CI Referrent

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.

Basic Eligibility

• You must be a U.S. Citizen
• 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

Where You Will Work

The NRO Counterintelligence Division is seeking a dynamic officer to serve in a CI Referent position at NRO Headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia. This role requires a depth of experience in counterintelligence and offers an opportunity to serve in a position of significant influence, providing critical support to the NRO enterprise.

The selected officer will serve as a CI Referent to NRO Directorates and Offices (D&Os), supporting force protection initiatives, defense critical infrastructure, research and development acquisition, and efforts to counter espionage, international terrorism, and insider threats. The Referent will engage with Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and Law Enforcement entities in support of NRO mission operations, acquisition programs, and critical infrastructure protection.

Working closely with other CI Referents and NRO Security personnel, the Referent will collaborate with a broad base of U.S. Government and industry representatives at all management levels, performing a full range of CI support functions including threat assessments, activity support, and CI vetting. This may inform organizational decisions involving personnel actions or policy recommendations, while effectively integrating CI techniques for protecting technologies and operations into key acquisition and program processes, working groups, and program milestone meetings.

This position, aligned to the Office of Security and Counterintelligence (OS&CI), Counterintelligence Division (CID), CI Referent Program (CRP), plays a critical role in detecting, defeating, and deterring foreign intelligence threats to the NRO. It provides CI support to over 57,000 NRO-accessed government and contractor personnel worldwide, requiring exceptional judgment and discretion in handling highly sensitive data and managing sensitive CI activities.

Responsibilities

• Improve Counterintelligence (CI) support to the acquisition process, review National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) equities across the enterprise, and recommend appropriate CI countermeasures for NRO-related processes and information systems.
• Integrate CI requirements for NRO Directorates and Offices, program security managers, and the Counterintelligence Division (CID) while supporting NRO experts developing innovative processes for Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of War (DoW) organizations.
• Manage the implementation of counterintelligence projects and services to thwart clandestine activities by foreign intelligence entities targeting critical technologies and processes.
• Provide CI oversight to government and contractor personnel, conduct CI Awareness Briefings and Debriefings to enhance threat recognition, and collect CI information through liaison and other collection activities for use in multi-disciplinary threat assessments supporting antiterrorism and force protection plans for critical technologies, facilities, programs, and Defense Critical Infrastructure (DCI).
• Coordinate with CID on technical support and investigative analysis requests; provide input on foreign intelligence or terrorist targeting of organizational resources.
• Independently plan, organize, and coordinate with CID on difficult, complex inquiries of alleged or suspected foreign intelligence or terrorist activity directed against organizational resources.
• Coordinate complex CI concerns, including criminal violations such as espionage and terrorism, with CID and appropriate investigative or law enforcement agencies on matters with national or international implications.
• Generate Intelligence Information Reports (IIRs) documenting CI-relevant information.
• Provide CI Insider Threat identification and mitigation support by researching and analyzing suspected foreign intelligence service or terrorist organization interest in NRO personnel, facilities, or programs.
• Integrate counterintelligence considerations into personnel security, physical security, and information security operations to ensure comprehensive CI support to security programs.
• Execute functions described in CI policy plans, procedures, and directives, and deliver impactful CI Awareness Briefings—both verbally and in writing—while participating in awareness campaigns to enhance the NRO workforce's overall security posture.
• Serve as the primary CI partner to NRO Directorates and Offices (D&Os), maintaining close partnerships with Program Security Officers (PSOs) and executing proactive threat mitigation activities.
• Coordinate complex CI inquiries with the Counterintelligence Division (CID), conduct field outreach to cleared industry locations, and deliver specialized CI support to critical programs.
• Maintain a strategic battle rhythm prioritizing support based on operational requirements, program criticality, and emerging threats while ensuring synchronized CI operations through continuous coordination with CID Field Offices and Mission Ground Station Referents.
• Attend PSO/Program meetings, security team meetings, and D&O front office sessions; maintain current knowledge of all D&O offices and program portfolios to provide tailored CI support.
• Establish a day-to-day battle rhythm based on customer requirements, office structures, and program responsibilities.
• Deliver timely CI awareness briefings, conduct lead development for CI activities, and collect specific CI information through liaison and collection activities.
• Conduct site visits to cleared industry locations to engage Company Program Security Officers (CPSOs) and assess CI requirements.
• Maintain continuous coordination with Field Office CI Referents and ADF CI Referents to ensure synchronized CI operations and information sharing.
• Deliver specialized CI support to Operations Security (OPSEC), Research and Development Acquisition (RDA), Defense Critical Infrastructure (DCI), and Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) programs by facilitating threat assessments and providing tailored CI training.

Requirements

• Documented experience in a CI discipline gained through prior tours of increasing complexity and responsibility; well-honed interviewing and elicitation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare detailed and accurate narrative reports based on information gathered through investigative inquiries, personal interviews, site assessments, and information gathered through law enforcement and/or Intelligence Community representatives.
• Documented experience analyzing and evaluating information gathered to support investigative inquiries to assess priorities, leads, and direction.
• Documented knowledge of Department of War (DoW) and Intelligence Community (IC) security policies, directives, and procedures.
• Strong working knowledge of Department of War (DoW) and IC counterintelligence policies, directives, and regulations.
• Strong leadership skills; well-honed representational and briefing skills; and ability to interact with all levels of management.
• Documented ability to establish and maintain effective liaison with law enforcement and Intelligence Community (IC) representatives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey relevant information in a concise, logical, and objective manner to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to manage multiple competing priorities and focus attention on high-priority tasks to meet suspense dates.
• Previously graduated from or have the ability to complete CI Agent Courses in the fields of analysis; operations; collections; inquiries; and investigations through Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy (JCITA); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Military Services; or equivalent. The panel would also consider a combination of CI experience and training in a U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) / DoW CI entity as acceptable.

Desired Qualifications

• Prior CI or Security tour at NRO.
• Prior experience working CI activities in support of operational programs, acquisition activities, or field operations.
• Experience and understanding of DoW digital media collection, concepts of first to respond, secure, preserve, and/or collect digital evidence at crime scenes.
• Experience working with DoW entities, especially Special Access Programs (SAPs).
• Experience working with contractors.
• Experience reviewing existing policies and programs on a continuing basis for improvement and compliance; ability to identify policies, practices, procedures, and directives that are ineffective, inefficient, and/or impractical and propose/draft policy and procedural changes.

This is a full-time, Non-Supervisory, GG-14 position (occupational series 1801C). This position is open from July 30, 2026 to August 13, 2026. Resumes must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on August 13, 2026.

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, 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. The NRO is only accepting external applicants for this job announcement. Current NRO Cadre employees should apply internally. This position may qualify for the appointment of a reemployed federal annuitant.