Federal Position Descriptions
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Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research

Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research, Department of State
Responsibility
Management Scope

In fiscal 2015, the Department of State had $26,498 million in outlays, and in fiscal 2014 it had 10,068 total employment. In 2008, the Bureau for Intelligence and Research had about 350 employees and a budget of about $65 million.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serves as the principal intelligence advisor to the Secretary and other State Department principals
• Serves as head of the intelligence community element in the department.
• Coordinates and supervises all intelligence-related activities in the department and represents the department within the intelligence community, serving as the department’s primary liaison with the director of national intelligence and other agencies of the intelligence community
• Oversees one of the intelligence community’s primary all-source analytics unit that provides independent analysis of events to department and other national security policymakers, and ensures that intelligence activities support foreign policy and national security goals
• Serves as the focal point in the department for facilitating policy review of sensitive operational, counterintelligence and law-enforcement activities.
• Manages the Bureau of Intelligence and Research
• Coordinates closely with the six regional assistant secretaries, the Assistant Secretaries for Arms Control and International Security, the assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security, the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, the Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
• Liaises government-wide with the Director of National Intelligence and with senior officials at the White House and other departments and agencies
• Analyzes geographical and international boundary issues
• Represents the agency in the intelligence community.
• Plays an important role in cyber intelligence-related activities.

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Extensive leadership and managerial experience
• Senior-level executive experience in the intelligence community a plus
• Prior State Department experience a plus
• Substantive background in a major regional (China, Middle East, Russia, for example) or functional (proliferation, counterterrorism, military analysis, technology analysis, for example) area is advantageous

Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to remain calm and work under high pressure
• Ability to handle sensitive matters
• Ability to make recommendations in the face of ambiguous and conflicting information
• Good judgment and a high level of discretion and integrity

Past Appointments
  • Daniel B. Smith (2014 to 2017) – Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic (Greece); Executive Secretary, State Department; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs; Deputy Executive Secretary, State Department
  • Philip S. Goldberg (2010 to 2013) – Coordinator for Implementation of UNSC Resolution 1874 on North Korea; Ambassador to Bolivia; Chief of Mission, Pristina, Kosovo; Deputy Chief of Mission, Santiago, Chile; Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
  • Randall M. Fort (2006 to 2009) – Director of Global Security for Goldman Sachs; Chief of Staff to the President and co-Chief Operating Officer of Goldman Sachs; Director of Special Projects at TRW, Inc. for two of the corporation’s Space and Defense operating groups; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence; Special Assistant for National Security at the Department of the Treasury (head of intelligence)
  • Thomas Fingar (2004 to 2005) – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Analysis; Director of the Office of Analysis for East Asia and the Pacific; Chief of the China Division, State Department
AGENCY

Department of State

Mission: The Department of State is the lead institution for the conduct of American diplomacy and the secretary is the president's principal foreign policy advisor.

COMPENSATION

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)1

SENATE COMMITTEE

Intelligence

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Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
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