At the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Intelligence Analysts (IA) and Staff Operation Specialists (SOS)/Tactical Specialists (TS) have distinctive and rewarding careers, working closely with Special Agents, other FBI employees, and the Intelligence Community to consolidate valuable information into strategic, analytical intelligence.
Intelligence Analysts and SOSs are at the heart of the FBI’s intelligence work. They combine information collected by the Bureau’s Special Agents and other intelligence professionals, Intelligence Community sources, and other law enforcement organizations and use that to make informed judgments and recommendations. Because threats know no borders, these partnerships are critical for success. They also draw on their knowledge of specific issues and geographic regions’ language, culture, and history to do their jobs.
IAs and SOSs are critical to the FBI mission. They analyze information and allow us to understand, mitigate, and neutralize threats. They both engage in work ranging from counterterrorism to organized crime and beyond.
Our intelligence personnel identify gaps in the existing information, then do research to fill those gaps, often consulting sources outside the FBI. It’s an exciting puzzle to work on, one that’s vital to national security.
All intelligence analysts perform at least one of the five analytic or raw reporting functions: threat analysis, collection management, domain analysis, targeting analysis, or reports officer.
SOS/TSs are embedded with operational components and are responsible for providing tactical analysis to operational personnel in support of FBI investigations. By understanding the investigative gaps in complex, multi-subject investigations, SOS/TSs exploit data to identify relevant information and write tactical intelligence products for members of the investigative workforce for action.
We recruit and hire IAs/SOSs/TSs at all career levels, from recent college graduates to experienced professionals. Education and experience requirements differ depending on the intelligence analyst role and position grade.
An FBI Intelligence role is demanding and rewarding and requires stringent entry qualifications. Visit FBIJOBS Intelligence Analysts to learn more about the qualifications and the six-step applicant process.
Check out this video on the FBI’s YouTube channel, titled “A Day in the Life-Intelligence Analyst” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9rxEezACqU
Jeffrey R. Downey
Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso
With El Paso so close to the Mexican border and Mexico in the throws of revolutionary struggle during the early 1900s, southwest Texas became a key focus of the Bureau soon after its founding in 1908. As the FBI heads into its second century, the El Paso Division remains committed to protecting the people and defending the nation while upholding the rule of law and the civil liberties of all.