Watch Officer

Full Job Description

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) leads the nation's effort to protect the United States from terrorism by integrating, analyzing and sharing information to drive whole-of-government action and achieve our national CT objectives.

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: Knowledge of intelligence analysis and production.

Ability to maintain and develop effective working relationships with counterparts and senior staff in the IC for the purpose of sharing information.

Ability to make assessments of time-sensitive issues, adjust priorities, and change focus quickly as demands change.

Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team or collaborative environment, coupled with established and effective interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Ability to work rotating shifts of 12.5 hours in a fast-paced demanding environment.

Good oral and written communication skills, including the ability to clearly convey complex information to all levels of management.

Interpersonal and organization skills, including ability to manage competing priorities under strict guidelines while maintaining superior customer service. Major Duties:

Major Duties and Responsibilities (MDRs): The NCTC Operations Center (NCTOC) serves as NCTC's point of entry for intelligence reporting and provides situational awareness on global terrorism issues and breaking real-world events.

It is the central hub for communications between the Center, the IC, and the broader CT community. The Watch Officer is a member of the team maintaining NCTC's 24x7 situational awareness mission.

The team serves a number of customers, including the Intelligence Community, the broader counterterrorism community, the Director of NCTC, and the Director of National Intelligence.

Maintain 24/7 global situational awareness by independently researching and analyzing raw intelligence reporting and maintaining awareness of current intelligence issues.

Monitor, sort, prioritize, and analyze intelligence and operational message traffic in support of counterterrorism (CT) operations and terrorism crisis management.

Draft all-source Alerts, Advisories, and other sensitive CT situational awareness products while ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Perform community outreach and collaboration activities by supporting internal and external information sharing, fostering collaborative relationships with interagency partners, and communicating timely and relevant threat information to the CT community.

Coordinate with other NCTOC officers to ensure situational awareness across the teams; support intelligence production, tradecraft development, and other NCTOC initiatives.