INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Summary

DCSA is seeking a qualified CI professional to serve as a Counterintelligence Special Agent (CISA). In this role you will serve as an SME responsible for providing CI functional services, oversight, and support to the cleared Defense Industrial Base (DIB). This is a great opportunity for those with a broad experience in CI collection, reporting, FIE tradecraft, and operations.

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Duties

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As a INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST you will be responsible for the following duties:

• The incumbent needs to understand that risk, as it pertains to cleared industry, is a function of threat, vulnerability and consequence/value. The incumbent understands the interrelationship of these variables for cleared industry. The incumbent evaluates, prioritizes and manages risk within the cleared industry portfolio they are assigned in coordination with the Regional Mission Director, CI and Region Operations Officer.
• The incumbent serves as a technical expert and consultant on CI and counter-proliferation issues involving facilities where Critical Program Information (CPI) resides, and facilitates support for DoD Research, Development, and Acquisition (RDA) programs. The incumbent provides advice and guidance as the basis for the development of new countermeasures/mitigation strategies to deter and/or detect FIE's attempts at illegally acquiring sensitive or classified CPI or RDA information and technology. This also includes using initiative and resourcefulness in deviating from traditional CI methods to develop new methods, criteria, and proposed strategies to counter FIE activities.
• The incumbent brings broad experience in CI collection and reporting. The incumbent conducts CI collection activities in cleared industry and produces and disseminates relevant reports meeting the full range of DCSA and DoD collection requirements. The incumbent prepares Intelligence Information Reports (IIRs) meeting National and DoD CI collection requirements.
• The incumbent maintains highly collaborative relationships with other DoD components, USG Law Enforcement (LE) and Intelligence Community (IC) counterparts, and with cleared contractors, to understand their requirements and to enable DCSA to collect, evaluate and share complete, threat information relevant to each counterpart. The incumbent is active in relevant counterpart forums, such as CI working groups; counter-proliferation working groups; research development and acquisition working groups; and CI task forces, to name a few.
• The incumbent develops an understanding of the investigative and operational information thresholds required by counterpart USG LE agencies and Military Department CI Organizations to support the initiation of investigations and operations. The incumbent collects and refers complete information answering the basic interrogatives required by our counterparts, typically documenting who, what, when, where, why and the how of a suspicious contact.
• The incumbent synchronizes all CI activities as an equal partner with DCSA Industrial Security Representatives and Information System Security Professionals to maximize DCSA mission efficiency and effectiveness in thwarting FIE and foreign commercial adversary attempts to obtain sensitive and classified U.S. information and technology. The incumbent participates in the Security Vulnerability Assessment process at cleared industry facilities to identify vulnerabilities and threats to sensitive and classified information and technology and recommend effective mitigation strategies.
• The incumbent supports all DCSA personnel in matters involving CI awareness and reporting requirements, the foreign intelligence threat, and makes recommendations for the implementation of appropriate CI countermeasures necessary to counter FIE collection efforts targeting DCSA.
• The incumbent prepares and presents significant case briefings for senior USG officials to articulate the threat to sensitive and classified technologies and programs in cleared industry. The incumbent also conducts CI threat awareness training to sensitize DCSA and cleared contractor personnel to the threats posed by FIEs per DoD 5240.06, "Counterintelligence (CI) Awareness and Reporting". They also develop, plan, or contribute to DCSA and to DCSA' Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE) training programs on CI, insider threat, and cyber threat related issues for all DCSA employees and for cleared contractors.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a US citizen
• Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. For more information
• Resume and supporting documents received by 11:59PM EST will be considered
• This is a Drug Testing designated position
• Position is a (DCIPS) position in the Excepted Service under U.S.C. 1601
• Work Schedule: Full Time
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Tour of Duty: Flexible
• PCS (Permanent Change of Station): Not Authorized
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Not Required
• Telework Eligibility: Supervisors may approve situational telework on a case-by-case, temporary basis for limited situations.
• If selected, the incumbent must obtain and maintain appropriate security clearance as indicated in job announcement.
• Incumbent must successfully complete the DoD CI Agent Course (DCAC) offered by the Joint CI Training Academy (JCITA) and be certified to carry CI Special Agent credentials within 18 months of onboarding in accordance with DoD 5240.02 and DoD 5240.06.
• This time period may be extended due to class availability. Failure to obtain DCAC certification may result in mandatory reassignment to a position that does not require credentials.
• The incumbent will be required to sign a continued service agreement agreeing to stay with the agency for 12 months upon completion of the DCAC training.
• Relocation incentive may be authorized for highly qualified individuals.

Qualifications

The experience described in your resume will be evaluated and screened from the Office of Personnel Management's (OPMs) basic qualifications requirements. See: for OPM qualification standards, competencies and specialized experience needed to perform the duties of the position as described in the MAJOR DUTIES and QUALIFICATIONS sections of this announcement by 10/09/2026

Applicant must have directly applicable experience that demonstrates the possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary for immediate success in the position. Qualifying experience may have been acquired in any public or private sector job, but will clearly demonstrate past experience in the application of the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position.

You must have specialized experience sufficient to demonstrate that you have acquired all the competencies necessary to perform at a level equivalent in difficulty, responsibility, and complexity to the next lower grade GG/GS-12 in the Federal service and are prepared to take on greater responsibility.

Generally, this would include one year or more of such specialized experience.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

1. Knowledge and experience in the field of counterintelligence (CI) collection, investigations, operations, and in-depth research, compilation, and field-level analysis of a wide range of extremely complex and sensitive information to determine Foreign Intelligence Entity threats to US interests.
2. Knowledge and experience with the National Industrial Security Program and the DoD Personnel Security Program process sufficient to correlate counterintelligence issues emerging within cleared industry.

Specifically you will be evaluated on the following competencies :

• Influencing/Negotiating: Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior; works with others towards an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions.
• Interpersonal Skills : Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.
• Oral Communication : Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Problem Solving : Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
• Self-Management: Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

Additional information

VETERANS PREFERENCE/CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL

In accordance with DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, veterans preference is not required to be applied when considering candidates with prior Federal competitive or excepted service who have completed a probationary or trial period and have not been separated for cause. Therefore, veterans preference will not be applied to applicants with current federal service, or former federal civilian service meeting the above criteria.

Re-employed Annuitant: This position does not meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at:

Applicants selected from this announcement may be required to serve a two-year trial period.

If selected, Federal employees currently serving in the competitive service must acknowledge that they will voluntarily leave the competitive service by accepting an offer of employment for a DCIPS excepted service positions.

If selected, non-DCIPS candidates must acknowledge in writing that the position they have been selected for is in the excepted service and covered by DCIPS.

All Defense Intelligence positions under the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) are in the excepted service by specific statue, 10 U.S.C. 1601. This position is in the excepted service and does not confer competitive status.

For more information on the DCIPS occupational structure click here.

For more information about career advancement in DCIPS click here.

This position is subject to an initial drug screening, and random testing thereafter. A negative drug test result must be received by HR within 30 calendar days after the EOD (i.e., start date). The selectee's inability successfully pass; or refusal to conduct the test may result in: 1) the tentative or FJO being withdrawn during the recruitment process; or 2) subsequently being removed from Federal service for failure to meet a condition of employment.

You may be required to sign a "Drug Test Statement of Understanding" if you are selected for this position.

As required by 5 C.F.R. § 302.106., DLA will provide Section 508 conformant ICT to employees with disabilities. All ICT interfaces with the public related to vacancy announcements and career transition opportunities must conform to the applicable requirements in the current ICT Standards and Guidelines (36 C.F.R. § 1194).

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.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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