Linguist/Language Analyst

Job Summary

As a language analyst, you will use your passion for foreign language and strong oral communication, written communication, and critical thinking skills to research, translate, transcribe, report, and analyze foreign intelligence. Your foreign language and English skills will provide key decision makers with a complete and accurate picture of the context within which the decision is being made (i.e. provide an understanding of the nuance, context, cultural overtones, and dialect in which the communication occurred). Another way to use your foreign language skills at NSA is to work as a scientific linguist. Scientific linguists support the mission by designing, developing, evaluating, and/or integrating products to enhance the understanding of mission critical foreign languages or materials by applying linguistic knowledge (e.g. syntax, morphology, phonetics, semantics) to address operational problems.

Qualifications

Salary Range: Entry/Developmental

NSA Washington: $49,157 – $78,167

NSA Hawaii: $45,043 – $71,625

NSA Texas: $43,992 – $69,953

NSA Georgia: $43,683 – $69,462

NSA Utah: $43,683 – $69,462

• The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Salary offers are based on candidates’ education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.

Entry is with a high school diploma or equivalent and no experience.

Experience in the target foreign language for which the applicant is being considered is desired. Professional language-related work experience and/or immersion-like experience is preferred. Applicant must have a minimum language proficiency of Interagency Roundtable (ILR) level 2/2 in reading and listening in the target foreign language for which the applicant is being considered.

Exceptions to the ILR Level 2/2 requirement for new hires are handled via a waiver request process from the hiring manager.

Salary Range: Full Performance

NSA Washington: $72,750 – $113,362

NSA Hawaii: $66,662 – $103,875

NSA Texas: $65,106 – $101,451

NSA Georgia: $64,649 – $100,739

NSA Utah: $64,649 – $100,739

• The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Salary offers are based on candidates’ education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.

Entry is with a high school diploma or equivalent plus 3 years of relevant experience or an Associate’s degree plus 1 year of relevant experience.

Degree in Language, Regional/Area Studies, International Relations or Studies, International Security, International Affairs, Global Studies, Security & Intelligence Studies, Political Science, History, or topical studies such as counter-proliferation, counterterrorism, international crime, finance/economics, chemistry/biology, telecommunications, computer science, space or weapons systems, or cyber security is preferred.

Relevant experience must be performing professional language-related work in the target foreign language for which the applicant is being considered, preferably language-related signals intelligence. Applicant must have a minimum language proficiency of Interagency Roundtable (ILR) level 3/2 or 2/3 in reading and listening in the target foreign language for which the applicant is being considered.

In special cases (e.g., hard to fill positions in critical or less-common languages/dialects) where no viable applicants are available with the minimum language proficiency level or years of experience required, applicants with less than the minimum will be considered. Applicants with less than the minimum language proficiency will require additional language training to reach ILR Level 3 in at least one mode (reading or listening) within 2-3 years.

Salary Range: Senior

NSA Washington: $103,690 – $159,286

NSA Hawaii: $95,012 – $145,955

NSA Texas: $92,795 – $142,549

NSA Georgia: $92,143 – $141,548

NSA Utah: $92,143 – $141,548

• The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Salary offers are based on candidates’ education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.

Entry is with a high school diploma or equivalent plus 6 years of relevant experience or an Associate’s degree plus 4 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor’s degree plus 2 years of relevant experience.

Degree in Language, Regional/Area Studies, International Relations or Studies, International Security, International Affairs, Global Studies, Security & Intelligence Studies, Political Science, History, or topical studies such as counter-proliferation, counterterrorism, international crime, finance/economics, chemistry/biology, telecommunications, computer science, space or weapons systems, or cyber security is preferred.

Relevant experience must be performing professional language-related work in the target foreign language for which the applicant is being considered, preferably language-related signals intelligence. Applicant must have a minimum language proficiency of Interagency Roundtable (ILR) level 3/3 in reading and listening in the target foreign language for which the applicant is being considered.

In special cases (e.g., hard to fill positions in critical or less-common languages/dialects) where no viable applicants are available with the minimum language proficiency level required, applicants with less than the minimum will be considered. Applicants with less than the minimum language proficiency will require additional language training to reach ILR Level 3/3 within 2-3 years.

Competencies

The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, has a desire for continual learning, and is:

• Proficient (reading and listening) in one or more critical foreign languages, including Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Somali, Persian Farsi, Korean, Turkish and other languages as missions and needs evolve
• Well organized and able to handle multiple assignments
• A strong written and oral communicator
• Able to synthesize information to solve complex problems
• Able to provide timely and accurate customer service

Coursework, knowledge, and experience in one or more of the following is desired:

• Target development
• Social network analysis
• Metadata analysis
• Research methodology
• Topical or Regional studies relevant to national security
• Quantitative/Statistical analysis
• Data modeling, mining, or science
• Cyber security
• Computer science or networking
• Telecommunications

Relevant Internships, extracurricular activities, and/or foreign study are also considered.

Prior military without a degree but with language analysis cryptologic experience will be considered.

In most cases, Experienced Level Language Analysts at NSA will have substantial experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Performing language quality control;
• Serving as an established Subject Matter Expert (SME);
• Authoring and releasing reports;
• Mentoring, coaching, and leading other Language Analysts;
• Ensuring the technical health of the mission;
• Mastering and coaching others on the use of a variety of internal tools;
• Testing at Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) 3/3 levels for one or more mission languages; and
• Displaying a broad knowledge of the Intelligence Community and how various elements work together to prosecute mission.

**NOTE 1: You will be sent a link for an Unproctored Test which measures cognitive ability, motivation, and English proficiency. Following application submission, you will immediately be sent a test link to your provided email with further instructions. You may also access the link through the Applicant Portal via your Dashboard. While this test is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged. The test link expires after 14 days so please check your Spam folder just in case the email landed there instead of your Inbox. If you do not receive a test link within a few business days after applying to this position, please contact 1-844-IC-HIRES (1-844-424-4737) so we can review your submission.

**NOTE 2: If you are selected to process further, you will be required to 1) take the Defense Language Proficiency Test which measures language proficiency and 2) complete an online interview. Following receipt of email interview link, you will be sent a separate link to your provided email with test scheduling instructions. Please check your Spam folder just in case these emails landed there instead of your Inbox. Please be sure to schedule as soon as you can, as this information will be used as part of the selection decision, with processing hindered until test results are recorded. If you do not receive a test link within a few business days after receiving an email to complete your interview, please contact 1-844-IC-HIRES (1-844-424-4737) so we can review your submission.

Pay, Benefits, & Work Schedule

On-the-job training, internal NSA courses, and external training will be made available based on the need and experience of the selectee.

Monday – Friday, with basic 8hr/day work requirements between 0600 and 1800 (flexible).

NSA hires for a variety of locations, to include: Maryland, Georgia, Hawaii, Texas, Utah, and other locations.

How to apply

To apply for this position, please click the ‘Apply’ button located at the top right of this posting. After completing the application for the first time, or reviewing previously entered information, and clicking the ‘Submit’ button, you will receive a confirmation email. Please ensure your spam filters are configured to accept emails from [email protected].

***PLEASE NOTE: U.S. Citizenship is required for all applicants. Reasonable accommodations provided to applicants with disabilities during the application and hiring process where appropriate. NSA is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations. All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph.

This position is a Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) position in the Excepted Service under 10 U.S.C. 1601. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans’ Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans’ preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.

Please note that you may be asked a series of questions depending on the position you apply for. Your responses will be used as part of the screening process of your application and will assist in determining your eligibility for the position. Be sure to elaborate on experiences in your resume. Failure to provide the required information or providing inaccurate information will result in your application not being considered for this position. Only those applicants who meet the qualifications for the position will be contacted to begin employment processing.

Please Note: Job Posting could close earlier than the closing date due to sufficient number of applicants or position no longer available. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

DCIPS Disclaimer

The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority.

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