Foreign Risk Evaluation Specialist

Job Overview

This announcement will be accepting candidate submissions until 11:45 PM EST, 8 September 2026.

Recruitment is open to Dayton, OH;
Washington, DC; & Austin, TX. Military spouses are exempt from in-person work and remote work can be negotiated upon selection.

AFWERX is seeking a mid-level, DR/DO-02 (GS-12/13 equivalent) Foreign Risk Evaluation Specialist with a strong work history of intelligence or investigative positions. This opportunity is open to Acquisition Program Management Specialists (1101), Operations Research Analysts (1515), Data Scientists (1560) and Computer Scientists (1550). In this critical national security support role, you will focus on multi-factor risk evaluation for small businesses seeking federal funding in accordance with Public Law 119-83, cited as the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act.

In this role, you will play an instrumental part in shaping the national security landscape and protecting Air Force equities to ensure both private investment and SBIR/STTR growth is free of adversarial capital and foreign influence.

• Executing and recommending improvements to the AFWERX Foreign Risk Evaluation Program.
• Identifying, evaluating, and assessing multi-factor risks (including foreign ownership, employee affiliations, patent analysis, and cybersecurity practices) to small business concerns applying for AFWERX SBIR and STTR funding.
• Engaging with civilian and contractor personnel across multiple Air Force teams to support the program, managing daily tasks, performance, and operational efficiency. Independently analyzing and solving complex programmatic issues through scheduling adjustments and technical hurdles.
• Understanding of the global business and financial landscape, foreign risk and regulatory compliance, and risk management, along with the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with stakeholders.
• Perform in-depth data analysis using SQL, Python, and other querying languages to extract insights from financial datasets, supporting investment allocation, identifying strategic partners, and developing data-backed strategic insights.
• Coordinate with divisional and team leaders to identify technical needs that increase overall organizational efficiency, collaborating with Product Managers, IT personnel, and other data engineers to enhance data availability.

• United States Citizenship.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance; ability to regularly access a DAF-maintained SCIF via TDY or local Air/Space Force Base.
• Must be able to meet all Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) requirements. No previous APDP certifications are required at the time of application; however, all requirements must be fulfilled within 60 months to obtain certification once employment begins.
• The position is designated as a financial disclosure position. The incumbent will be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) upon entering the position and annually thereafter.
• This is a drug testing designated position. The incumbent is subject to pre-employment drug testing as a condition of employment, and participation in random drug testing.

Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade of DO-01/GS-11, or equivalent in other pay systems. Specialized experience is a strong background working in the US Intelligence Community or Law Enforcement investigations and an understanding of private capital markets, venture capital operations, or analyzing the commercial viability of early-stage dual-use technologies. At minimum, a foundational understanding of banking, private capital, small business/start-ups, and investments.

• Operations Research Analysts (1515):
  Degree in operations research; or at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics. At least 3 of the 24…