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Director of National Intelligence

Director of National Intelligence, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Responsibility
Management Scope

The Director of National Intelligence manages a budget of more than $54 billion and oversees 17 intelligence community organizations. The DNI’s management and budgetary responsibilities are broad, extending to the entire intelligence community, but the role’s actual authorities are more circumscribed. Under the relevant authorizing legislation, the DNI’s budgetary and personnel authorities are significant but still limited, especially with respect to the substantial military intelligence components.

Primary Responsibilities

• Ensures that timely and objective national intelligence is provided to the president, the heads of departments and agencies of the executive branch; the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and senior military commanders; and Congress
• Establishes objectives and priorities for collection, analysis, production and dissemination of national intelligence
• Ensures maximum availability of and access to intelligence information within the intelligence community
• Develops and ensures the execution of an annual budget for the national intelligence program based on budget proposals provided by intelligence community component organizations
• Oversees coordination of relationships with the intelligence or security services of foreign governments and international organizations
• Ensures the most accurate analysis of intelligence is derived from all sources to support national security needs
• Develops personnel policies and programs to enhance the capacity for joint operations and to facilitate staffing of community management functions
• Oversees the development and implementation of a program management plan for acquisition of major systems — ding so jointly with the secretary of defense for defense-related programs — that includes cost, schedule and performance goals and program milestone criteria

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

• Extensive national security expertise
• Senior level management capabilities and interest
• Exceptional leadership skills, especially the ability to drive reforms with relatively limited powers
• Ability to work with other intelligence community and National Security council leaders in the manner desired by the president
• “Sense of Congress” that either the DNI or the deputy should either be a military officer or “have, by training or experience, an appreciation of military intelligence activities and requirements”

Competencies

• Strategic Orientation: demonstrates complex thinking abilities, incorporating both analytical and conceptual abilities to manage and develop plans and strategies
• Results Orientation: drive for improvement of results demonstrated by a track record of substantially enhancing performance or organizations
• Team Leadership: can focus, align and build effective groups
• Collaboration & Influencing: works effectively with peers, partners and others who are not in the line of command

Past Appointments
  • LTG James Clapper (2010-2017): Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence; Director, NGA; Director, DIA; distinguished career as Air Force intelligence officer
  • ADM Dennis Blair (2009-2010): President of Institute for Defense Analyses; Commander, U.S. Pacific Command; distinguished career as Navy officer
  • VADM John McConnell (2007-2009): Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton; Director of NSA; Intelligence Director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Director of Intelligence (N2) and Commander, Pacific Fleet; Chief of Naval Forces Division, National Security Agency
AGENCY

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Mission: To lead intelligence integration and forge an intelligence community that delivers the most insightful intelligence possible. Its vision is a nation made more secure because of a fully integrated intelligence community.

COMPENSATION

Level I $199,700 (5 U.S.C. § 5312)1

REPORTS TO

The President of the United States

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.
This position description was created with the help of Egon Zehnder, a global executive search firm.
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