Special Programs Program Manager - Full Performance / Senior Level

WE ARE THE NRO

For sixty years, the NRO has developed, acquired, launched and operated the satellites that are the foundation for America’s advantage and strength in space. Using a diversified architecture of spacecraft, NRO collects and delivers the best space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance content on the planet.

Learn more at nro.gov.

Basic Eligibility For A Position With The NRO

NRO positions are Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) positions in the Excepted Service under 10 U.S.C.

• You will be subject to pre-employment and periodic drug testing
• You must be 18 years of age or older
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance
• You will be subject to pre-employment and periodic background investigations, including polygraph examinations
• 1601. Applicants must meet the NRO’s conditions of employment, to include, but not limited to:
• You must be a U.S. Citizen
• You must meet NRO fitness for employment standards

Federal Employee Vaccination Requirement

To ensure compliance with nationwide COVID-19 vaccine protocols, please visit

Where You Will Work

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Office of Policy and Strategy (OP&S) is a direct report to the Director NRO (DNRO), charged with being the foremost policy advisor to the DNRO and NRO leadership and with forging an NRO policy and strategy foundation that enables NRO leadership and personnel to accomplish their mission and objectives. This includes maintaining continuous awareness of corporate priorities, programs, activities, and mission objectives as well as all Executive Branch, DoD, and IC policy-related legislation, regulation, and issues affecting the NRO; and ensuring that NRO special programs, special technical operations, and mission operations are consistent with policy and strategy.

OP&S engages with a full range of interagency partners on overhead reconnaissance-related policy and strategy issues, foreign relations, and civil space-related matters to build and maintain strategic relationships that allow the DNRO to affect agendas, shape thinking, and influence outcomes.

Policy and Strategy Officers are responsible for the development, coordination and communication of the NRO’s strategic direction in support of the Director, Principal Deputy Director, Deputy Director, OP&S and DNRO. To support this role, activities include analyzing the Intelligence Community (IC) needs and strategic environment, identifying and directing evaluations of new opportunities to optimize overhead reconnaissance capabilities, implementing activities to support strategic objectives, and coordinating with IC, Department of Defense (DoD) and international stakeholders.

The NRO Cadre is collecting resumes for consideration against current and future opportunities for Full Performance/ Senior Level (GG-13/GG-14), Program Managers, occupational series 0340. For more information on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) occupational series, click

Your resume may be considered for other positions which your skills and experience may be a good match.

This is a full-time position that is open from June 29, 2023 to July 13, 2023. Resumes must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on July 13, 2023.

Who May Apply

• This position is open to the public.
• The NRO is only accepting external applicants for this job announcement. Current NRO Cadre employees should apply internally.
• Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade per IAW DoD 1400.25 Volume 2006.
• Federal government employees MUST currently be at the grade level or higher as indicated in this announcement. This is NOT a promotion opportunity for current Federal government employees. If selected for the position, Federal government employees will transition laterally at their current grade level and step.

What You Will Be Doing

The NRO/OP&S Sensitive Activities Group (SAG) coordinates, deconflicts, manages, and executes various sensitive activities within the NRO and with its mission partners. As such, OP&S/SAG is responsible to the DNRO and D/OP&S for all policies, strategies, and activities related to NRO special programs. This includes:

• Represent NRO sensitive activities during select wargaming and exercise events.
• Represent NRO equities as part of Integrated Joint Special Technical Operations (IJSTO).
• Coordinate, deconflict, and execute Intelligence Community (IC) Controlled Access Programs (CAPs), Department of Defense (DoD) Special Access Programs (SAPs), and other sensitive activities supported and conducted by the NRO.
• Monitor and assess CAP/SAP policy, oversight, and management issues.
• Provide sensitive activities support to NRO leadership, the NRO Sensitive Activities Management Board (SAMB), and other internal and interagency activities as necessary and/or directed.

The Special Programs Program Manager (SPPM), as part of OP&S/SAG, is responsible for supporting general SAG activities and specific direction from OP&S and NRO leadership. This position will support the development, execution, and oversight of policies, strategies, and activities related to NRO special programs.

The OP&S/SAG Special Programs Program Manager major duties include:

• Promote information sharing and knowledge management of activities within the NRO, across the IC and DoD, and with other government agencies, mission partners, stakeholders, and other related parties, as appropriate.
• Plan, execute, assess and support tests/experiments/exercises/wargames involving NRO capabilities and other sensitive activities, as appropriate.
• Support the execution of DNRO direction to the Chair, Sensitive Activities Management Board (SAMB), and Sensitive Activities Steering Group (SASG) reviews, assessments, and recommendations for SAMB review/consideration/approval.
• Advance policies, strategies, and sensitive activities through effective communications with NRO leadership and workforce and, as appropriate, with mission partners.
• Interpret policies, regulations, guidance, and other relevant information related to the NRO and its mission partners for impact and implications to the NRO’s mission and make recommendations for action, as appropriate.
• OP&S subject matter expert enabling insight into and oversight of NRO sensitive activities in accordance with applicable internal and external policies and guidance.
• Lead and support select NRO sensitive activities and special programs, as directed.

What You Need

• Demonstrated skill and experience in communicating at executive levels within and across organizations using a variety of mediums and situations to deliver new, complex, and often challenging direction and guidance with agency-wide impacts.
• Extensive knowledge of and experience in various analytical principles, concepts, and methods to produce detailed analysis of complex information attained from multiple, diverse sources across multiple disciplines.
• Knowledge of multiple intelligence disciplines and associated analytic methodologies. In-depth understanding of relationship across various intelligence disciplines between the intelligence cycle (to include tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination) and applicability of related policies.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively to execute direction and accomplish goals.
• Extensive knowledge of and experience working with the DoD/Intelligence Community (IC), and other stakeholder communities, to include their organizational structures, policies, directives, missions and functions, etc., and a broad professional network across these communities to capture and leverage best practices.
• Must be able to collaborate with technical experts (internal and external) to ensure appropriate application and execution of sensitive activities in this dynamic technical organization. Must be able to work with key stakeholders to increase their understanding of relevant policies and strategies to enable mission success.
• Technical skills in both oral and written communication -- Proven ability to produce clear and concise communication products and governance documentation, and to deliver verbal and written presentations.

Desired Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience working with executive orders, laws, IC and DoD policies and guidance related to the NRO mission.
• 3+ years IC, DoD or NRO experience supporting policy and strategy functions.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in the full range of intelligence-related project/program management with emphasis in requirements generation, program planning and execution, test and evaluation, and operations, to include team and/or project leadership.
• 10+ years of experience directly supporting NRO, IC or DoD intelligence-related activities.
• 5+ years of experience and current knowledge across the spectrum of NRO mission programs and capabilities.

Qualifying experience may have been acquired in any public or private sector job, but will clearly demonstrate past experience in the application of the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform and is typically in or directly related to the duties of the position as described above. Experience must be reflected in your resume.

Other Information

• NRO Cadre COTR Training: NRO Cadre COTR Training requires completion within 6 months of position's EOD.
• Emergency Essential: Certain positions MAY be deemed emergency essential and incumbents must be willing to meet all position requirements.
• Financial Disclosure: MAY be required to file an OGE Form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, upon appointment and will be required to file annually.
• Overtime Statement: MAY be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
• Travel Statement: MAY be required to travel in military or commercial aircraft to perform temporary duty assignments.

Location

Chantilly, VA

Salary

2023 Salary range for Washington, DC Area:

GG-13: $112,015 – $145,617

GG-14: $132,368 – $172,075

• This position is a Senior level DCIPS position. The NRO is accepting applications from U.S. Citizens and current federal government employees for this position. To qualify for the position, federal government employees MUST currently be at the GG-13 or GG-14 level and may ONLY apply for a lateral reassignment at their current grade level and step. Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade per IAW DoD 1400.25 Volume 2006.

Hiring Incentives

The NRO may offer hiring incentives and other entitlements at management’s discretion.

Trial Period

All new

Veterans’ Preference

DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans’ Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Vol 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans’ preference, as defined by section 2108 of Title 5 USC, you must submit documents verifying your eligibility upon request.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:

• An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please send your request to

Privacy Act Notice

Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): We use this information to determine qualifications for employment. This is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.

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