Summary The Policy & Capabilities (PC) Directorate ensures the IC is best postured for the threats and challenges of an uncertain future, through strategy, policy, and capabilities development. PC is comprised of the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) and Policy Strategy and Accountability (PSA) Office. Responsibilities The Policy, Strategy, and Accountability (PSA) Office is at the forefront of developing, implementing, and evaluating the National Intelligence Strategy, to restore our clandestine technological dominance while ensuring the protection of American civil liberties. Key functions include strategy and prioritization management, the development of IC policy, IC strategy and guidance on science, technology, and data, and net assessments and comparative analysis. Support the identification and synthesis of future technology trends to guide Intelligence Community (IC) Data, Science and Technology investments. Lead the collection and evaluation of new innovative technology concepts to enhance operations and mitigate mission gaps across the IC. Provide expert programmatic recommendations to appropriate stakeholders by gathering, analyzing, and summarizing data from across the IC's S&T portfolio. In coordination with the National Intelligence Science and Technology Committee (NISTC), lead the identification and review of substantive S&T intelligence developments to help ensure that future S&T capabilities align to projected mission needs. Conceive, plan and conduct activities in support of the identification and synthesis of future technology trends to guide IC S&T investments, manage contracts, coordinate forecasted activities, and develop periodic reports for the IC. Lead the collection and evaluation of, and advocate for, new innovative technology concepts to enhance operations and mitigate mission gaps across the IC. Lead the identification and review of substantive science and technology intelligence developments in coordination with the NISTC, and ensure management and staff are kept abreast of emerging developments related to the S&T programmatic initiatives. Provide expert programmatic recommendations to management and other major stakeholders by gathering, analyzing, and summarizing data from across the IC's S&T portfolio. Provide expert guidance and advice to Office of the Director of National Intelligence and IC on matters of such difficulty and controversy that leading experts disagree as to the proper approach to or the probable outcome of significant and far-reaching efforts and generate new hypotheses, develop new concepts, and plan and evaluate the long-range programs and projects that accomplish the mission. Represent the organization at meetings, conferences, and other public forums to foster and cultivate strategic alliances with other IC components. Prepare expert findings, reports, briefing papers, and other communication vehicles; serve as a principal advisor on the policies and procedures governing S&T intelligence information. Conceive, cultivate, develop, and sustain professional networks across the IC and in operational and analytic communities. Lead and support year round Intelligence Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (IPPBE) activities with the IC elements that will inform senior decision makers on key S&T issues. Perform expert evaluations of the S&T implications of the Unified Intelligence Strategies and develop IPPBE engagement strategies. Lead the evaluation and preparation of estimates of the technical maturity of key technologies used in IC acquisition programs. Other duties, as assigned. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications FREE RESPONSE ESSAY QUESTIONS All applicants must answer the following four short, free response essay questions. The responses cannot exceed 200 words per question. By submitting your responses to the following questions, you certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you and explain how you would help implement them if hired. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position. Broad national recognition as a top technical expert and consultant in the field of expertise. Expert experience with leadership of studies of outstanding difficulty, exceptional attainments, and responsibility along special technical, supervisory, or administrative lines. Superior ability to understand and synthesize new scientific and technical advances from a range of technical disciplines into policy or investment recommendations that will impact mission. Superior ability to lead studies, initiatives, or projects across multiple IC elements through superior collaboration, negotiation, or facilitation. Expert knowledge and experience with the IC's technology community, including research and development entities, and broad understanding of the organizations, missions and functions, and operating practices of the IC. Superior oral and written communication and interpersonal skills and the superior ability to work effectively with peers and leaders from across the IC and Department of Defense. Expert experience with work of superior impact on agency programs related to a rapidly evolving field. Expert experience pioneering development efforts to achieve new capabilities with previously unattainable characteristics. Expert experience conceiving, planning, and conducting pioneering work of outstanding scope, difficulty, and complexity in unexplored or previously unpromising areas of investigations or managed complex and extensive scientific programs of critical importance to the agency. Expert experience with work involving high levels of uncertainty and the balancing of conflicting interest of extreme intensity. Expert experience with work of major importance and scope as to affect technical policies of a major department or agency, have a significant bearing on legislation, or involve equivalent implications. Expert extended training and experience which has demonstrated leadership and unusual attainments in professional, scientific, or technical research, practice, or administration, or in administrative, fiscal, or other specialized activities. Expert experience consulting or other professional, scientific, technical, administrative, fiscal, or other specialized work of equal importance, difficulty, and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications. Education Bachelor's degree. Additional Information JOB INTERVIEW TRAVEL Candidates from outside the Washington Metropolitan Area (WMA) may be selected for a telephone, teleconference, or in-person interview. SALARY DETERMINATION The ODNI uses a rank-in-person system in which rank is attached to GS employees on the basis of individual qualifications, experience, and performance. Individuals whose current GS grade is equivalent to the grade of the advertised position will retain their current grade and step. Individuals who transfer to the ODNI from a non-GS pay scale will have base pay converted to the appropriate GS grade and step as determined by the Chief of Human Resource Management. In some cases when a current federal civilian employee applies for an ODNI position that is a lower grade than his or her personal grade, the candidate's personal grade will be downgraded to the grade of the advertised ODNI position and pay will be set at the step that is closest to, and not less than, the employee's current annual base rate of pay, not to exceed the maximum step rate of the GS grade to which assigned. RELOCATION EXPENSES For new ODNI employees, reimbursement for relocation is discretionary based on availability of funds. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS The ODNI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Reasonable Accommodations Officer by email at DNI_DRA@dni.gov, by telephone at (703)275-3900 or by FAX at (703)275-1217. Your request for reasonable accommodations will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO THE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION EMAIL ADDRESS. THIS EMAIL IS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS ONLY. The ODNI is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations.
