Open-Source Monitoring Watch Officer

Location: Midlothian, Virginia — On-site | Full-time, W-2, nonexempt

About the role

Axyde Analytics, LLC, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, is recruiting Open-Source Monitoring Watch Officers for an anticipated federal homeland-security program. Watch Officers will maintain continuous situational awareness by monitoring publicly and commercially available information, identifying significant events, validating and correlating reporting, and preparing concise operational products for government decision-makers.

This is an operational watch position—not a traditional research or desk-analysis role. Successful candidates must remain attentive during extended shifts, exercise sound judgment under time pressure, communicate clearly, and produce accurate reporting without sacrificing speed. The work will be performed at an Axyde-controlled facility in Midlothian, Virginia. This is not a remote position.

Responsibilities

• Continuously monitor national, state, regional, local, and relevant international reporting from authorized news, broadcast, streaming, web, social-media, and other open sources.
• Identify breaking events, threats, hazards, disruptions, and emerging developments relevant to homeland-security situational awareness.
• Assess incoming information against government-defined critical information requirements, priorities, geographic areas, and reporting thresholds.
• Evaluate source credibility, timeliness, independence, location, context, and operational significance.
• Corroborate developing information using independent and authoritative sources.
• Correlate related reporting into a controlled event record and distinguish new information from duplicative or recycled reporting.
• Escalate time-sensitive developments through established supervisory and government communication channels.
• Prepare clear, concise alerts, incident updates, summaries, daily operational products, and other required reporting.
• Maintain accurate source attribution, uncertainty statements, timestamps, distribution controls, and supporting records.
• Conduct structured shift turnovers that preserve open events, pending actions, collection priorities, and reporting deadlines.
• Perform independent peer review and prescribed quality-control checks before products are released.
• Apply privacy, information-handling, cybersecurity, and records-management requirements throughout the monitoring and reporting process.
• Participate in training, exercises, qualification assessments, continuity activities, and recurring proficiency reviews.
• Support increased operational tempo during major incidents, emergencies, and periods of sustained reporting activity.

Schedule

Axyde will operate continuously, including nights, weekends, and federal holidays. Watch Officers will normally work twelve-hour shifts within schedules designed to sustain 24/7/365 coverage. Expected watch windows include:

• 2:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
• 2:00 p.m.–2:00 a.m.

Individual schedules may be fixed or adjusted based on operational requirements, approved leave, relief coverage, training, and continuity needs. Overtime will be paid in accordance with applicable law. The position requires sustained attention at a computer workstation, frequent review of fast-moving information, timely written production, and effective communication with other watch personnel and supervisors.

Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to monitor, evaluate, synthesize, and communicate information accurately.
• Strong written English skills and the ability to produce concise, decision-ready reporting under time constraints.
• Sound judgment in distinguishing credible reporting from rumor, commentary, duplication, manipulated content, or unsupported claims.
• Ability to work independently while following established procedures, escalation thresholds, and release controls.
• Ability to maintain attention, professionalism, and reliability during twelve-hour shifts.
• Proficiency with web-based applications, search tools, email, collaboration platforms, and standard office software.
• Ability to work on-site in Midlothian, Virginia, including assigned nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to satisfy applicable company and government background, suitability, security, and information-handling requirements.
• High school diploma or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications

One or more of the following is preferred but not required:

• Experience in a military, intelligence, law-enforcement, emergency-management, public-safety, operations-center, watch-floor, newsroom, or crisis-monitoring environment.
• Experience with open-source research, media monitoring, indications and warning, incident management, force protection, emergency operations, or situational awareness.
• Familiarity with federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, or private-sector homeland-security missions.
• Experience preparing alerts, executive summaries, incident reports, operational updates, or briefing products.
• Training or experience in source validation, geolocation, social-media analysis, imagery or video review, misinformation identification, or information-quality control.
• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in intelligence studies, emergency management, homeland security, journalism, criminal justice, political science, geography, communications, or a related discipline. Comparable operational experience may substitute for formal education.

Pay

The anticipated pay range is $36.00–$43.00 per hour, depending on directly relevant experience, writing ability, shift availability, and demonstrated qualifications.

Benefits

Full-time W-2 employees will be eligible to participate in an Insperity-administered benefits package. Medical coverage is expected to become effective on the first day of the month following 30 days of employment, subject to governing plan documents, timely enrollment, and applicable eligibility requirements. Available benefit elections, employee contributions, and eligibility dates will be explained during the offer process.