may apply.

Duties

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The Officer of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) serves as the head of the U.S. Intelligence Community, overseeing and directing the implementation of the National Intelligence Program and acting as the principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security. The Office of the Director of National Security is responsible for integrating all national and homeland security intelligence in defense of the homeland and in support of U.S. national security interests.

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is a sub-component of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence which leads our nation's effort to combat terrorism at home and abroad by analyzing the threat, sharing that information with our partners, and integrating all instruments of national power to ensure unity of effort. The Center serves as the primary organization in the United States Government (USG) for analyzing and integrating all intelligence possessed or acquired by the USG pertaining to terrorism and counterterrorism (CT), and its Director serves as the Counterterrorism Mission Manager. NCTC also serves as the central and shared knowledge bank on known and suspected terrorists and international terrorist groups, as well as their goals, strategies, capabilities, and networks of contacts and support. In addition, NCTC conducts strategic operational planning for counterterrorism activities, coordinating and integrating the efforts of departments and agencies across the Federal Government.

If you have strong research, analytic, critical thinking, oral communication, and writing skills, then we are looking for you!

As a member of our team, you will enter into a tailored, two-year entry-level training program designed to provide you with the knowledge, tools, resources, and corporate vision to excel as an intelligence professional for the rest of your career. This multi-phase program features a mix of structured classroom training, ODNI, NCTC, mission familiarizations and rotations, and on the job training. Upon completion of the Program, you will be ready to tackle some of the IC's most challenging mission needs. As part of this Program, you will complete assignments in multiple ODNI and NCTC directorates and offices, and you may be asked to undertake a period of shiftwork (e.g. evenings, overnights, weekends) during your training period. You will also gain an understanding of ODNI/NCTC partners and customers through completion of one year cumulative (52 weeks) rotation outside of ODNI, which is required to be eligible for promotion to GS-13. You will develop a broad range of intelligence officer tools and some specialized skill sets. Intelligence Research Specialist encompasses a broad range of job titles for which you may be selected. Examples include, but are not limited to:
  • All-source Analyst
  • Watch Officer
  • Identity Intelligence Analyst
  • Targeting Analyst
  • Strategy Officer
Duties undertaken by Officers selected from this announcement include:
  • Provide timely, insightful, and sophisticated all-source analysis or situational awareness--in collaboration with Intelligence Community partners--on threats (terrorist, proliferation, security, cyber or counterintelligence) to US interests, author a range of finished intelligence products, and brief policy, intelligence, law enforcement, and military, customers to inform decision-making on national security.
  • Identify as early as possible leads that could become threats to the Homeland and US interests abroad. Work with mission partners across the government to help disrupt potential threats.
  • Perform in-depth all-source research and analysis; conduct targeted analysis of known and unknown terrorist personalities, groups, and networks to reveal identity attributes for future analytical and/or watchlisting purposes.
  • Maintain 24/7 global situational awareness by independently researching and analyzing raw intelligence reporting and maintaining awareness of current intelligence issues.
  • Integrate and develop strategies and plans in coordination and collaboration with other US Government agencies and private sector entities to counter threats to US interests.
  • Monitor and evaluate use of agencies' resources to meet mission objectives, examine alternatives, and provide recommendations. Assess progress made against mission objectives and develop recommendations to enhance performance.
Provide unique subject matter expertise (e.g. scientific, regional, functional, linguistic, technical) that can be applied to advance the intelligence mission.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen residing in the United States
  • Appointment is subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance based on an SBI with eligibility for sensitive compartmented information (SCI)
  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • A two-year trial period is required for all new permanent appointments to the ODNI.

Qualifications

Mandatory Requirements:

Must be a US citizen currently residing in the United States to apply.

Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree conferred within two years of 2023 (no earlier than 2021). Rising academic juniors and seniors for the fall of 2023 may apply; degree must be conferred by the candidate's Entry on Duty (EOD) date.

Interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to work effectively both independently and in a team or collaborative environment.

Analytical, critical thinking, research, writing skills, and collaboration skills.

Ability to effectively plan, research, develop, and write high-quality, complex analyses, studies, projects, and briefings in relation to key U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives with input and support from first line supervisor.

Ability to promote the development and use of a broad range of methodological tools and approaches to research, analyze, and present data (modeling, link analysis, or software) with input and support from first line supervisor.

Ability to execute senior-level guidance in a fast-paced environment and ability to translate strategic goals into specific objectives with appropriate metrics and methods to track progress toward meeting those goals with input and support from first line supervisor.

Desired Requirements:

Knowledge in a geographic region or subject matter related to CT.

Proficiency in a foreign language.

Experience with data analysis/visualization, data modeling, or statistics.

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Additional information

Job Interview Travel: All interviews will be conducted virtually via video conference. Please note, applicants must be physically located within the United States while participating in their video interview. Any travel or lodging required to be physically present in the United States during a video interview will be at the applicant's personal expense.

ODNI will provide travel reimbursement for travel expenses associated with security and medical processing for those applicants' offered employment who live more that 75 miles from the National Capital Region (NCR).

Salary Determination:

The ODNI uses a rank-in-person system in which rank is attached to GS employees on the basis of individual qualifications, experience, and performance.

Individuals whose current GS grade is equivalent to the grade of the advertised position will retain their current grade and step.

Individuals who transfer to the ODNI from a non-GS pay scale will have base pay converted to the appropriate GS grade and step as determined by the Director/ Human Resource Management.

On occasional instances when a current federal civilian employee applies for an ODNI position that is a lower grade than his or her personal grade, the candidate's personal grade will be downgraded to the grade of the advertised ODNI position and pay will be set at the step that is closest to but not less than the employee's current annual base rate of pay, not to exceed the maximum rate (i.e., step 10) of the GS grade to which assigned.

The grade and salary for a selected non-federal candidate will be set within the advertised salary range based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and educational degree. Once hired, promotion for all GS permanent employees will be considered by a Promotion Board.

Relocation Expenses: For new ODNI employees, reimbursement for relocation is discretionary based on availability of funds.

Reasonable Accommodations:
The ODNI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Reasonable Accommodations Officer by classified email at dni_reasonable_accommodation_wma@cia.ic.gov, by unclassified email at DNI_DRA@dni.gov, by telephone at 703-275-3900 or by FAX at 703-275-1217. Your request for reasonable accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO THE EEOD EMAIL ADDRESS. THIS EMAIL IS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS ONLY.

The ODNI is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations.
Throughout your process with us, you may travel abroad. However, for your safety and the security of our process, do not communicate with ODNI by hard copy mail, telephone, email or internet any time you are physically outside the United States or its territories. You should never attempt to contact us from outside the United States or its territories once you are in process with us. If you have taken an electronic device overseas and intend to use that device to send your application, you should run a virus scanning software on your system before proceeding as we will not process any application that is contaminated.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the required qualifications and then construct their resume to highlight their most relevant and significant experience and education for this job opportunity. Cover letters should also highlight applicants' most relevant and significant experience and education for this job opportunity, including examples that detail the level and complexity of the work performed.

The most highly qualified applicants will be further evaluated through a live video interview process.

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