Duties
ODNI's PC Directorate is squarely focused on winning the geostrategic competition to secure America's future. PC establishes the IC's strategic roadmap, develops requisite IC policies and drives technology capabilities in alignment with national priorities.
Within PC, the SCO leads DNI-directed, results-oriented campaigns in key contested areas, including on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Advanced Compute and Space & Sensors. These campaigns run from 18-36 months and are focused on establishing multi-agency capabilities that will transform the intelligence community (IC).
SCO is seeking a Systems Integrator to support the implementation and deployment of the Mission AI campaign. Working closely with the Technical Director, this individual will lead end-to-end integration across Mission AI campaign components, vendors and operating environments. The Systems Integrator will articulate the wield the technical expertise and acumen in complex system-of-systems integration and deployment and embody the ethos required to ensure success of this no-fail mission. Privacy, security, technical, data and policy issues must be solved to build this capability and the Systems Integrator will be instrumental in ensuring these elements are effectively integrated across the campaign.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
The Systems Integrator serves as a lead for systems integration governance, oversight and execution for the Mission AI Campaign. This officer drives integration activities and is accountable for the integrity, cost realism and operational viability of contractor-proposed system architectures and solutions.
Responsible for end-to-end integration across Mission AI Campaign components, vendors and operating environments.
Establishes integration governance forums (e.g., interface control working group) to manage cross-vendor dependencies, integration issues and technical decisions requiring adjudication. Defines, maintains and enforces interface specifications and change control for APIs, data schemas, data flows and integration patterns; ensures interface requirements are documented and traceable.
Plans and oversees integration and interoperability testing, including technical entry/exit criteria, defect triage and verification of corrective actions to closure.
Ensures interoperability with required enterprise services and controls (e.g., identity and access management, auditing/logging, key management, monitoring/observability and data handling/markings) consistent with security and compliance requirements.
Reviews and critically evaluates contractor technical proposals, system architecture documentation and cost submissions for technical soundness and internal consistency.
Issues formal technical findings and assessment memoranda that directly inform source selection decisions, contract negotiations and program milestone reviews.
Challenges contractor performance claims against system metrics and behavior and independently validates that delivered capabilities meet government-defined acceptance criteria.
Coordinates with CORs to ensure technical findings are appropriately documented.
Shapes and provides technical inputs to the Integrated Master Schedule roadmap.
Translates mission requirements into measurable engineering specifications suitable for incorporation into acquisition artifacts.
Authors and reviews key acquisition and engineering artifacts.
Ensures requirements are technically defensible and traceable to mission needs. Participates in requirements reviews, design reviews and technical interchange meetings.
Maintains a single-source-of-truth repository for systems engineering and integration artifacts.
Coordinates AI assurance and AI security across the full system development lifecycle.
Supports identification and documentation of AI/MLOps risks and the development and enforcement of technical guardrails to ensure system security, reliability and compliance with Intelligence Community Directives.
Monitors technical dependencies across concurrent program workstreams and elevates risk to program leadership when primary mission objectives are threatened.
Advises the Technical Director, Program Manager and other leadership on technical integration strategy, architectural trade-offs and emerging AI capability areas relevant to the mission.
Maintains and updates the program's technical baseline and ensures configuration management discipline is applied across all contractor deliverables.
Conceive, plan and conduct activities in support of the identification and synthesis of future technology trends to guide IC S&T investments, manage contracts, coordinate forecasted activities, and develop periodic reports for the IC.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen residing in the United States
- Appointment is subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance based on an SBI with eligibility for sensitive compartmented information (SCI)
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
- A two-year trial period is required for all new permanent appointments to the ODNI.
Qualifications
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.
Federal Acquisition and Program Environment:
Minimum twelve (12) years of progressive technical experience in Federal, Department of Defense, or Intelligence Community program environments.
Direct experience managing or overseeing AI/ML acquisition programs or technically complex systems integration efforts from the government side.
Working knowledge of the Software Acquisition Pathway, Federal Acquisition Regulation and applicable agency-specific acquisition policies.
Superior understanding of government network constraints including Authority to Operate processes and air-gapped system environments.
Technical Knowledge:
Superior working knowledge of AI/ML system architectures including transformer-based models, vector databases and cloud infrastructure platforms.
Ability to read and evaluate API documentation, data schemas and system architecture diagrams to identify technical deficiencies without requiring hands-on software development proficiency.
Acquisition and Engineering Documentation:
Superior experience applying Systems Engineering fundamentals within a federal acquisition framework.
Portfolio of authored technical acquisition documents including Statements of Work, Risk Management Plans and Test and Evaluation strategies.
Experience managing technical baselines and tracking contractor performance against established cost and schedule constraints.
Cost Estimating:
Superior ability to review contractor cost submissions and produce defensible Government cost positions.
Communication and Documentation:
Superior ability to produce senior-level technical briefs, formal assessment memoranda and policy-grade written products with minimal supervisory review.
Ability to synthesize large volumes of technical and financial data into concise, decision-quality products for senior Government officials
Superior oral and written communication and interpersonal skills and the superior ability to work effectively with peers and leaders from across the IC and Department of Defense.
Education: Master's degree in Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline. Equivalent operational or experience in a directly related technical field may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Desired Requirements:
PMP certified.
COTR Certified.
Experience with agile development methodologies, rapid prototyping or innovation initiatives.
Demonstrated experience supporting the development of agentic, multi-modal AI systems.
Demonstrated experience building or integrating advanced compute systems.
Experience with multi-vendor system integration in complex, classified environments.
Familiarity with IC-specific data standards, security frameworks and compliance requirements.
Education
Master's degree.
Additional information
JOB INTERVIEW TRAVEL
Candidates from outside the Washington Metropolitan Area (WMA) may be selected for a telephone, teleconference, or in-person interview.
SALARY DETERMINATION
The ODNI uses a rank-in-person system in which rank is attached to GS employees on the basis of individual qualifications, experience, and performance. Individuals whose current GS grade is equivalent to the grade of the advertised position will retain their current grade and step. Individuals who transfer to the ODNI from a non-GS pay scale will have base pay converted to the appropriate GS grade and step as determined by the Chief of Human Resource Management.
In some cases when a current federal civilian employee applies for an ODNI position that is a lower grade than his or her personal grade, the candidate's personal grade will be downgraded to the grade of the advertised ODNI position and pay will be set at the step that is closest to, and not less than, the employee's current annual base rate of pay, not to exceed the maximum step rate of the GS grade to which assigned.
RELOCATION EXPENSES
For new ODNI employees, reimbursement for relocation is discretionary based on availability of funds.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
The ODNI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Reasonable Accommodations Officer by email at DNI_DRA@dni.gov, by telephone at (703)275-3900 or by FAX at (703)275-1217. Your request for reasonable accommodations will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO THE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION EMAIL ADDRESS. THIS EMAIL IS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS ONLY.
The ODNI is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Documents
A complete application package must include:
a. RESUME: Resumes must be no longer than two (2) pages in length. Resumes longer than two (2) pages will be removed from consideration. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the vacancy announcement, particularly the MDRs, and construct their resume to highlight their most significant experience and qualifications relevant to this job opportunity. You must ensure the resume contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position: job title; name of employer; beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format), and hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. Additionally, include a detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills and responsibilities, to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable), and series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).
b. ESSAY QUESTION RESPONSES: The responses cannot exceed 200 words per question (please see questions in the Requirements section above). By submitting your responses to these 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]).
c. COVER LETTER: Applicants must submit a professional narrative as a supplement to the resume to elaborate on their qualifications and previous work performed.
d. CURRENT SF-50: Federal Government employees must provide your official most recent SF-50 (i.e., dated within the last 52 weeks from the closing date of this vacancy announcement). An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, is used to verify current federal status, position, title, grade, and organization of record. If your SF-50(s) does not provide the information needed to make a final determination for qualification, you will be found ineligible for the position.
e. POSITION NUMBER: Reference the announcement number in the subject line on each document submitted.
Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.