Intelligence Officer

Canadian Armed Forces; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Join the Canadian Armed Forces as an Intelligence Officer to provide vital military intelligence support. This role requires the ability to analyze crucial information, manage teams, and operate advanced technology in various environments. With a commitment to national security, you will play a pivotal role in military strategies and decision-making processes, making a significant impact on operations both locally and internationally.

Qualifications

• University degree required, experience in military operations is beneficial.
• Strong analytical skills and technological proficiency needed.
• Ability to work in dynamic environments and communicate effectively.

Responsibilities

• Recognize and analyze information affecting military operations.
• Command and manage intelligence units and technological systems.
• Ensure timely dissemination of intelligence for strategic decision-making.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Leadership

Information Technology Proficiency

Communication

Education

University Degree

Job description

As a member of the military, Intelligence Officers provide military intelligence support in operations, planning and decision-making.

As a member of the military, Intelligence Officers provide military intelligence support in operations, planning and decision-making. Their work has an impact on military and national security, and the political and public relations of the government.

The primary responsibilities of Intelligence Officers are to:

• Recognize and analyze information which is likely to affect military operations, national policies and objectives
• Command, direct and control an intelligence unit, section or team
• Operate and manage information technology systems
• Advise and plan employment of sophisticated intelligence collection and surveillance systems
• Safeguard highly classified material

Work environment

Intelligence Officers usually work in an office environment but they can also participate in local, national and international operations, in various climates and conditions.

If you chose a career in theRegular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

I am Major Thomas Huet from Ottawa, Ontario, and I'm an Intelligence Officer.

Narrator :

The days of simply knowing who and where the enemy is and how they fight are over. The job of an intelligence officer is to predict the future in an asymmetrical world. Intelligence officers are responsible for ensuring their commanders are well-informed on the ground, in the air or on the seas. They must understand operating environments as events unfold and lead their teams to collect information, including weather, terrain, enemy forces, people and politics.

Maj Huet :

Intelligence is really a critical function because really we work hand in hand with operations. Our job is to essentially provide them the information necessary to make their decisions.

Narrator :

Collecting intelligence is both an art and a science. Intelligence officers use computerised tools to help their teams analyse massive amounts of information.

Maj Huet :

The first step is direction. We talk to our commanders and understand what the problems are. The second thing we do is collection. So we go out and gather that information that we're looking for. So that could be HUMINT, someone on the ground asking questions that could be ISR, so a UAV platform up in the air or that could be a satellite that is just basically flying around the earth. And so we basically try to pick the best sensor to answer the question that we're looking at. And then the last step is we disseminate that information to the people who need to know.

Narrator :

Intelligence officers must also use their instincts and training to evaluate situations.

Maj Huet :

Intelligence is only as good as it is timely. If we take all the time in the world to get the answer right, sometimes it might be too late. So we have to try to find and strike a balance between getting the right information and getting the information fast enough.

Narrator :

Intelligence officers do a lot of writing and we'll find themselves conveying information to a very senior audience early in their careers. They must become comfortable quickly and feel confident about the information they present.

Maj Huet :

What I'm trying to do is essentially provide the commander with the information he needs to make his decision. And his decision could be, do I fly today or not? Or it could be, do I attack today or how do I attack? So really, we're basically providing the decisional superiority. So we're trying to basically make sure that they are able to make decisions better than the enemy commanders.

For me, I think the most interesting part of my career was when I was deployed recently and I was in charge of an organisation that was responsible for full motion video analysis. So we basically took the videos that were coming off of the different unmanned aerial vehicles in the theatre and we got to analyse them. And so I was in charge of about 80 people doing that analysis and basically directly helping the war fighters on the ground to figure out what was happening in that area of operations.

Intelligence, one of the things I appreciate is just that I get to learn about everything and learn about, you know, what's happening in the world. I just kind of really enjoy the aspect of, you know, figuring it out. And when I have a question, I don't always have the information at hand. And so I have to figure out how do I get that information? And so that to me is really gratifying because I get to basically figure out plans and problems of every day.

I think the piece of advice that I would offer someone who's thinking about a career in the Canadian Forces and in intelligence in particular, is that if you enjoy, you know, knowing about the world, if you enjoy research, then this is probably the c areer for you.

Being curious about the world would lead to success in this trade.

Related Civilian Occupations

• Intelligence Analyst or Operator
• Political Analyst
• Information Management Specialist
• Police and Security Investigator and Consultant

If you already have a university degree, the CAF will decide if your academic program matches the criteria for this job and may place you directly into the required on-the-job training program following basic training. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned.