About This Career

Signals intelligence officers oversee the collection and exploitation of electromagnetic signals, including communication and non-communication signals. They manage personnel and technical equipment engaged in intercepting, decoding, and analyzing communication traffic for content of possible intelligence value. These officers establish priorities of intercept missions for acquisition of desired data and coordinate the work to carry out those missions. They may also participate in jamming operations to disrupt an adversary’s communications.

This career is part of the Government and Public Administration cluster National Security pathway.

A person in this career:

• Manages personnel and equipment to collect, locate, process, identify, analyze, and exploit SIGINT information
• Reviews data obtained in communication traffic intercept and decoding for accuracy and relevance
• Identifies threats and develops mitigation measures to overcome adversarial electronic warfare actions
• Establishes priorities and provides guidance for collection, exploitation, analysis, and reporting missions
• Advises and assists commanders and staffs in formulating plans for SIGINT activities
• Evaluates characteristics, performance capabilities, and technological trends of electronic systems for offensive and defensive operational utilization
• Oversees search, jamming, and deception operations
• Prepares and disseminates electronic warfare doctrine, plans, orders, intelligence reports, and training directives
• Assists in SIGINT research and development and planning processes to develop requirements, equipment, and architectures for collection, processing, location, identification, analytics, and dissemination
• Plans and coordinates procedures for the maintenance, calibration, adjustment, and testing of electronic intercept equipment, including radios and printers

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overnight travel