Research Analyst

Primary Purpose

The Special Activities and Intelligence (SAI) team in CNA’s Operational Warfighting division is seeking an applied scientist with a background in cognitive or behavioral science, neuroscience, or psychology. Experience, background, or interest in human decision making, cognitive load, interaction effects with artificial intelligence, and/or human decision aids and tools is a plus.

Applicants should possess or be nearing completion of a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, or related field and have an interest in applied, operations or policy-oriented research and the ability to write, speak, and present to both technical and non-technical audiences in a clear and concise format. Applicants should also have:

• Strong analytic curiosity and creativity;
• The ability to operate both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment;
• Strong critical thinking skills;
• Knowledge of relevant research techniques and recent advancements;
• Strong planning and organizational skills;
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills; and
• The ability to interact positively and somewhat independently with clients.
  
  

Strong consideration will be given to applicants with experience with quantitative methodologies, stochastic modeling and simulation, and/or statistics.

As part of the Department of Navy’s Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), CNA’s Operational Warfighting Division provides analysis that helps naval warfighters organize, plan, train, and execute their missions. The Special Activities and Intelligence program conducts operational assessments of how warfighters can synchronize maneuver and non-kinetic effects, integrate operational teams across domains and echelons, and optimize the extraction of operational value from information and intelligence feeds to provide decision advantage.

As a Research Analyst, you will provide analysis to help develop and evaluate how commanders see, understand, and decide at the operational level of war; identify cross-domain advantages or dependencies; and craft policies, concepts, and requirements for synchronized effects. Major research areas include the application, integration, and assessment of artificial intelligence, autonomy, and multi-INT sensor fusion for command and control, integrated fires, data governance and interoperability, and special operations.

CNA fosters an inclusive culture that values diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Our flexible and engaging work environment encourages iterative and creative collaboration at every stage of the problem solving process. Our employees are committed to helping clients develop effective solutions to better manage their programs through scientific, data-driven approaches. We are looking for creative and innovative individuals to help carry out our mission.

Job Description And/Or Duties

• With minimal or no guidance, meets CNA’s quality standards when working on well-structured pieces of a project. Demonstrates ability to develop sound analytic frameworks and associated analytic methodologies/ techniques for addressing both structured and unstructured problems. With direction and supervision, clearly defines, structures, and executes a piece of a complex study to meet quality standards. Demonstrates analytic creativity and curiosity.
• Develops and maintains broad, general institutional knowledge of primary clients/sponsors; their culture, organization, and issues.
• Contributes productively and harmoniously to the work of others; treats everyone respectfully, professionally and fairly. Keeps others informed. Proactively identifies and seeks out others working on similar topics. Works to identify opportunities for collaborations within team, division, and operating unit.
• Supports business development efforts and/or marketing activities by maintaining strong client relationships through high quality work, increasing the visibility of our work, and other related activities such as proposal preparation.
• Interacts with sponsors/clients under the supervision of an experienced colleague, and with study POCs independently.
• Makes significant contributions to research publications and analytic products for individual projects.
• Demonstrates ability to communicate results of work in a clear and concise fashion. Effectively communicates one-on-one and in groups. Can document work efficiently and accurately. Can effectively present work to colleagues, sponsors, and small audiences that are familiar with content.
• Works with minimal or no guidance on focused, well-structured pieces of projects. Works under closer supervision on more complex, less-structured tasks. Can serve as task lead for pieces of projects by managing own activities. May lead small projects under the supervision of an RTL/CMD.
• Exhibits a positive attitude in interactions with colleagues and clients/sponsors. Provides clear guidance to colleagues on tasks. Takes responsibility for own actions and outcomes.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

Job Requirements

• Education: Minimum Master’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience, PhD preferred. An advanced degree in cognitive or behavioral science, neuroscience, psychology, or related field is preferred.
• Experience: Typical minimum requirements Ph.D. & 0 years or Master’s & 2 years of experience in research and analysis. Experience, background, or interest in human decision making, cognitive load, interaction effects with artificial intelligence, and/or human decision aids and tools is a plus.
• Skills: Ability to make significant contributions to projects/analyses; Strong analytic curiosity/ creativity; Ability to operate independently in the execution of assignments; Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment; Strong critical thinking skills; Knowledge of research techniques; Strong planning and organizational skills; Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills; Ability to interact positively and somewhat independently with clients. Strong consideration will be given to applicants with experience with quantitative methodologies, stochastic modeling and simulation, and/or statistics.
• Other: Ability to obtain and maintain an Active TS/SCI Security Clearance.
  
  

CNA offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package, which includes health, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, and a 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching. Additionally, we provide generous paid time off programs to promote a health work-life balance. Eligibility for these benefits varies based on employment classification.

CNA is committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service and protected veterans, or other non-merit based factors. In addition to federal legal requirements, CNA complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. These protections extend to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting and hiring practices, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training and career development programs. For more information about EEO protections, please view the EEO is the law posters here: "EEO is the Law" Poster", "EEO Poster Supplement". The pay transparency policy is available here: Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Poster. To be considered for hire, all individuals applying for positions with CNA are subject to a background investigation. For positions requiring access to classified information, U.S. citizenship is required. Individuals will also be subject to an additional government background investigation, and continued employment eligibility is contingent upon the ability to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.