Source Collector

Position Overview

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) seeks a Staff Open‑Source Collector to support the Intelligence and Defense communities. The role is based in Charlottesville, VA. The selected candidate will rapidly discover information, produce reports, and work independently with minimal guidance, contributing to national security.

• Respond to information requests by collecting and analyzing publicly available information (PAI) using specialized OSINT tradecraft and managed attribution (MA) tools.
• Build an independent program of discovery and reporting to support the assigned mission.
• Adhere to the OSINT Tasking, Collection, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (TCPED) lifecycle.
• Create timely, cogent intelligence products that meet Defense Intelligence requirements within established security protocols.

• U.S. citizen with active Top Secret clearance, willing to submit to a polygraph.
• Bachelor’s degree with 5‑7 years of relevant experience as an intelligence analyst or linguist.
• Hands‑on experience utilizing specialized OSINT tradecraft and managed attribution tools for discovering and collecting publicly available information.
• Proven ability to synthesize complex open‑source data into clear, insightful, actionable intelligence reports.
• Experience creating and implementing open‑source collection plans.
• Knowledge of OSINT tradecraft.
• Excellent writing skills with experience authoring detailed reports.

• Statistical analysis or data science experience.
• Strong communication skills and teamwork.
• Chinese and/or Russian language skills (preferred but not required).

Equal Opportunity Employer / Protected Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities.

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