INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency

San Diego (CA)

Remote

USD 106,000 - 173,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Job summary

Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) seeks a qualified Counterintelligence Special Agent (CISA) to serve as a subject matter expert for CI collection, reporting, and operations, protecting the cleared Defense Industrial Base. The incumbent advises on risk-based countermeasures and coordinates with DoD and IC partners.

The role supports CI awareness, training, and threat reporting; telework is eligible and a Top Secret clearance is required.

Responsibilities

Understand risk as a function of threat, vulnerability and consequence/value for cleared industry.
Evaluate, prioritize and manage risk within the cleared industry portfolio, in coordination with leadership.
Provide CI expertise on CPI and RDA issues involving facilities with sensitive information.
Develop and share countermeasures to deter or detect foreign intelligence collection efforts.
Collect and report CI information, produce IIRs meeting DoD CI requirements.
Collaborate with DoD components, USG LE and IC counterparts to share threat information.
Participate in CI and counter-proliferation forums and working groups.
Identify investigative thresholds to support investigations and operations.
Document who/what/when/where/why/how of suspicious contacts.
Coordinate CI activities with DCSA Security and Information System Security teams.
Contribute to training programs on CI, insider threat, and cyber threat awareness.

Job description

Hiring Agency: Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency

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.

Key Responsibilities

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 & Education

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

Which agency is hiring for this position?

This position is with Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Department of Defense.

What is the salary for this position?

The posted pay range is $106437 – $172980/yr.

Is this position remote or telework eligible?

This position is eligible for telework.

What security clearance is required?

This position requires a Top Secret security clearance.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 2026-10-09.