Signals Analyst Professional - Entry/Experienced Level (MD, CO, GA, HI, TX)
As part of the offensive mission, NSA provides foreign Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), consistent with our authorities, to our nation's policy makers and military forces in order to defend our nation, save lives, protect U.S. interests, and advance U.S. alliances. Given today's rapid evolution of signals and advancements in adversarial technologies, the NSA must maintain and develop a highly talented and diverse workforce of SIGINT analysis professionals, e.g. Signals Analysts and Target Systems Analysts, spanning expertise in communications intelligence (COMINT), electronic intelligence (ELINT), foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT), and PROFORMA (formatted data communications) intelligence. These professionals play a vital part in maintaining our technical capabilities to recover, understand, exploit and derive intelligence from foreign communications and signals.
- COMINT is technical and intelligence information derived from foreign communications; it includes intelligence derived from the content of the communications to and from individuals, networks, or devices.
- ELINT is technical and geolocation information derived from foreign non-communication electromagnetic emissions, most commonly from radars, weapons systems, beacons, navigational systems and electromagnetic interference.
- FISINT consists of technical information and intelligence derived from the intercept of foreign electromagnetic emissions associated with the testing and operational deployment of foreign aerospace, surface and subsurface systems.
- PROFORMA is machine-generated data communications associated with military C4ISR, civil, industrial, commercial and personal applications; analysis of PROFORMA data conveys information derived from sensors and/or control systems.
Do any of the items below interest you? If so, this position may be the perfect fit for you.
- Enjoy abstract puzzles and other problem-solving challenges
- Tinkering with hardware or have technological curiosity
- Reverse engineering of hardware or equipment, such as disassembling or repair
- Appreciation and interest in weaponry systems, rockets, or other aerial projectiles
- Interest in clandestine intelligence activities
- Open to applying your skills in new and nontraditional ways
- Desire to help NSA/DoD in accomplishing missions
Responsibilities of Signals Analyst Professionals may include:
- Levy deep technical understanding of signal characteristics to determine signal structure, define signal parameters, identify signal content, and model signal behavior within the RF and digital domains.
- Transform signals between domains, and create processing models and scripts.
- Report technical characteristics of signals and maintain knowledge bases.
- Support access and follow-on analytic activities.
- Analyze engineering and technical information related to weapon and space systems.
- Conduct target analysis and research.
- Use knowledge of customer requirements to collect, process, analyze and/or report on signals intelligence information.
- Identify and analyze signal waveforms (e.g., weapon systems or communication systems), bit streams (e.g., multiplexers, error correction, voice and video compression, or instrumentation systems), and/or protocols (e.g., link layer, network layer, or application layer).
- Develop software code to support analysis and/or processing using a variety of architectures and solutions.
- Report signal parametric data and intelligence information in databases, narrative reports, and oral presentations.
- Collaborate with collection managers, developers, analysts, and reporters to optimize resources, develop new solutions to analytic challenges, fuse multiple sources of information, and deliver critical intelligence to a variety of customers.
Responsibilities of Target Systems Analysts may include:
- Derive performance characteristics, capabilities, and limitations of a target system (often a weapon or space system) and its employment in military theaters by analyzing its emanated signals and performing additional data analysis as necessary.
- Produce intelligence on characteristics, behavior, tactics and trends of the system and signals.
he qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.
Degree must be in Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, a Physical Science, or a related technical field. A broader range of degrees will be considered for those who have completed a relevant military training program, for example, 9141 (Navy Intermediate Technical ELINT Analyst), 1N2A (Air Force Intermediate Technical ELINT Analyst), 451/461 (Intermediate Signals Analysis), 452 (Advanced Signals Analysis), or Military Signals Analysis Program (MSAP).
Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: signals analysis (COMINT, ELINT, FISINT or PROFORMA), or design and engineering of aerospace, communications, electronic or industrial systems.
ENTRY/DEVELOPMENTAL
Entry is with a Bachelor's degree and no experience. A high school diploma or GED plus 4 years of relevant experience, or an Associate's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience.
FULL PERFORMANCE
Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience. A high school diploma or GED plus 7 years of relevant experience, or an Associate's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience.
SENIOR
Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 6 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 4 years of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree plus 2 years of relevant experience. A high school diploma or GED plus 10 years of relevant experience, or an Associate's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience.