Research Employment Opportunities – IDA Center for Computing Sciences
The Center for Computing Sciences (CCS) provides an exciting, welcoming, and diverse environment in which computer scientists, mathematicians, and engineers from across the nation come together to solve intelligence-related problems of critical importance to national security. Nestled between Washington, D.C., and Annapolis, Maryland, CCS works closely with the National Security Agency (NSA) and many partners to develop computing technologies tailored to the demanding requirements of national-security-related computations. CCS and its siblings, the Centers for Communications Research, constitute a non-profit Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) that operates in the public interest, free from organizational conflicts of interest, and can therefore assist the Department of Defense in ways that industry and for-profit contractors cannot.
We support transparency, equity, and fairness in our compensation program and provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range based on data-driven market analysis for each position. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range, a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $120,817-$283,015. Individual salary within this range will be commensurate with the incumbent’s experience, unique skills and qualifications, and other relevant factors.
At IDA, we pride ourselves on offering a comprehensive benefits package that ensures the well-being and security of our staff and their families. We provide a range of medical plans as well as stand-alone dental and vision coverage. Our retirement plans are designed to secure the financial future of our staff, featuring a generous contribution of 10% of base salary to our Qualified Retirement Plan after six months of service. We are committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance with a flexible work environment, an Employee Assistance Plan, paid parental leave, 11 paid holidays, and generous paid time off. IDA encourages professional development and offers tuition reimbursement and other learning opportunities. Learn more about our robust benefit offerings here.
What we do. When CCS was founded in 1985, its mission focused on the development and use of high-end computing (HEC). That mission has expanded over the years to reflect both advancing technologies and evolving intelligence community requirements. CCS’s work now includes cryptography, vulnerability research techniques, signal processing, advanced techniques for analyzing extremely complex data sets, and alternative computing paradigms.
Summer at CCS. An annual highlight at CCS is a summer-long intense effort focused on one or two research challenges that have been identified as being of critical importance. Outside researchers, graduate students and colleagues from the intelligence community descend on CCS, join the research staff and adjuncts on multidisciplinary teams, and make critical advances on problems previously believed to be intractable.
Working at or with CCS. CCS offers several types of research position, in addition to that of full-time research staff member. Researchers ranging from graduate students to tenured faculty can apply for summer positions. We also have adjunct positions which are appropriate for established researchers who are available to visit periodically. Because the nature of our problem set constantly changes, a strong record of solving technical problems is at least as important as one’s specific area of technical expertise. CCS offers an academic-style environment, a competitive salary, and an excellent benefits package. All applicants must be U.S. citizens with an ability to meet security clearance requirements - TS/SCI with polygraph.
Application Materials Required:
Please submit the following items online to complete your application:
IDA is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that is free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, status as a protected veteran, marital status, genetic characteristic or any other legally protected condition or characteristic.
IDA (Institute for Defense Analyses) – a not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia just outside Washington, DC – operates three Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) in the public interest: the Systems and Analyses Center, the Science and Technology Policy Institute, and the Center for Communications and Computing.
Sponsors rely on IDA for dispassionate, fact-based, and scientifically rigorous research and advice to inform their decisions. Since 1956, IDA’s basic mission has remained unchanged – bring the best scientific, technical, and analytic talent to bear on issues critical to U.S. National security, in a research environment free of commercial or shareholder interests where objectivity and the public interest are foremost.
The work produced by IDA’s FFRDCs is characterized by unquestioned objectivity and high quality. Because of our unique relationship with our Government sponsors, IDA enjoys unusual access to highly classified and sensitive government and corporate proprietary information. We adhere to a strict regime for avoiding conflicts of interest. We are thus in the position of offering outsider perspectives on important issues with insider access to information.
Our diverse mix of professionals possesses expertise in a broad range of technologies and systems combined with deep knowledge of costs, policies, operations, and organizational matters. IDA continually renews and evolves its staff, integrating those newly educated in the latest advances in research with seasoned veterans of acquisition management, policy-making, and operational leadership roles in government and defense-related organizations. The exceptional creativity, determination, and commitment to service that IDA researchers bring to their work are the foundation of IDA’s excellence.
