New SOO - Desk Officer Job Posting for SAIC

SOO - Desk Officer Job

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Date: Apr 26, 2012

Location: Reston, VA, US

SOO - Desk Officer (Job Number:208188)

Description:

A particular business unit inside the Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Group within SAIC is currently seeking a Special Operations Officer(S00) - Desk Officer to support a customer in Northern Virginia. This position requires an ACTIVE TS/SCI WITH POLYGRAPH. Candidates without this clearance will not be considered. DESIRED SKILLS: Certified SOOs with substantive experience on specific regional areas or a discipline such as counterterrorism or counterintelligence. Overseas PCS or TDY intelligence collection and reporting experience. Familiarity with IC collection requirements and reporting thresholds for regional issues. Fluency in a language desired. Primary responsibilities of the SOO position include:
- Manage a full range of operational and support activities for overseas missions
- Serve as the primary point of contact for an overseas office and/or a volume of ongoing cases
- Provide operational guidance for ongoing cases, ensuring any CI issues are identify to protect the client’s personnel and facilities overseas
- Design particular classified activities, laying out recommendations, pros/cons of next operational steps
- Coordinate legal and policy issues affecting cases and overseas offices
- Provide in-depth research on existing cases, and intelligence assessments using all-source reporting and raw traffic
- Required to provide annual briefings on cases to a panel of senior customer officials, identifying potential issues on cases
- Possess the ability to work well as part of a team including staff, multiple contractors, and detailees from other U.S. national security organizations
- Ability to plan and organize independently, and exercise good operational judgment
- Strong written and oral communication, organization, and interpersonal skills are required, as well as ability to pose creative solutions to operational challenges

Qualifications:

EDUCATION: BA or BS; or 7 years of practical experience in intelligence, intelligence analysis, East Asia (EA) regional expertise, counterintelligence (CI), and/or information operations (IO). REQUIRED SKILLS: Qualified candidates must have at least 5 years of experience in human intelligence (HUMINT) operations and intelligence reporting. Candidates must be familiar with cable and IC report writing styles and USG classified databases. Strong briefing and writing skills are a must as well as the ability to work well with teams or individually with minimal supervision. DESIRED SKILS: Certified SOOs with substantive experience on EA foreign military systems, technology, and advanced technical issues. Overseas PCS or TDY intelligence collection and reporting experience. Familiarity with IC collection requirements and reporting thresholds for EA regional issues. Fluency in an EA language desired.

SAIC Overview:

SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. The company's approximately 41,000 employees serve customers in the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. Headquartered in McLean, Va., SAIC had annual revenues of $11.1 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2011. For more information, visit www.saic.com. SAIC: From Science to Solutions®

Job Posting: Mar 26, 2012, 3:28:23 PM
Primary Location: United States-VA-RESTON

Clearance Level Must Currently Possess: Top Secret/SCI with Polygraph
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Teleworking: No
Travel: None
Shift: Day Job
Schedule: Full-time

Nearest Major Market: Washington DC
Job Segments: Engineer, Engineering, Government, Homeland Security, Military Intelligence, Research, Security, Security Clearance, Top Secret Clearance, TS / 

GW Students Participate in Global Exchange with the National University of Singapore

Below is a story from GW's Geography Department's Newsletter, which highlights six GW students' exchange program in Singapore over the Spring 2011 semester. Please see the link below for this post's original source. http://departments.columbian.gwu.edu/geography/sites/default/files/u11/Fall2011Newsletter.pdf

Six George Washington University (GW) undergraduate students engaged in a semester-long global exchange with their peers from the National University of Singapore (NUS). The six GW students “went global” by enrolling in Professor Joe Dymond’s Geography 3198: Singapore: National Image and Identity for the spring 2011 semester.

The Singapore-focused Geography course was part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Scholars in Globalization program. The program encourages GW students to work together with a peer group from the University Scholars Program at NUS to further their understanding of the connections and relations between the United States and Singapore AND to understand and compare the global influence and global roles played by each country. Professor Lo Mun Hou of the NUS - University Scholars Program - led the Singaporean cohort which also consisted of 6 undergraduate students.

The two student groups were quickly “linked” through video conferencing and blogging. The NUS students and Professor Lo visited GWU in February of 2011. Events during their visit included guided and interpreted tours of the National Mall, Anacostia, U-Street corridor, a meeting with the Executive Director of Cultural Tourism D.C., and a special surprise “behind the scenes” video and talk at renowned D.C. eatery - Ben’s Chili Bowl.

The GW student’s semester of reading and discussing dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and establishing the framework for individual Singapore-based field research projects culminated in a two week trip to Singapore! Professor Lo and his undergraduate student team planned and hosted an amazing cultural and global experience for their GW guests. Numerous talks from NUS scholars, award-winning documentary film directors, and Singaporean government officials enabled the GW students to garner both an academic and pragmatic appreciation of life in Singapore, and the role Singapore plays in a globally-connected world, in ways unattainable through normalized international travel.

Professor Dymond, and GW’s Geography Department Chair, Professor Elizabeth Chacko, led additional excursions for the GW students to neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia.

GW sophomore and Geography major, Susie Charlop, said of the journey “Singapore was one of the most important experiences of my life. Not only did it take me across the world to see a place and culture fundamentally different from the U.S., it gave me the opportunity to learn and explore with Singaporean students and professors. Engaging in academic dialogue, but also discussing issues relevant to our daily lives was one of the best parts of the experience. Additionally, the places we had the opportunity to see were incredible. One of my favorite places was Pulau Ubin, a tiny fishing island just off the coast of Singapore, where we rented bikes and explored the island's nature. Additionally, I loved going to Indonesia and Malaysia. Even though both were only weekend trips, it was an incredible experience to move outside of Singapore and develop a better understanding of its regional context.”

Anita Davidson, GW junior and Geography major contributed “I truly enjoyed my experience in the global scholars program. Beyond the obvious benefits of making lifelong friends from the other side of the world, conducting my own research in the actual location I was studying, talking to the experts who wrote the articles and papers that I used for my paper, and getting to experience a new and rich culture, I also had the opportunity to learn more about my city. While organizing events for the Singaporean students' visit to DC I had the unique chance to get to explore and learn about Washington D.C. on a much more intimate basis. Another added advantage to this course is that, being a geography major, I was able to form relationships with many of my professors that go beyond the classroom. I now have a dream to create an authentic and relatively representative Singaporean restaurant in partnership with one of the students from the exchange. Who knows if it will happen, but the fact that this program gave me the chance to look beyond the semester's grades is rather remarkable.”

Research Associate, India, Pakistan, South Asia for Council of Foreign Relations

The Council’s Studies Program is one of the country’s largest foreign policy think tanks with a widely respected and influential research staff. The Studies Program’s aim is to advance the discussion of American foreign policy and international affairs through its writing, publications, public outreach, and discussions.

The Research Associate will work under the direction of the Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia and focus on tracking and analyzing political, economic and security dynamics throughout the region. The Research Associate will also focus on U.S. diplomatic, assistance and military/intelligence policies, with a special emphasis on Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.

The major responsibilities of this position will include (but are not limited to):

Researching specific areas as requested by the Fellow.

Assisting with the drafting, proofreading and editing of articles, book chapters, and other written material, under the direction of the Fellow.

Tracking news and data sources on issues related to U.S. foreign policy and national security interests in South Asia.

Providing administrative support to the Fellow, including answering telephones, handling correspondence, filing, and responding to requests for information.

Coordinating events, including arranging mailings, preparing invitations, making travel arrangements, scheduling, corresponding with speakers, helping to prepare background papers and materials for distribution, and providing other logistical support.

Managing budgets, including preparing budgets and tracking monthly statements, monitoring grant information and writing reports and requests, creating and updating Excel spreadsheets, and preparing vouchers for reimbursement.

Assisting fellow with social media outreach, including publishing a blog, website, video, and/or using social media applications such as Twitter, Google+, etc., as needed

LOCATION

City

Washington

State/Province

District of Columbia

Country

United States

POSITION TYPE

Employment, Full-time Position, Entry Level Position, Paid Position

QUALIFICATIONS

BA degree in International Relations or a related field, with superior academic achievement; demonstrated interest and academic background in South Asia and security studies required, with a particular focus on Pakistan. Masters preferred.
1+ years related administrative and/or internship experience.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Outstanding research, proofreading, and editing skills.
Strong organizational skills and keen attention to detail.
Proficiency in MS Word, Excel and Email, including advanced functions such as mail merge.

Qualified candidates should email, fax, or mail a resume and cover letter to the Human Resources department at the below contact information. PLEASE INCLUDE THE POSITION NAME IN THE SUBJECT OF YOUR EMAIL. The Council on Foreign Relations is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks candidates from a diverse background.

1. By Email: humanresources@cfr.org (Preferred method)
2. By Fax: +1-212-434-9893
3. By Mail: Council on Foreign Relations
   Human Resources Department
   58 East 68th Street 
   New York, NY 10065

Tim Quinn Reflects on New Opportunities in Chinese Study

Read about Tim Quinn's experiences in his Chinese Study and be sure to catch a video performance of him by clicking on the first picture or here. 


By Tim Quinn
Quinn is a senior at GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. A Chinese minor, Quinn won first place in the 2011 Chinese Bridge Speech Contest at the Washington Regional Preliminaries, and also won first place in the 2011 Jiangsu Cup Chinese Speech Contest held at GW

After studying abroad in China during my junior year, I was really worried about coming back to GW and not having many opportunities to continue using my Chinese. The Chinese Department here at GW, however, proved that fear to be entirely unfounded. Immediately upon my return, I was encouraged to participate in The Chinese Bridge Competition – an annual competition hosted by University of Maryland’s Confucius Institute. With the help and guidance of one of the department’s most talented faculty, Professor Xiaoning Cheng, I was able to take first place at the competition. This past November, I participated in another competition, The Jiangsu Cup Speech Competition hosted at GW in cooperation with Nanjing University. Again, with hard work and the guidance of GW’s excellent Chinese faculty, I was able to succeed in obtaining a gold medal at the competition – a prize that comes with a full ride scholarship to do a Masters degree at Nanjing University.

Little did I know, however, there was a famous local director in the audience that afternoon. Luqun Zhao has directed The Greater Washington Area Chinese New Year Gala （大华府地区春节晚会）for several years now. This is a show that is put on every year at the Strathmore Music Hall in order to celebrate the Chinese New Year. In China, these types of shows are typical during the lunar New Year season and it is tradition that people all over China watch them when celebrating the lunar New Year – the most important holiday for Chinese people. China Central Television even puts on a New Year’s show that is televised all over the country. In the U.S., The Greater Washington Area Chinese New Year’s show is among the most famous in the country. Chinese-Americans from all over the east coast come here every year just for this event.
         
In the month after Ms. Zhao saw me at the competition here at GW, she contacted me and invited me to dinner. Over dinner, she introduced me to Qun Zhang, a ‘Xiangsheng’ artist who has performed both in China and in the U.S. He has consistently performed at the Chinese New Year festival here in DC and was looking for an American actor to perform alongside him during this year’s festival. I was both honored and thrilled at this opportunity to perform alongside a man of such talent.

Working with Mr. Zhang was a remarkable experience. He is not a teacher of the Chinese language, but rather a performer, artist, and comedian. This being so, I had the unique opportunity to advance my knowledge of a specific art form that is still extremely popular in China today. “Xiangsheng” is generally translated in English as “cross talk”, however this translation says little about what it really is. In many ways, it is similar to standup comedy, but only with two people. Xiangsheng performances tend to be characterized by thick accents and word play (Click on the photo on the left to get a video clip of the performance.). The first time I read the script he had written, so much of it went over my head. I understood the words, but the jokes consisted of puns as well as references to events and persons of cultural significance. In performing with Mr. Zhang, I was forced to explore the deeper meaning and cultural significance behind these references – a lesson that has reminded me that mastery of any language demands a consistent and relentless effort to understand its respective culture and history.
           
On the night of the performance, I was informed that over 900 tickets had been sold. Backstage I was introduced to famous Opera singers, actors, martial artists, dancers, and musicians. The one emcee of the event was even a recognizable CCTV (China Central Television) personality, while the other was GW’s very own Caleb Dependahl. Caleb is a senior in the Elliott School (double majoring in Chinese) who I have had the pleasure of working with both here in DC as well as in China. As a student who walked into CHIN001 at GW only about 3 years ago, the thought of walking onto a stage and speaking Mandarin in front of an audience of nearly a thousand Chinese and Chinese Americans was enough to put more than a couple butterflies in my stomach. Yet when the time came, I simply went out there and gave it my all. Watching Caleb go on stage first to introduce me also helped settle my nerves.
           
The audience was incredibly receptive and I got to meet many of the audience members after the show. While all the jokes had been explained to me and I had come to understand their context, I honestly didn’t anticipate much laughter. To be truthful, I didn’t really think they were that funny to begin with. Yet throughout the performance, there were multiple times when I was forced to pause because the laughter from the audience was too loud for me to deliver my next line! With all the laughs and applause, I found it hard to resist the temptation to break character and simply laugh along with them.
           
This experience has been but one of a series of great experiences I have had since my return from China. I never imagined when I first started studying Chinese at GW that I would be elevated and encouraged to use my Chinese in such a capacity. Since coming to GW and studying Chinese within this department, I have come to discover that by learning a new language I can interact with and have an impact on new communities that I never even knew existed. Sitting in Professor Miaochun Wei’s intermediate level class my sophomore year, I never imagined that I would spend the following summer in Ningxia Autonomous Region working in ethnic Hui schools.  Sitting in my dorm room in Guthridge making flashcards every week in order to prepare for dictation exercises, I never thought that the following year I would be on a stage performing ‘xiangsheng’ alongside an accredited Chinese performer in a concert hall. As a freshman registering for Chin001, I never thought that four years later I would be offered such an amazing opportunity to do graduate work at a prestigious Chinese university. Needless to say, my experience studying Chinese here at GW and working with the department’s outstanding faculty has been immensely rewarding. If I can offer any other language learners a piece of advice it would be this: always remind yourself why you decided to learn the language by getting out there and using it. Use your target language to meet new people and do new things – you never know what sort of opportunities it might open up!


Thanks to GW Department of East Asian Language and Literature and its Newsletter

Twenty GW Students and Faculty Join Twenty Professional Performers from Japan Participating in a Spectacular Daidengaku Dance. (With Videos)

The dance was part of the festivities commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first gifts of cherry blossom trees by Japan to the US. On March 28, the GW community had a special treat to a taste of Japan at the Hand Chapel on the Mount Vernon campus through a memorable performance of Daidengaku—an ancient, lost art and dance tradition of Japan originating from rice-planting festivities, which was revived recently by a Kyogen master, Mannojo Nomura (1959-2004). Our Japanese faculty, Mitsuyo Sato and Rika Seya, and students of Japanese, Joseph Cooper, Rachel Crawford, Marjory Haraguchi, Stewart Pagan,  Monica Perez, Eun Hye Sin, Erika Videtto, and and other GW students, Mai Hayano, Kazu Koyama, danced together with professional performers led by Manzo Nomura, Mannojo’s grandson who has been designated as a bearer of an Intangible Cultural Heritage, and joined by a famous actress Keiko Matsuzaka. The exuberance and enthusiasm of the performers beautifully adorned in authentic costumes and makeup were contagious, and the audience was carried away in a joyful and colorful journey.  Hamano Shoko sensei, in an opening remark, observed the significance of rice in the Japanese culture, and briefly described the pre-performance workshop and practice the performers had gone through. Rachel Crawford, a student in the second-year Japanese, who participated in the performance, commented on her entire involvement as follows:

“The best thing about the workshop on Tuesday was hearing about the history of not only daidengaku but the other dances (such as kabuki) that developed out of it, and how they influenced each other. It was a story of a history of dances spanning hundreds of years.

The best thing about the performance on Wednesday was wearing the traditional garb for the dance. It brought us closer to the history of the dance and was an experience that most of us will not have the opportunity to do again. Dressing in traditional garb for the performance made us feel like we really accomplished something during the workshop.

I was surprised how much of the workshop we were able to accomplish while speaking only in Japanese. It was a great way for me to practice my language skills while learning something cultural and fun.

I told my family a little about the history and the type of dance it was, that it was an active dance that was supposed to be joyful and thankful. The mentality made the dance a lot of fun to perform."

Professor Hamano added, "the mentality" the student mentioned refers to the explanation offered by the staff that it is more important to bring out the spirit/energy than to focus on dance steps because the whole idea is to enjoy the experience.”

You can see the whole performance by looking at the five-part video taken by Professor Takae Tsujioka: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

News Channel 9 carried the event under the title, "Japanese Folk Dance Has Modern Appeal With Locals And Students."

Special thanks to the members of the Japanese Language and Literature Program and the Language Center staff for their leadership role in this significant event. Read more.

Source: GW Department of East Asian Language and Literature Newsletter

Shakespeare in China BBC Podcast

Alexander Huang, Associate Professor of English, Theatre, East Asian Languages and Literatures, and International Affairs and affiliate faculty with the GW Sigur Center for Asian Studies, made two guest appearances on BBC World Services. In the two radio programs he discussed Shakespeare and globalization in the context of the upcoming London Olympics.


BBC The Strand: Shakespeare Special   (51 minutes), podcast available here:

BBC The Strand: Alex Huang on Shakespeare (18 minutes), podcast available here:

Communications Manager Position Open at Brookings-Tsinghua Center

Responsible for the development and implementation of communications and media strategy for the Brookings-Tsinghua Center (BTC).

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

60% Development and Implementation of Media and Communications Strategy

• Develop targeted communications and branding strategies tailored to specific groups including policymakers, the media, foundations, universities, and think tanks; identify opportunities to increase the program’s impact and visibility through identifying target audiences, working with relevant scholars and staff, and adapting materials and publications to formats readily usable by each target audience.
• Liaise with editors and correspondents and maintain strong relationships with the Chinese media and China-based foreign policy reporters; seek opportunities to engage them in events and to interest them in work done by BTC scholars; organize press conferences as needed; arrange media interviews and appearances; distribute research and commentary by Brookings scholars to various media outlets.
• Coordinate media relations efforts with Brookings and Tsinghua University.
• Seek and develop opportunities to partner with media on events and publications.
• Assist with or manage organization of major public forums or video conferencing events including: identifying speakers and topics; coordinating panels and participants; drafting correspondence and press releases; and engaging media interest.
• Comprehensively monitor press coverage of BTC and its scholars to maintain a full press file.
• Keep abreast of current events and help to identify opportunities for scholars to develop op-eds, policy briefs, letters to the editor, etc.
• Coordinate overall digital media strategy and expand web presence; manage BTC website presence to ensure website is updated accurately and includes upcoming events, testimony, op-eds, monographs, analysis papers, and other related materials; contribute to and develop strategies to promote policy-driven products on the site, suitable for media reporting and editorial placement.
• Proofread materials in Chinese and English and review translations to ensure quality and appropriateness.
• Draft and compile web materials related to timely issues for online publication on the website and/or dissemination through social media.
• Edit high quality academic papers authored by Brookings fellows in both English and Chinese; supervise production (layout, proofreading, editing, design, translation) for publications such as reports, analysis papers, and policy briefs.
• Supervise reprinting and translation of publications into Chinese or English.
• Develop strategies to promote and track production of BTC publications with scholars and relevant Brookings staff; track production schedules.

40% Targeted Communications and Outreach

• Develop marketing materials, event announcements, media memos and press releases, fact sheets, and other press materials; adapt materials and publications to formats that can be readily used by various target audiences; manage the design, production, and distribution of all branded items and marketing materials.
• Manage all BTC official correspondence, including drafting, editing, or translating as needed.
• Develop targeted communications strategy for potential donors and assist with the cultivation and stewardship of existing and prospective donors; assist with writing of solicitation letters or proposals; edit and polish concept papers and proposals drafted by scholars to ensure quality, readability, and adherence to funder guidelines, interests, and programs.
• Manage outreach databases; oversee a master calendar of events.

LOCATION

City

Beijing

State/Province

Non-U.S.

Country

China

POSITION TYPE

Employment, Full-time Position, Paid Position

Applicants should send a cover letter and resume to:

Attn: Center Manager
Brookings-Tsinghua Center
Email: BTCJobs@brookings.edu

Applications Accepted Until:
Apr 30, 2012