National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

Principal Deputy Director (PPD), Advanced Systems & Technology (AS&T)

Chantilly, VA - Full Time

WE ARE THE NRO

For over 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
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen
  • 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 drug testing
  • You will be subject to pre-employment and periodic polygraph examinations
Where You Will Work 

The Principal Deputy Director (PDD), Advanced Systems & Technology (AS&T) leads the technical and financial management of the entire NRO Technology Enterprise. The PDD/AS&T plays a leadership role in formulating and implementing the strategic direction of AS&T and its constituent mission areas: allocating and executing resources, setting performance measures, and evaluating mission impact. The PDD/AS&T provides oversight and guidance in prioritizing and executing AS&T programs and activities, and outreach to mission partners. The PDD/AS&T reports directly to the Director (D), AS&T, and provides expert advice and recommendations directly to the D/AS&T on all NRO acquisitions and operations.
Working with the D/AS&T and the AS&T leadership teams, the PDD/AS&T provides organizational and mission leadership. The PDD/AS&T collaborates across the NRO to provide Research and Development to build an excellent technology enterprise that evolves current capabilities to meet near-term needs and develops revolutionary new concepts and advanced technology for the future. AS&T technology developments span from concepts to prototypes to complete space-based operational demonstration systems.

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 09 JAN 2026 through 28 JAN 2026.  Applicant packages must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

Who May Apply
  • This position is open to current GG/GS-15, Private Sector, and Federal civilian employees who are senior officers.
  • The NRO is only accepting external applicants through this job announcement.
What You Will Be Doing 

In coordination with D/AS&T, directs the formulation and execution of long-range, strategic plans for the entire AS&T Directorate, which have far-reaching implications for national security, the safety of DoD personnel across the globe, and are instrumental in providing key intelligence information that guides the US multi-trillion-dollar defense acquisition enterprise. Ensures key national and NRO goals, priorities, and values are part of the planning process. Forecasts for technology advancements and integrates these advances into strategic plans.

Directs reviews and adjustments of strategic plans as needed based on changes in national goals, technology, and resource constraints. Communicates challenging goals, translates vision into specific initiatives, and effectively delegates, coordinates and motivates individuals to achieve results. Directs the development and promulgation of policies and programs to achieve long-range strategic plans. Establishes the organizational strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the Directorate; manages the integration and execution of Directorate activities and resources across AS&T; and provides management, guidance, and day-to-day oversight of AS&T personnel in achieving the mission and goals of the NRO Strategic Framework. Evaluates AS&T's management control processes and objectives for alignment with the NRO Strategic Framework. Manages the AS&T portfolio to ensure the NRO Technology Enterprise executes a technically rigorous R&D portfolio to enable that vision. Provides accurate, complete and timely reporting. Ensures the development and execution of the AS&T portion of the NRO budget; prepares thorough estimates of financial and personnel resources required to execute AS&T programs; ensures lifecycle costs are appropriately considered. Determines long-term R&D strategies, coordinates DNRO approval of the strategies, postures the organization to support those strategies, and oversees the implementation to ensure necessary integration, cohesiveness, and optimal use of resources are executed.

Allocates resources required to execute the mission throughout the Directorate (i.e.; civilian, military personnel, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), and contract Advisory and Assistance Services (CMS)/Systems Engineering Technical Analysis (SETA) personnel). Ensures subordinate staff and agencies have sufficient funds to conduct acquisition activities.

Interfaces directly with Congressional members and staff, Office of Management and Budget, ODNI, and DoD principals, mission partners, user communities, and industry to develop, communicate, and defend end-to-end solutions or technology options that maximize the contribution of the NRO to near-term AS&T problems and optimize strategies that enable the availability and unfettered sharing multi-INT data to meet user requirement for actionable integrated information per prescribed timelines. Promotes continuous improvement by identifying deficiencies and redundancies in directorate processes, facilitates agreement and acceptance of corrective action, communicates procedural changes, and monitors the effectiveness of implementation. Establishes and communicates programmatic and mission execution authorities, personnel management responsibilities, and expectations for general conduct to the AS&T Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Provide guidance and direction to AS&T SLT members and adjudicates between offices on business management issues.

Serves as a Source Selection Authority unless delegated for all AS&T contractual activities. Serves as chair of applicable Award Fee Boards and executes Fee Determining Official authorities.
Exercises executive managerial and motivational control over approximately 300 military and government civilian personnel, SETA, FFRDC, and other support contractors in AS&T. Responsible for the development of military and civilian personnel within assigned career fields to provide the skills, experience, and training needed for the future. Ensures personnel management initiatives are consistent with strategic plans. Exercises leadership and management in acquiring an effective work force. Exercises final authority for the spectrum of personnel actions recommended by subordinate organization leadership. Supports and reviews, in coordination with the Chief of Staff, AS&Ts hiring, training, development, retention, and succession planning activities to maintain continuity of mission operations and objectives during personnel transitions. Delegates personnel management responsibility to subordinate organization chiefs consistent with NRO management philosophy.

Qualifications

Immersive and advisory-level understanding of the NRO mission, roles, responsibilities and capabilities.
  • Immersive and advisory-level knowledge and understanding of NRO overhead reconnaissance (GEOINT, SIGINT and MASINT) systems and capabilities, data dissemination methods, and user tools.
  • Immersive and advisory-level knowledge of the Tasking, Collection, Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (TCPED) process of NRO-derived data.
  • Seasoned and adaptive interpersonal, communication, leadership, team building and negotiation skills with a demonstrated ability to effectively execute executive reasoning/function skills to persuade, negotiate, unify, adjust, recalibrate, motivate, and drive decision-making in time sensitive, high-stress, high-stakes environments.  
  • Demonstrated executive presence and political acumen with ability to effectively interact at all levels of the organization, work across organizational boundaries, and objectively steer organizations to a common ground in order to advance mission.
  • NRO Program Office and/or NRO Directorate experience.
  • Intelligence Community and/or DOD experience supporting operations or exercises.
  • Experience and/or knowledge of topical issues relevant to the INDOPACOM AORs.
  • Experience and/or knowledge of FVEY partner relationships, and data sharing agreements.

Technical Qualifications

All applicants for this senior officer position must submit written statements (narrative format) of accomplishments that would satisfy all of the following technical qualifications:
  1. Extensive experience leading a technology-based organization with demonstrated expertise in managing people, programs, and resources in a multi-career service environment.
  2. Demonstrated experience working with intelligence enterprise architectures and associated technology portfolios across the DoD and IC while maintaining the ability to discover, understand, and assess specific program-level technical details.
  3. Thorough knowledge of (1) the intelligence program budget cycle and building program plans and congressional budget justifications; (2) resource management and strategic planning to secure and manage resources and apply those resources to affect desired outcomes; (3) familiarity with AS&T capital planning, investment policy, and procedures; (4) current collection technology trends, potential for the application of current and emerging technology solutions to meet customer requirements or to identify software engineering, programming, etc., technology gaps/shortfalls in current capabilities and processes; (5) space survivability issues; and (6) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA) and ODNI IC directives pertaining to Major Defense Acquisition Programs.
  4. Strong track record of positive leadership that invests time in developing officers and managers through feedback and mentoring.

Other Significant Facts and Requirements

Excepted Service: This position is an Excepted Service, Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) position under authorities of the U.S. Code Title 10, Section 1601 and 1607, dated 20 July 1999.

A Joint Duty Assignment (JDA) Program certification is required for promotion or assignment into an Intelligence Community Senior Officer position.  

DCIPS Trial Period: Newly appointed NRO Cadre senior officers must meet a two-year DCIPS trial period if not previously satisfied.  Runs concurrent with other probationary or trial periods.

DISL Probationary Period: Newly appointed DISL employees (including DISES moving into a DISL position) must complete a one-year DISL Probationary Period if not previously satisfied.

Citizenship: U.S. citizenship required to qualify for this position.

Drug-Free Workplace: Position is a Testing Designated Position.  Incumbent subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.

Security Clearance: Position is designated special-sensitive and incumbent must obtain and retain a TOP SECRET security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information. Employee remains subject to initial and periodic Counterintelligence Polygraphs and the terms of their signed NDA.

Financial Disclosure: The incumbent is required to submit an initial OGE 278e (Financial Disclosure) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter in accordance with the Joint Ethics Regulation.

Education Requirement: Advanced degree preferred in related field.

Duty Hours: The incumbent is required to be available for other than normal duty hours to include weekends to support exercises and crisis planning.

This is a Critical Acquisition Position. As a Critical Acquisition Position (CAP) unless specifically waived by the DNRO or appropriate Component official, or if the employee is "grandfathered" under 10 U.S.C. 1736 (c) (1), the following are statutorily mandated requirements (reference 10 U.S.C 1733 and 1737). Selectee must execute, as a condition of employment, a written tenure agreement to maintain in Federal Service in this position for at least three years. In signing such an agreement, the employee does not forfeit any employment rights, nor does such an agreement alter any other terms or conditions of employment. Employee must have 4 years acquisition experience. DAWIA requirements may be located at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) website.

Submission Package

Required Documents for Current Intelligence Community (IC) Senior Officer Applicants, including DISL, DISES, and other IC Component senior officers.  Please provide the following unless otherwise stipulated below:

If you have required documentation that is classified, please submit your application and send a follow-up email to: [email protected]
  1. Resume
  2. Capability Statement: a narrative statement specifically addressing each mandatory technical qualification. Each statement should not exceed two pages per Technical Qualification.
  3. Joint Duty Credit Certification: Provide a copy of your completed Joint Duty Assignment (JDA_ SF-50) or an adjudicated IC JDA claim form. For more information regarding the IC Joint Duty Program, please refer to https://www.icjointduty.gov
  4. Last two performance appraisals
  5. SF-50 proving current Federal civilian status
If you have required documentation that is classified, please submit your application to this vacancy announcement and email supporting classified documents to: [email protected]

Location

Chantilly, Virginia

Salary

2026 DISL salary range: $151,662 – $209,600

Hiring Incentives

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

Trial Period

All new DCIPS employees will be required to serve a 2-year trial period, if not previously satisfied.

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 [email protected].

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.

Read more about the Privacy Act of 1974 

 
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