The Directorate of Science and Technology (DS&T) applies innovative, scientific, engineering, and technical solutions in support of our foreign intelligence mission. Officers within DS&T use specialized expertise to confront intelligence problems with effective targeting, bold technology, and superb tradecraft. The DS&T partners with many other organizations in the Intelligence Community, the military, academia, the national laboratories, and the private sector to achieve mission success. The DS&T brings distinctive tools, capabilities, and expertise to our most difficult national security challenges.
We are the Directorate of Science and Technology
We are the Directorate of Science and Technology.
We create, adapt, develop and operate technology to protect our nation.
We are engineers, software specialists, biologists, chemists, mathematicians, scientists, and even costume designers.
We develop advanced, one-of-a-kind, limited production tech for national security requirements.
We help solve pressing intelligence challenges with technical power and expertise.
We are the Directorate of Science and Technology.
The work of a nation. The center of intelligence.
Our Mission and Priorities
The Directorate of Science & Technology (DS&T) addresses national intelligence and security challenges through applying technology and expertise to CIA’s mission. The Directorate integrates the technical acumen, tradecraft, and cutting-edge capabilities necessary to power CIA’s current and future intelligence mission.
The United States is in an era of competition for influence, technological leadership, and knowledge. Technology is rapidly evolving and has a pervasive influence across the whole of CIA’s mission. In order for CIA to maintain a competitive advantage over our adversaries in the face of this environment, the DS&T must position itself to take a leadership role in meeting the challenges of an increasingly complex security landscape by adapting its vision for workforce development, targeting, operations, partner integration, and delivery of technical capabilities.
Our Guiding Principles
Apply Expertise to Intelligence Mission
Strategically develop our workforce to build expertise that is deep, relevant, and dynamic to keep us at the leading edge of innovation, anticipate vulnerabilities, and identify opportunities.
Focus on High-Priority Operations
Focus on high impact, high value, meticulous operations to collect intelligence. Be thorough in our planning, prioritizing of our efforts, and focus on outcomes and impacts.
Deliver Tailor-Made Capabilities
Deliver highly technical, operation-specific capabilities focused on the most impactful requirement. Our ability to anticipate, innovate, and deploy technology will keep CIA ahead of its adversaries. Exploit the emerging technology revolution to deliver cutting-edge capabilities and drive integrated data for actionable intelligence.
Integrate Our Strengths Across CIA’s Mission
Operate as agile, highly integrated teams capable of working cohesively across various organizations, developing technological advances and overcoming challenges. Work with Agency partners to deliver outcomes that drive collection, enrich analysis, and inform policymakers. Deliver outcomes that address intelligence requirements and use all-source assessments to anticipate risks and identify opportunities.
What We Do
We create, adapt, develop, and operate technical collection systems and apply enabling technologies to the collection, processing, and analysis of information all to maintain a competitive advantage over our adversaries.
To spend a day with the DS&T is to spend a day inside the imagination of CIA. All DS&T employees are technical intelligence officers, but work in many different disciplines ranging from computer programmers and engineers to scientists and analysts. Officers within the DS&T operate as part of a worldwide team to meet regional requirements for intelligence collection.
They design, build, and operate systems to support global information superiority and research, develop, and apply advanced technologies that provide the nation a significant intelligence advantage.
History
The Directorate of Science & Technology was established in 1963 by then DCI John McCone to allow the Agency to better manage for intelligence purposes its enterprises of R&D programs, scientific analysis, and technical support of operations. The future of intelligence collection would rely heavily on innovations within the labs of government as well as the private and academic sections. The DS&T would become the center spoke to maintaining the communication and cooperation among these entities to increase the pace of innovation and development of these capabilities and collection systems.
After the Cold War, the DS&T's mission expanded beyond its traditional role to address new threats springing from rogue states and terrorist groups. Building upon its foundational history and to continue to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex security landscape, the DS&T adapts and transforms workforce development, targeting, operations, partner integration, and delivery of technical capabilities against our most challenging state and non-state actors.
Frequently Asked Questions
The DS&T needs a broad range of skills to support its activities, including information technology, engineering, and physical sciences. Most entry-level positions require a bachelor's degree; however, the DS&T also hires candidates with advanced degrees or work experience to fill our full-performance and expert-level positions. You must be at least 18 years old and a US citizen to qualify for employment. You must also successfully complete a medical examination, polygraph interview, and an extensive background investigation.
The DS&T participates in a variety of Agency student programs. The DS&T seeks students who are pursuing studies in such majors as information technology, engineering, and physical sciences. The Undergraduate Scholar Program offers opportunities for qualified high school seniors with financial need to benefit from summer employment and tuition assistance in return for a commitment to the Agency for a term of employment following graduation. The CIA Internship Program provides paid work experience that complements academic studies. Students are expected to spend a minimum of two summers or two semesters (or one of each) on the job before graduation. The Graduate Studies Program provides paid summer internships for students who are preparing to enter their first or second year of full-time graduate study.
You will receive general training about the Agency's mission, policies, and administrative processes, as well as specialized training your job requires. Employees are sponsored for job-related training courses and conferences.
The Agency requires every employee to successfully complete a medical exam and to undergo screening for a security clearance, including an extensive background investigation and a polygraph examination.
Yes. There are, of course, both security and proprietary restrictions which might apply and which are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The DS&T encourages professional affiliation and allows its employees the broadest professional growth and recognition possible.
The DS&T has work sites within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, your particular assignment will dictate your precise work location. When applying for employment, the hiring representative will discuss these options with you.
Travel varies by assignments. Occasional travel called Temporary Duty (TDY) is required at times, as well as rotational assignments; either of which may require travel abroad. Certainly, employees may apply for assignments that require frequent travel, if desired. When applying for employment, the hiring representative will discuss these options with you.
Careers
To maintain a strategic advantage over our adversaries, it is critical for the Directorate of Science & Technology (DS&T) workforce to have diverse skill sets to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies. New technologies augment the threat landscape and we must adapt to protect our information and systems against attacks from hostile intelligence services and hackers. Sophisticated defenses and emerging threats continue to raise the bar for our need of expert engineers, scientists, analysts, and artists.
It is imperative that we employ the best and the brightest minds to ensure our success in fulfilling the Agency's foreign intelligence mission. Successfully grasping and integrating emerging technologies into our operations requires us to recruit and retain the right technical skills to defeat increasingly complex technologies.
Our mission is fascinating and we operate worldwide. There are opportunities at CIA that are not available in the private sector. DS&T intelligence officers are part of a team of experts in science and emerging technologies. Their expertise helps the Agency adapt, lead, and stay ahead of the curve in support of our mission to protect the United States from foreign threats. These officers are often tasked with developing unique technologies to meet national security requirements. They also analyze data, provide long-term strategic assessments, and more. Our engineers and scientists work with the most advanced technologies and interact regularly with top specialists in academia, industry, and government.
Officers in the DS&T work closely with counterparts across CIA. Partnering with them to provide the technical leadership and innovative solutions required to achieve success in intelligence collection missions. Regardless of the task, what our officers do on a day-to-day basis provides our country with a significant intelligence advantage.
We have the people with the ability and desire to make what is impossible today, happen tomorrow. But we always need new talent and value fresh perspectives.
Featured Jobs
Technology Development Engineers collaborate with Intelligence Community and partners to develop cutting-edge, custom-engineered solutions advancing CIA collection initiatives.
- Full time
- Starting salary: $68,405 – $181,216*
- *Higher starting salary possible depending on experience level
- Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering
- Foreign language bonus eligible
- Opportunities for travel are possible
Project Managers apply their engineering or scientific expertise to design, acquire, and deliver new and innovative satellite systems in support of CIA’s mission to collect foreign intelligence.
- Full time
- Starting salary: $72,965 – $181,216*
- *Higher starting salary possible depending on experience level
- Bachelor's degree
- Foreign language bonus eligible
- Opportunities for travel are possible
Technical Researchers will apply technical expertise, innovative mindset, and adaptive imagination to enable CIA to excel in a rapidly changing world of Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTs).
- Full time
- Starting salary: $68,405 - $181,216*
- *Higher starting salary possible depending on experience level
- Aerospace engineering, electrical, mathematics, physical sciences
- Foreign language bonus eligible
- Opportunities for domestic travel are possible
Technical Targeting Analysts evaluate technical and scientific data to provide insights that unite technical operations and development activities to maximize intelligence collection strategies.
- Full time
- Starting salary: $68,405 – $181,216*
- *Higher starting salary possible depending on experience level
- Biology, Chemistry, Econometrics, Mathematics, Sociology, Data Science
- Language bonus eligible
- Opportunities for foreign travel are possible