Situational Awareness Specialist

Austincc; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Transportation is seeking a Situational Awareness Specialist to support operations at the Washington Navy Yard, DC. The role focuses on real-time monitoring of transportation networks to keep a continuous COP and quick escalation for emerging incidents.

The position requires active TS clearance and experience with OSINT, public sources, and interagency coordination to ensure timely, actionable reporting for DOT leadership.

Qualifications

• Active Top-Secret clearance required.
• Ability to process high-volume data in time-sensitive environments.
• Experience with OSINT and public information sources.
• Familiarity with ICS and NIMS protocols.
• Commitment to privacy of PII.

Responsibilities

• Real-Time Network Monitoring across open-source platforms to identify disruptions (accidents, weather, infrastructure failure).
• Rapid Incident Alerting: generate and disseminate SitRep to TOC and leadership upon detection of anomalies.
• Information Validation: corroborate internal data with external sources for accuracy during events.
• Interagency Information Exchange: share operational data with partners (FEMA, DHS, State DOTs).
• Public Impact Assessment: monitor discourse to identify secondary impacts on congestion and safety.
• Operational Documentation: maintain significant events and contribute to the daily SitRep.

Skills

Top-Secret clearance

High-volume data processing

Social media tracking

OSINT & PAI proficiency

ICS/NIMS familiarity

Public safety reporting

Tools

FlightAware

MarineTraffic

AIS data

Job description

Location: Washington Navy Yard, DC

Clearance: Must have an active Top Secret clearance

We are looking for a Situational Awareness Specialist to support work at the Washington Navy Yard. The Situational Awareness Specialist (SAS) provides real-time monitoring of the U.S. transportation network to ensure the Transportation Operations Center (TOC) maintains a continuous Common Operating Picture (COP). The SAS identifies emerging incidents, verifies ground truth through publicly available information (PAI), and ensures that USDOT leadership has the immediate data required for operational decision‑making.

Preference for University of Maryland START program graduates

Responsibilities

• Real-Time Network Monitoring: Under Intelligence Division oversight and in accordance with established OSINT and PAI guidelines, continuously monitor open-source platforms, including social media, news aggregators, aviation/maritime trackers, and traffic platforms to identify disruptions (accidents, weather, infrastructure failure).
• Rapid Incident Alerting: Generate and disseminate Situation Awareness report to S-60, TOC, and Intelligence Division leadership upon detection of anomalies or emerging incidents before they appear in traditional reporting channels.
• Information Validation: Corroborate internal sensor data and agency reports using external digital sources to provide a higher degree of accuracy during evolving events.
• Interagency Information Exchange: Support the sharing of operational data with partners (FEMA, DHS, State DOTs) to maintain a synchronized understanding of multi-jurisdictional incidents.
• Public Impact Assessment: Monitor public digital discourse to identify secondary impacts of transportation disruptions, such as panic buying, localized congestion, or public safety.
• Operational Documentation: Maintain significant events and contribute to the daily Situational Awareness Report (SitRep).

3. Functional Constraints

• No Intelligence Production: The SAS role is limited to the collection and reporting of operational facts. The SAS shall not produce "Intelligence Assessments," "Threat Forecasts," or "Attribution Analysis."
• Escalation Protocol: Upon detection of events involving suspected criminal activity, national security threats, or adversarial intent, the SAS must immediately elevate all findings to the DOT Intelligence Division for formal analysis.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Must have an active Top-Secret clearance.
• Ability to process high-volume data streams in high-pressure, time-sensitive environments (Watch Center experience preferred).
• Expert-level proficiency in navigating social media algorithms, RSS feeds, and specialized tracking software (e.g., FlightAware, MarineTraffic, AIS data).
• Ability to distinguish "signal from noise" and translate raw digital data into concise, actionable operational reports.
• Familiarity with the Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) protocols.
• Must adhere to Departmental privacy policies regarding the handling of Publicly Available Information (PAI) and PII.