Agency-wide Requirements
All applicants must be:
- U.S. citizens (dual U.S. citizens also eligible)
- At least 18 years of age
- Willing to move to the Washington, DC area
- Able to complete security and medical evaluations
- Registered for the Selective Service
About the Job
As a Polygraph Examiner for CIA, you will assess the credibility of individuals in support of CIA’s mission. Your career at CIA as a Polygraph Examiner begins with a four-year tour of duty primarily located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. You must be a federally certified polygraph examiner or be willing and able to complete CIA’s Polygraph Examiner Program which provides training and certification to meet this requirement. Upon successful completion of the federal Polygraph Examiner Program, you will receive Polygraph Premium Pay, a significant addition to your base salary. After your initial four-year tour, you may express interest for additional polygraph tours to hone your expertise or seek new skills through other opportunities in the Office of Security.
Polygraph examiners typically conduct two polygraph sessions per day and must work an alternate work schedule comprised of one week of 9-hour days and a second week with three 9- hour days, an 8-hour day, and Friday of that week off. This is known as a 5/4-9 schedule and results in a three-day weekend every other week. This schedule can make for a fast paced, demanding, and, at times, unrelenting job, but the challenge is worth it.
Domestic and foreign travel opportunities may be available after a proven record of performance.
Who You’ll Work With
At the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), we recognize our Nation’s strength comes from the diversity of its people. People from a broad range of backgrounds and viewpoints work at CIA, and our diverse teams are the reason we can keep our country safe.
Read more about diversity and inclusion
What You’ll Get
Our benefits support every aspect of a working professional’s life, including health and wellness, time off, family, finances, and continuing education. Our programs include highly sought-after government health benefits, flexible schedules, sick leave, and childcare. In some cases, we also offer sign-on incentives and cover moving expenses if you relocate.
As a CIA employee, you’ll also get the satisfaction of knowing your work is part of something bigger than yourself. Our work is driven by one mission: to keep our Nation safe. Every day is an opportunity to enhance U.S. national security.
Learn more about working at CIA
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields:
- Biology
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Forensic Psychology
- Forensic Science
- Psychology
- At least a 3.0 GPA on a 4-point scale is preferred, but exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Analytic skills
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact with a broad cross-section of society, sometimes under stressful conditions
- Ability to work both independently and in a team environment
- Confidence to have your work scrutinized and the grace to accept feedback
- High levels of trustworthiness, tenacity, professional and personal integrity, and loyalty to the United States
- Ability to meet the minimum requirements for joining CIA, including U.S. citizenship and a background investigation
Desired Qualifications
- Professional experience or training/certification in interviewing, investigation or elicitation
- Current or previously qualified federal polygraph examiner certification
- Knowledge of counterintelligence arena
- Experience working with Intelligence Community Directive 704