GEOINT Certification & Assessment Development Specialist

Zachary Piper, LLC; Springfield (VA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 102,000; Full time

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions seeks a GEOINT Certification & Assessment Development Specialist to support NGA certification programs through assessment development, sustainment, and GEOINT tradecraft advancement. This 100% onsite role in Springfield, VA requires an active TS/SCI clearance.

The specialist will design defensible assessments, train SMEs, facilitate standard-setting, pilot tests, and coordinate with psychometricians and leadership to validate certification instruments.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• 5+ years developing GEOINT tradecraft competencies with SMEs and leadership.
• 24+ months ensuring compliance with third-party certification or accreditation bodies.
• 24+ months designing legally defensible test instruments and assessments.
• Experience training SMEs in assessment development and test item construction.
• Facilitation of item development workshops and standard-setting panels.
• Experience aligning assessments with proficiency levels and performance standards.
• Strong written and verbal communication with technical SMEs and senior leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple assessment development activities in a structured environment.

Responsibilities

• Support NGA Certification Program development, maintenance, and sustainment.
• Develop GEOINT tradecraft competency assessments for professional certification.
• Train SMEs in assessment development and test item construction.
• Facilitate item development workshops and guide standard-setting panels.
• Coordinate pilot assessments, planning, execution, and evaluation.
• Ensure instruments are legally defensible, technically sound, and standards-aligned.
• Support quality assurance, item reviews, and continuous improvement across the lifecycle.
• Engage with GEOINT analysts, training organizations, and leadership to advance objectives.
• Maintain documentation and program requirements for third-party accreditation.

Skills

GEOINT tradecraft

Analytical skills

Facilitation

Instructional skills

Communication

Project coordination

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a GEOINT Certification & Assessment Development Specialist to support the NGA Certification Program through assessment development, certification sustainment, and GEOINT tradecraft competency advancement initiatives. This position is 100% onsite in Springfield, VA and requires an active TS/SCI clearance. The GEOINT Certification & Assessment Development Specialist will support the development, maintenance, and sustainment of NGA certification programs by designing legally defensible assessments, training GEOINT subject matter experts in assessment development, facilitating standard-setting panels, and coordinating with psychometricians and GEOINT leadership to establish and validate certification assessments.

Responsibilities of the GEOINT Certification & Assessment Development Specialist include:

• Support the development, maintenance, and sustainment of the NGA Certification Program in accordance with applicable policies, guidance, and references outlined in draft DoD Manual 10.
• Develop and advance GEOINT tradecraft competency assessments supporting professional certification and strategic human capital initiatives.
• Train and lead GEOINT subject matter experts (SMEs) in developing assessment questions and test items aligned with the proficiency levels and competencies being evaluated.
• Facilitate item development workshops and guide SMEs through assessment question construction, review, refinement, and validation processes.
• Assemble pilot assessments and support pilot planning, coordination, execution, and evaluation activities.
• Facilitate and administer standard-setting panels to establish provisional cut scores and assessment performance standards.
• Coordinate with psychometricians and GEOINT SMEs to develop, refine, and validate assessment instruments and testing methodologies.
• Ensure assessment instruments are legally defensible, technically sound, and aligned with established certification and assessment standards.
• Support assessment quality assurance, item review, test refinement, and continuous improvement throughout the certification lifecycle.
• Engage with GEOINT analysts, training organizations, certification stakeholders, and leadership to advance GEOINT tradecraft development and certification objectives.
• Support compliance with third-party certification and accreditation bodies, including maintaining documentation, standards alignment, and program requirements.
• Contribute to certification program policies, procedures, documentation, and sustainment activities supporting NGA's GEOINT workforce development initiatives.

Qualifications of the GEOINT Certification & Assessment Development Specialist include:

• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience developing GEOINT tradecraft competencies and engaging with GEOINT analysts, training organizations, and leadership to advance GEOINT tradecraft development and strategic human capital initiatives.
• Minimum of 24 months of demonstrated experience developing and maintaining compliance with third-party certification, accreditation, or professional standards bodies.
• Minimum of 24 months of demonstrated experience designing and constructing legally defensible test instruments and assessments.
• Demonstrated experience training subject matter experts in assessment development and test item construction.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating and administering item development workshops and standard-setting panels.
• Experience developing assessment questions aligned with defined proficiency levels, competencies, and performance standards.
• Strong analytical, instructional, organizational, and facilitation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to coordinate with technical SMEs, psychometricians, and senior leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple assessment development activities and support certification program requirements in a highly structured environment.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience supporting professional certification programs, certification sustainment, or assessment validation initiatives.
• Experience developing certification policies, procedures, standards, and program documentation.
• Familiarity with psychometric principles, assessment design methodologies, test validation, and standard-setting approaches.
• Knowledge of GEOINT tradecraft, GEOINT analyst competencies, and Intelligence Community workforce development initiatives.
• Experience supporting NGA, NSG, ASG, or other Intelligence Community certification and training programs.
• Familiarity with third-party certification compliance, accreditation standards, and legally defensible testing practices.

Compensation for the GEOINT Certification & Assessment Development Specialist includes:

• Salary range of $80,000–$102,000 annually, depending on experience
• qualifications.
• Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k Plan, Holidays, PTO, sick leave as required by law

Keywords:

GEOINT Certification, Certification Specialist, Assessment Development, Test Development, Assessment Design, Test Instrument Development, Legally Defensible Assessments, Psychometrics, Standard Setting, Cut Score Development, Item Development, Assessment Validation, Certification Sustainment, Certification Compliance, Third-Party Accreditation, Certification Program Development, GEOINT Tradecraft, GEOINT Competencies, GEOINT Analyst, Subject Matter Experts, SME Training, Item Development Workshops, Standard-Setting Panels, Pilot Testing, Test Construction, Proficiency Assessments, Human Capital Development, Workforce Development, NGA Certification Program, DoD Manual 10, Policy Development, Certification Standards, TS/SCI, Springfield VA.

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