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 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 organization is seeking a Technical Integrator to serve as the primary link between the government prototyping team, Cosmic Horizon , and operational end users. The incumbent will deploy to customer locations to embed with mission users, understand operational workflows, and deliver workflow-automation and artificial intelligence (AI) integration solutions.
This is an entry level position at the GG-07 to GG-11 level. The selected candidate will perform hands-on technical work while building the operational, technical, and stakeholder-integration experience required for increased responsibility.
The NRO Cadre is collecting resumes for consideration against current and future opportunities for Non-Supervisor, Cosmic Horizon GTI, Developmental GG-07 - GG-11, occupational series 2210 . More information on the occupational series can be viewed on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website .
This is a full-time position that is open from September 22, 2026 to September 29, 2026 or until the first 50 applications have been received . Resumes must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on September 29, 2026 .
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 DoW 1400.25 Volume 2006.
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 IAW DoWI 1400.25 Volume 300.
What You Will Be Doing
The Technical Integrator will:
Deploy to domestic and international customer sites to work directly with operational users and field representatives.
Serve as the primary technical integrator between Cosmic Horizon's prototyping team and operational end users.
Conduct user-needs assessments to understand mission workflows, pain points, data sources, system constraints, and desired operational outcomes.
Translate user challenges and mission requirements into clear, actionable technical requirements, user stories, development priorities, and integration plans.
Provide hands-on technical support, including software development, scripting, coding, data-pipeline development, application integration, testing, troubleshooting, and technical documentation.
Support the design, development, prototyping, deployment, and sustainment of workflow-automation and AI-enabled capabilities.
Integrate proto@type capabilities with approved mission systems, data sources, and user workflows, consistent with applicable security, data-handling, and deployment requirements.
Evaluate proto@type performance with operational users; collect feedback; identify defects, usability issues, and technical risks; and recommend improvements.
Coordinate technical activities among developers, data scientists, engineers, mission users, stakeholders, and field representatives.
Build and maintain productive relationships with mission users, customer organizations, and other stakeholders to support capability adoption and mission outcomes.
Communicate technical status, risks, dependencies, user feedback, and recommendations to government leadership and project stakeholders.
Support Agile planning, backlog refinement, demonstrations, iterative development, and transition of successful proto@types to enduring capabilities.
Travel Requirement
This position requires substantial travel, including deployments of approximately two to three months per rotation to locations where NRO tools and data are used by operational customers. The incumbent is expected to complete at least two embedded rotations per fiscal year , totaling a minimum of approximately four months annually away from the permanent duty location.
Depending on mission needs, the incumbent may deploy up to three times per year.
Travel may include domestic and overseas locations and may require work outside normal duty hours, including evenings, weekends, or holidays.
What You Will Need
Required Qualifications
Demonstrated knowledge of coding and software-development practices sufficient to contribute to technical projects and support development, integration, testing, or troubleshooting activities.
Ability to gather and document user needs and translate them into technical requirements under supervision or with limited guidance.
Ability and willingness to travel for extended periods in support of operational users.
Experience applying software-development, data-engineering, systems-integration, or technical-analysis skills to solve user or mission problems.
Desired Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's degree in computer science, software engineering, data science, information systems, engineering, or a closely related technical field.
Experience with Agile software-development methods, including Scrum, Kanban, user stories, backlog management, sprint planning, and iterative delivery.
Experience with DevSecOps practices, including secure software development, automated testing, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD), configuration management, and software release processes.
Demonstrated ability to lead discrete technical projects or workstreams and contribute directly through hands-on coding, system integration, data-pipeline development, testing, or deployment.
Experience working with users or stakeholders to define requirements, resolve technical issues, assess solution effectiveness, and improve delivered capabilities.
Ability to operate with initiative in distributed, customer-facing, and mission-focused environments.
Experience deploying or sustaining applications in cloud environments.
Experience developing data pipelines, data-processing workflows, APIs, automation scripts, or AI/ML-enabled applications.
Experience integrating software tools with operational systems and user workflows.
Experience supporting geographically dispersed customers, field users, or mission partners.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, particularly the ability to explain technical issues to nontechnical audiences.
Key Competencies
Candidates should demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Software Development: Knowledge of programming, software design, debugging, testing, version control, and technical documentation.
Systems and Data Integration: Ability to connect applications, data sources, interfaces, and workflows into usable operational capabilities.
Requirements Engineering: Ability to elicit, analyze, document, prioritize, and validate user and system requirements.
Technical Problem Solving: Ability to identify root causes, assess alternatives, manage technical risks, and implement practical solutions.
Customer Engagement: Ability to build trust with operational users, understand mission needs, and incorporate user feedback into delivered products.
Project Execution: Ability to manage tasks, dependencies, schedules, and deliverables in a fast-paced prototyping environment.
Communication: Ability to communicate technical concepts, status, risks, and recommendations clearly to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
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.
Applicants submitting a resume that exceeds the two-page limit per OPM Memorandum, "Merit Hiring Plan," dated May 29, 2025, https://www.opm.gov/chcoc/latest-memos/merit-hiring-plan.pdf will not be eligible for consideration. For more information regarding resume writing, see "Guidance for Applicants on 2-Page Resume" and visit the Resume Help Center .
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.
Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) coded positions: If selected for a DAWIA coded position, the incumbent must meet appropriate certification requirements IAW the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) no later than 24 months after accepting this position. Individual shall maintain, at a minimum 80 continuous Learning Points every 24 months via the services acquisition management system. DAWIA requirements may be located at the Defense Acquisition University website .
Geographic Mobility Agreement: MAY be subject to directed reassignment as required to address mission effectiveness, and/or career development.
Information Assurance (IA): Must achieve the appropriate IA certification within six months of assignment.
Emergency Essential: Certain positions MAY be deemed emergency essential and incumbents must be willing to meet all position requirements.
Location
Chantilly, VA
Telework is not available and you must be able to work at the specified location(s).
Salary
This position meets the qualifications for Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) Targeted Local Market Supplement (TLMS) STEM pay for NRO Cadre employees and candidates as authorized by the office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security's (OUSD(I&S)). Cadre employees and candidates are eligible to receive STEM pay if they are currently serving in a STEM designated position. Should a Cadre employee or candidate earning STEM pay change positions within the organization, they must be assigned to another STEM qualifying position in order to continue to remain eligible for STEM pay. Otherwise, Cadre employees and Candidates Generally would be transitioned to the DCIPS GG Pay Scale. For more information on STEM pay, visit DCIPS STEM Compensation .
GG-07: $81,901 - $106,474
GG-09: $94,909 - $123,388
GG-11: $105,262 - $136,848
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 advertised grade level(s) 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 DoW 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
DoW 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 DoW 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, pregnancy, 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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