Signals Analyst - Mid to Experienced Level

Signals Analysis is a cutting-edge technical discipline that seeks to identify the purpose, content and user(s) of signals. Given today's rapidly evolving global communications, the NSA must maintain and develop a highly talented and diverse workforce of Signals Analysts who are a vital part in maintaining our technical capabilities to use the most sophisticated means to recover, understand, and derive intelligence from all manner of foreign signals. Given today's rapid evolution of signals and advancements in adversarial technologies, the NSA must maintain and develop a highly talented 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. 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. FULL PERFORMANCE: Entry is with a high school diploma or GED plus 7 years of relevant experience plus relevant military education; or an Associate's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, plus relevant military education; or 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. SENIOR: Entry is with a high school diploma or GED plus 10 years of relevant experience plus relevant military education; or an Associate's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience, plus relevant military education; or 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. The 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 may be considered for those who have completed a relevant military training program. Relevant military education in a relevant military degree, relevant military training, or military development program (for example, Intermediate Tech ELINT Analyst, 451/461 (Intermediate Signals Analysis), 452 (Advanced Signals Analysis), Military Signals Analysis Program (MSAP), Military ELINT Signals Analysis Program (MESAP), or Military Operational Signals Analysis Program (MOSAP)). Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: signals analysis (COMINT, ELINT, FISINT or PROFORMA); protocol analysis; network troubleshooting; network traffic characterization; network security analysis; or design and engineering of aerospace, communications, electronic or industrial systems. If not credited toward education requirement, completion of relevant military training will be considered towards the experience requirement.