Strategic Security Policy Advisor
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Posted: March 24, 2026 (2 days ago)
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Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Other Agencies and Independent Organizations
Location
Bethesda, Maryland
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093
per year
Type
Closes
This role involves advising on security policies to protect the U.S. from intelligence threats, working closely with government agencies to develop guidelines and improve national security efforts.
It suits experienced professionals with a strong background in government operations, policy development, and teamwork in high-stakes environments.
Ideal candidates are passionate about public service, efficient problem-solvers, and skilled at communicating complex ideas clearly.
The mission of the National Counterintelligence & Security Center is to lead and support the U.S.
Government's counterintelligence (CI) and security activities critical to protecting our nation; provide CI outreach to U.S.
private sector entities at risk of foreign intelligence penetration; and issue public warnings regarding intelligence threats to the U.S.
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. Required Qualifications - Extensive knowledge of IC and related U.S.
Government policies, directives, and standard operating procedures and demonstrated ability to develop a broad range of IC-wide policies, processes, and guidelines. - Extensive knowledge of the U.S.
Government and its IC components, missions, and interrelationships and experience working either with or in a major U.S.
Government or IC organization; extensive understanding of the authorities, roles, and responsibilities of the organizations within the IC community.
- Extensive knowledge of and demonstrated experience in the research, formulation, development, and coordination of national level policies and directives, including extensive knowledge of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for policy development and assessment Demonstrated ability to apply knowledge of ODNI and IC organizations and relevant customer organizations or operations (e.g., intelligence disciplines, military, policymakers, and law enforcement) in order to effectively address their national intelligence requirements and provide appropriate policy responses to meet IC needs.
- Demonstrated interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills, including demonstrated ability to work independently and in a collaborative environment effectively with senior officials, management, teams, and colleagues.
- Demonstrated written and oral communication skills with demonstrated ability to articulate complex intelligence issues to a wide audience, including the ability to write policy or analytic products for the senior U.S.
Government officials and the IC workforce.
- Demonstrated ability to build and sustain professional networks and collaborate with both management and staff to continuously improve community relationships, products, and services.
- Demonstrated project leadership capabilities, including the ability to effectively coordinate business processes, deliver within time constraints, manage competing priorities, and adjust quickly to deal with time sensitive requirements.
Desired Qualifications - Extensive knowledge of the ODNI, IC, US Congress, congressional committees, and congressional liaison activities - Experience working with the Office of Legislative Affairs, U.S.
Congress, or congressional committees.
- Knowledge of internal tasking processes and the ability to review and inform development and final coordination of ODNI policy packages concerning personnel security reforms, such as Trusted Workforce 2.0, and Congressionally Directed Actions.
Major Duties:
The NCSC/Security Directorate (SD) protects the nations security interests by providing comprehensive security solutions.
SD develops and implements policies, guidance, and standards for personnel security, IC-wide and SCI security-relevant issues, and security clearance reform.
SD also engages with government and industry partners to protect national security equities against foreign intelligence and security threats, and advance the U.S.
Governments risk management environment to safeguard against adversarial and insider threats.
The NCSC/SD directly supports the DNIs responsibilities as the Security Executive Agency (SecEA) across the Executive Branch and serves as the DNIs designee for oversight of national security programs across the Intelligence Community (IC).
The SD/Strategic Security Policy Advisor is responsible for managing SD Congressionally Directed Actions (CDAs) and leading the formulation and execution of long-term strategy, plans, and policy to advance IC and national-level security matters.
This includes programs, policy development, and areas of common concern such as research, outreach, and training initiatives.
The Policy Advisor oversees and informs the development and review of tasks, briefings, reports, and presentations for organizational leadership, ODNI and IC leaders, senior policymakers, and Congressional audiences, including testimony preparation.
The SD/Strategic Security Policy Advisor will: - Manage, draft, and oversee the completion of new and recurring annual CDAs that pertain to personnel security.
Prepare talking points and other preparatory material for quarterly briefings with Congressional Committee staff members regarding the progress on CDAs for NCSC and Security Directorate leaders.
Advance SecEA personnel security policies, processes, and procedures, including Trusted Workforce2.0 initiatives related to security clearance reforms.
Communicate to key internal and external stakeholders the development and advancement of key personnel security policy issues and advocate on behalf of the SecEA/ODNI at interagency meetings.
Plan and conduct the review and analysis of policies, processes, and guidelines that are contained in United States Government (U.S.) Government and IC Directives, Policy Guidance, Standards, plans, and memoranda to ensure equities are addressed and relevant concerns are resolved.
Plan, and prepare the development of security-related talking points, responses, testimony, briefings, presentations and reports to organizational leadership, senior leaders, and Congress; identify, review, evaluate, and develop information to be presented in response to pending and enacted legislation; and anticipate and proactively address congressional reactions to ODNI briefings and testimony.
Initiate, cultivate, and maintain productive working relationships with internal and external partners, including legislative affairs and security professionals, as well as interagency policymakers in order to help SD leadership advance security directives, projects, and initiatives.
Plan, develop, and promote communications that increase stakeholders', consumers', IC colleagues', and U.S. Government executive agents' overall understanding of U.S.
Government and IC policies and processes, and procedures to promote mission effectiveness.
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