Research Faculty Open Rank, Intelligence Community Portfolio

Based on the foundation of the Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology, Virginia Tech launched the Virginia Tech National Security Institute (VTNSI) in September 2021. With a presence in Blacksburg and the Washington, D.C., metro area, the institute aspires to be the nation's preeminent academic organization at the nexus of interdisciplinary research, technology, policy, and talent development, the national security institute will advance national security in pursuit of a secure America.

The Virginia Tech National Security Institute (VTNSI) is seeking to hire multiple research faculty, with particular emphasis on mid-career engineers and scientists and senior subject matter experts who bring strong technical depth combined with program development and sponsor engagement experience.

Successful candidates will have demonstrated experience in the execution and integration of research that spans technical domains relevant to intelligence missions. These positions emphasize technical integration, mission alignment, and high-quality research execution, while also contributing to sponsor engagement, portfolio growth, and program development.

As members of VTNSI’s research faculty, individuals in these roles will serve as senior technical contributors and integrators in areas such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); geospatial intelligence; electronic warfare (EW); open-source intelligence (OSINT); cryptography; RF spectrum applications; and related cross-domain capabilities supporting intelligence community missions.

These positions are responsible for developing and executing classified research within specific areas of expertise while contributing to VTNSI’s broader Intelligence Community (IC) portfolio through multidisciplinary collaboration and sponsor engagement. The role requires strong coordination across technical teams and alignment with operational contexts, sponsor priorities, and mission outcomes.

These opportunities are particularly well suited for individuals with strong cross-domain technical backgrounds who excel at translating mission needs into high-impact sponsored research efforts and who are interested in growing enduring partnerships across the intelligence community within a leading national security research institute.

Job duties will be adjusted depending on the rank and level of the position hired.

Key responsibilities for these positions include:

1. Lead development and execution of classified research programs - Translate mission needs and operational constraints into actionable research plans, architectures, and workflows. Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and ensure alignment across sensing, analytics, modeling, and mission integration activities. Address interoperability, performance, uncertainty, and system-of-systems challenges in mission-relevant environments.
2. Serve as a senior technical contributor in priority IC mission areas - Provide deep technical expertise in one or more areas such as ISR, geospatial intelligence, electronic warfare, RF systems, cryptography, and related cross-domain capabilities. Guide research direction, inform technical approaches, and help establish coherence across classified research efforts aligned with areas of expertise.
3. Support sponsor engagement and portfolio development - Engage intelligence community sponsors to clarify mission needs, contribute technical insights during sponsor interactions, and support proposal development and strategic planning where technical integration, execution risk, and mission relevance are central considerations.
4. Strengthen VTNSI’s research ecosystem and institutional mission - Ensure research outputs are technically rigorous and mission-relevant. Mentor research staff, postdoctoral associates, and students engaged in classified research as appropriate. Collaborate across VTNSI divisions, academic departments, and external partners to strengthen technical integration and overall impact.

This is an open-rank search. Final rank and job duties will be determined based on the candidate’s background, skills and experience:

• Research Professor Track (Assistant Research Professor, Associate Research Professor, Research Professor): Typically suited for candidates with strong research leadership, proposal development experience, and engagement with students and academic units
• Research Scientist Track: Typically suited for candidates with deep technical expertise, program execution experience, and sustained sponsor-facing roles

These positions are expected to focus primarily on classified and mission-aligned sponsored research, with opportunities to contribute to technical leadership, program growth, and long-term sponsor partnerships.