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Open-Source (OSINT) Targeter

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

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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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/13/2026 to 05/28/2026
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy 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
No
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
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-12959359-DNI/NCTC/DOS
Control number
868755000

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 may be considered for ODNI employment only if five full years have elapsed since separation from the Peace Corps.

Duties

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The NCTC Operations Center (NCTOC) serves as NCTC's point of entry for intelligence reporting and provides situational awareness on global terrorism issues and breaking real-world events. It is the central hub for communications between the Center, the IC, and the broader CT community. The Open-Source (OSINT) Targeter is a member of the Open-Source Integration Group-a centralized, dedicated OSINT hub within NCTOC, providing specialized services to streamline collection, analysis, targeting, and integration of open-source information

Identify and develop priorities for OSINT collection and analysis, including individuals, organizations, and networks, based on customer requirements and intelligence priorities

Conduct in-depth research using open-source intelligence (OSINT) techniques and tools to gather and analyze information in support crisis events or significant national, regional, and/or global issues

Monitor social media platforms, online forums, and other digital environments to identify and track mission priorities

Collect, process, and analyze large amounts of data from various OSINT sources, including news articles, blogs, and online databases. Produce and disseminate timely, accurate, and actionable intelligence reports to customers, including written summaries, visualizations, target packages, and briefings

Develop and maintain detailed profiles, including publicly available activities and associated networks

Maintain productive working relationships with colleagues, experts, IC members, policy committees, and law enforcement agencies as appropriate and use these relationships to share information of interest; attend internal and external training, seminars, or conferences on broad or more strategic subject areas

Continuously update knowledge and skills to keep pace with emerging trends, technologies, and techniques in OSINT, including changes in social media platforms, online behaviors, and data sources

Other duties, as assigned

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

FREE RESPONSE ESSAY QUESTIONS

All applicants must answer the following four short, free response essay questions. The responses cannot exceed 200 words per question. By submitting your responses to the following questions, you certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]).

  1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
  2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
  3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
  4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.
Required Qualifications

Strong research and analysis skills, with the ability to work with large datasets and identify relevant patterns and trends.

Proficiency in OSINT tools and techniques, including social media monitoring, network analysis, and data analytics software.

Experience with intelligence reporting and analysis, including the ability to produce clear, concise, and actionable intelligence products.

Strong understanding of online environments, including social media platforms, online forums, and other digital ecosystems.

Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team or collaborative environment, and mentor junior colleagues.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think critically and creatively.

Desired Qualifications

Skills in handling unstructured data, including extraction, normalization, and visualization to create timelines, heatmaps, or network diagrams that reveal trends, networks, or emerging threats

Experience with geospatial tools and techniques to analyze and visualize data, including location-based information and movement patterns

Experience analyzing blockchain data and cryptocurrency transactions to identify and track financial activities, including money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit transactions

Analyst Notebook, InDesign/Adobe, Microsoft suite tools, Palantir, ArcGIS, Google Earth, Block chain data managed attribution browsers, PAI/CAI datasets.

Education

Do not submit transcripts.

Additional information

JOB INTERVIEW TRAVEL

Candidates from outside the Washington Metropolitan Area (WMA) may be selected for a telephone, teleconference, or in-person interview.

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 Chief of Human Resource Management.

In some cases 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, and not less than, the employee's current annual base rate of pay, not to exceed the maximum step rate of the GS grade to which assigned.

RELOCATION EXPENSES

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

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

The ODNI provides reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Reasonable Accommodations Office Representative by email at DNI_COO_HRM_RA_ALL@odni.gov, by telephone at (703)275-3900 or by FAX at (703)275-1277. Your request for reasonable accommodations will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO THE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION 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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

You must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement. We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you are among the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

You can help protect the nation at ODNI by working in an environment that provides our nation's leaders with intelligence they require to make decisions and protect the nation. We are integral to forging partnerships and building trust between all 18 intelligence agencies from the Central Intelligence Agency to the Office of Naval Intelligence. Come be a part of the team that ensures our nation's leaders have the intelligence information they require to make the decisions necessary to keep the nation safe.

Agency contact information

ODNI HRM HOST
Email
ODNI_HRM_HOST_Team@odni.gov
Address
DIRECTORATE OF OPERATIONS SUPPORT
Director Of National Intelligence
Washington, DC 20511
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Office of the Director of National Intelligence, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.dni.gov/

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