WE ARE THE NRO

For sixty years, the NRO has developed, acquired, launched and operated the satellites that are the foundation for America’s advantage and strength in space. Using a diversified architecture of spacecraft, NRO collects and delivers the best space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance content on the planet.

Learn more at nro.gov.

Basic Eligibility For A Position With The NRO

• You must be a U.S. Citizen
• You must be 18 years of age or older
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance
• You will be subject to pre-employment and periodic drug testing
• You will be subject to pre-employment and periodic polygraph examinations

Federal Employee Vaccination Requirement

To ensure compliance with nationwide COVID-19 vaccine protocols, please visit NRO Apply Now to review the latest guidance.

Where You Will Work

The Director, Office of Policy & Strategy (OP&S) is a direct report to the DNRO and is charged with being the foremost senior policy and mission compliance advisor to the DNRO and NRO leadership. The NRO policy and strategy foundation enables NRO leadership and personnel to accomplish their mission and objectives. The Mission Compliance Group (MCG), under the direction of the D/OP&S, ensures NRO mission and mission-related compliance through program awareness, development, promulgation, and maintenance of compliance standards and training. The MCG, led by the MCG Chief, is responsible for continual monitoring and periodic assessments of NRO mission and mission-related activities. The MCG collaborates with other IC and DoD compliance organizations and officers, functional managers, mission partners, internal NRO elements, and as necessary, site-specific compliance components to ensure applicability and consistency of compliance guidance and procedures to ensure the protection of foreign partner and U.S. person constitutional rights.

This Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Mission Compliance Officer position, as part of the MCG, will be responsible for supporting the MCP and its strategic direction on behalf of the Mission Compliance Group Chief, and OP&S Director. This position will support the development and integration of mission-related compliance strategies, while focusing on location-specific activities and ensuring proper accessing, handling, and storing of mission data during the conduct of NRO mission and mission-related activities, among many other functions.

The NRO Cadre is collecting resumes for consideration against current and future opportunities for Full Performance (GG-13), Program Managers, occupational series 0340. For more information on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) occupational series, click here.

Your resume may be considered for other positions which your skills and experience may be a good match.

This is a full-time position that is open from May 12, 2023 to May 26, 2023. Resumes must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on May 26, 2023.

Who May Apply

• This position is open to the public.
• Federal government employees MUST currently be at the grade level or higher as indicated in this announcement. This is NOT a promotion opportunity for current Federal government employees. If selected for the position, Federal government employees will transition laterally at their current grade level and step.
• Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade per IAW DoD 1400.25 Volume 2006.
• The NRO is only accepting external applicants for this job announcement. Current NRO Cadre employees should apply internally.

What You Will Be Doing

As a Mission Compliance Officer, you will be responsible for the following duties:

• Integrate and review compliance-related documentation and activities that articulate how the NRO is to perform its statutory functions relative to ensuring U.S. individuals’ constitutional rights are not violated.
• Administer guidance to local “Mission Compliance Monitors” (MCM) from various NRO Directorates and Offices (Ds&Os) and provide the MCMs with a single pathway to the MCG.
• Coordinate and have responsibility for alignment with IC and DoD Compliance functions, as well as mission partners to ensure the appropriate non-NRO requirements are addressed.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of NRO compliance standards and tailored training for the NRO workforce.
• In coordination with the MCG Chief, provide NRO senior leadership with a comprehensive picture of NRO's mission compliance posture and advise leadership on compliance posture.
• Execute continuous monitoring of internal control measures for the handling and use of mission data paramount for identifying and mitigating compliance issues and potential risks and opportunities; and use these results in corrective action plans, training programs, and policy changes.
• Assess and verify the handling of mission data and perform risk surveys to identify areas requiring increased preventative or detective measures.
• Conduct, guide, or assist post-event technical reviews of Intelligence Oversight reports in support of the MCG Group Chief, NRO’s Intelligence Oversight Officer, and NRO General Counsel.
• Coordinate efforts with MCMs and NRO mission partners to assess the efficacy of compliance tools, procedures, and technical solutions.
• Assist in the implementation of compliance solutions in areas of high compliance risk or other areas of specific interest.
• Advance the mission compliance program through effective communications with NRO leadership, NRO workforce, and mission partners.
• Secure classified information in accordance with EO 13526.
• Perform other duties as directed.

What You Need

• Experience supporting IC or DoD intelligence-related activities.
• Knowledge or ability to learn and apply broader DoD/IC organizations, policies, directives, and missions.
• Experience orchestrating or guiding complex initiatives and programs involving multiple stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the intelligence discipline and the intelligence cycle (tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination), and the capacity to quickly expand that knowledge base.
• Knowledge or ability to learn and apply applicable laws, E.O.s, directives, regulations, and guidance related to intelligence and intelligence-related activities, intelligence oversight and privacy.
• Refined analytical and critical thinking skills, including the ability to think strategically, identify needs and requirements, develop recommendations, and evaluate outcomes against goals and objectives.
• Ability and skills to develop detailed plans, tasks, milestone dates, and schedules to ensure timely project success;
• Ability and skills to analyze and interpret the impact, implication, and applicability of regulations, guidelines, laws, and directives.
• Ability and skills to identify and use principles, rules, and relationships to construct arguments or interpret facts, data, or other information.
• Ability and skills to dissect problems into meaningful parts and use logic and judgement to determine accuracy and relevance of data as well as ability in identifying and reconciling gaps, uncertainties, and key assumptions of data.
• Ability and skills to integrate evidence/information, evaluate and prioritize alternatives, understand implications, and assess similarities and differences in data to develop findings or conclusions.
• Mature organizational and interpersonal skills to facilitate diverse forums, manage competing priorities, mediate contentious policy disputes, advocate new ideas/concepts/processes, and negotiate mutually acceptable solutions.
• Mature ability to exercise independent judgement on time-sensitive issues.
• Excellent oral communication skills, with demonstrated skill communicating effectively with audiences of varying seniority and expertise.
• Excellent written communication skills, with demonstrated skill communicating effectively with audiences of varying seniority and expertise.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience or knowledge of NRO mission programs and capabilities.
• Experience or knowledge of SIGINT mission programs and capabilities.
• 2+ years of experience across the spectrum of NRO mission programs and capabilities.
• 2+ years of progressively responsible experience in the full range of intelligence-related program/project management with emphasis on requirements generation, program planning and execution, test and evaluation, operations, to include team and/or project leadership.
• Experience supporting IC, DoD, or NRO intelligence-related policy and strategy functions or equivalent.
• Experience developing, analyzing, and implementing E.O.s, laws, and IC and DoD policies and procedures related to intelligence oversight and compliance.
• Familiarity with developing and delivering education and training materials.

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 and is typically in or directly related to the duties of the position as described above. Experience must be reflected in your resume.

Other Information

• Overtime Statement: MAY be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
• Travel Statement: MAY be required to travel in military or commercial aircraft to perform temporary duty assignments.
• Financial Disclosure: MAY be required to file an OGE Form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, upon appointment and will be required to file annually.
• Emergency Essential: Certain positions MAY be deemed emergency essential and incumbents must be willing to meet all position requirements.

Location

Chantilly, VA

Salary

2023 Salary range for Washington, DC Area:

GG-13 $112,015 – $145,617

**This position is a Full Performance level DCIPS position. The NRO is accepting applications from U.S. Citizens and current federal government employees for this position. To qualify for the position, federal government employees MUST currently be at the GG – 13 level and may ONLY apply for a lateral reassignment at their current grade level and step. Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade per IAW DoD 1400.25 Volume 2006.

Hiring Incentives

The NRO may offer hiring incentives and other entitlements at management’s discretion.

Trial Period

All new DCIPS employees will be required to serve a 2-year trial period.

Veterans’ Preference

DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans’ Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Vol 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans’ preference, as defined by section 2108 of Title 5 USC, you must submit documents verifying your eligibility upon request.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:

• An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please send your request to Hiring@nro.mil.

Privacy Act Notice

Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): We use this information to determine qualifications for employment. This is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.

Read more about the Privacy Act of 1974

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