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
The Sexual Harassment / Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Victim Advocate (VA) facilitates care and provides non-clinical support to adult victims of sexual assault or sexual harassment within the CIA. As a SHARP VA, you are a primary point of contact for victims—including via a 24/7 helpline—and responsible for assessing victims’ safety concerns and other immediate needs, providing trauma-informed crisis intervention in the aftermath of a sexual harassment and/or sexual assault, and ensuring victims are aware of, and have access to, a wide range of essential support services and legal assistance as needed.
At times, when appropriate and requested by the victim, you may be required to accompany victims to medical appointments, investigator interviews, or court proceedings. You will continue to provide support for sexual assault victims throughout the lifecycle of the case or for as long as needed.
In cases of sexual harassment, you will be responsible for ensuring victims receive guidance and support during administrative, investigative, and legal procedures and fully understand the processes involved. When needed, you will ensure a warm handover to the respective office designated to receive and follow through on reports.
As a VA, you will work directly under a Sexual Assault Response Case Manager (SARC) to ensure timely and thorough notification and documentation of sexual harassment and sexual assault incidents and collaborate on comprehensive care for victims throughout the process. You will attend regular sexual assault Case Management Group meetings to ensure victims’ needs are being met. In addition, you will partner with the SARCs and other relevant offices across the CIA to develop and coordinate public awareness campaigns and events, as well as to conduct/facilitate sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention and response training for the workforce.
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
- National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) certification
- Must have or be able to obtain and maintain a current state driver’s license
- Ability to serve in an “on call” duty status outside of normal work hours that includes remaining ready to perform work, manning a corporate cellphone, and remaining in a reasonable call back radius, staffing the 24/7 support helpline, as needed; regularly checking emails to respond to crises; and/or reporting to a designated place of duty to perform work
- Excellent judgment, objectivity, and expertise in addressing employee issues and concerns
- Ability to develop and effectively deliver presentations and training
- Ability to collect and monitor data used to compose written reports and to assist with an end resolution
- Project management skills to implement crisis intervention and situational assessment techniques, analyze the needs of the victim, and provide support and/or assistance to them in the resolution of complex problems
- Possess strong interpersonal skills
- Ability to build trust and develop supportive relationships
- Strong analytical ability to intervene in crisis situations, using sound professional judgment and ethical practice
- Ability to meet the minimum requirements for joining CIA, including U.S. citizenship and a background investigation
Desired Qualifications
- Knowledge of primary prevention principles, sexual assault dynamics, Agency and federal reporting requirements, principles and theories and community resources for sexual assault, victim advocacy, and the prevention and response to provide one-on-one victim advocacy assistance and information to sexual assault victims
- Knowledge of and skill in utilizing trauma informed care approaches to work with sexual assault victims in crisis situations
- Knowledge of a wide range of essential support services and resources for victims of sexual assault
- Practical knowledge of the local, state, and federal laws and regulations pertaining to victims of sexual assault to effectively coordinate services (e.g. medical, mental health, and investigative) in various locales
- Familiarity in working with individuals who have experienced trauma or victimization