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Intelligence Operations Specialist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide

Summary

This position is in the Excepted Service under U.S.C. 50 § 3024(v) and appointments are made without regard to the requirements of the Competitive Service by laws, Executive order, or OPM regulations.

The position is located in Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Office of Collection and Technical Programs (INR/CTP). INR/CTP works closely with a variety of members of the Intelligence Community (IC) to coordinate sensitive technical intelligence collection operations and programs.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 07/17/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 17, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational Telework Per Agency policy
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
14
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel of 10%
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
S/INR-EXC-2026-0027
Control number
876052200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Department of State employees within the Bureau of Intelligence and Research only.

Duties

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  • Serves as Department subject matter expert and action officer for the Intelligence Community (IC) Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) collection program.
  • Serves as action officer for foreign SIGINT relationships. Engages senior State policymakers to determine if the relationships are meeting their needs.
  • Represents the Department as regular representative to the IC Signals Intelligence Committee (SIGCOM). Represents the Department as a member of SIGCOM Access Integration Council.
  • Serves as action officer for proposed IC actions requiring State clearance in accordance with National Security Decision Directive-38 (NSDD-38). Engages State policymakers to determine if they have any foreign policy objection to IC proposals.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  • Obtain/maintain eligibility to access Sensitive Compartmented Information

Qualifications

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience working as a subject matter expert on the SIGINT program and evaluating program effectiveness to ensure it meets Department needs.  
  • Experience managing the interagency and intra-Department coordination process to ensure conformity in sensitive intelligence programs with policy, procedure, and law. 
  • Experience working closely with senior officials in geographic and functional bureaus and with Department principals to coordinate the Department’s priorities for sensitive intelligence activities. 

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-14 position.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at OAA@state.gov.
  • If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in this Bureau for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.
  • Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM’s  CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position. 

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.

For this announcement, all applicants will be assessed to determine if they meet the qualifications for this position, specifically the education, specialized experience, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the work of the position. All applications that meet the required qualifications and determined to be best-qualified will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

Your resume limited to two pages serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following KSAs and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

  • Knowledge of intelligence practices and procedures and the ability to apply this knowledge to policy reviews and to intelligence products.
  • Expert knowledge of the opportunities and limitations associated with the SIGINT enterprise
  • Knowledge of the national security system, including other intelligence agencies such as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the National Security Council (NSC), and authorities and missions of the Intelligence Community as defined by Executive Orders and DNI Directives.
  • Ability to work under pressure and to handle multiple, changing priorities.
  • Ability to represent the Department, INR and INR/CTP at inter office, inter bureau, and inter agency meetings with senior level personnel.
  • Ability to exercise independent initiative and superior judgment on policy issues of the highest priority to the Department and the USG.

Veterans:  Although consideration of Veterans’ Preference is not required under 50 U.S.C. § 30240(v) to the extent it would be under the competitive service; the Department of State considers veterans' preference as a positive factor in the hiring process.


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Department of State - Agency Wide

The U.S. Department of State, our country’s lead foreign policy agency, provides employees with a dynamic international career whether at home or abroad and unique professional development opportunities.  Each day, our employees make a difference as they advance the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity, through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance.  We embrace our talented workforce which reflects the personal, professional, and educational strengths of our country. 

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Agency contact information

Tony Rice
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
RiceTL@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
Not accepting applications by Mail
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States

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