Lead Research Psychologist

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

$100K — $130K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Psychology; Master’s in a related field preferred.
  • 5-7 years of team leadership and management experience.
  • Expertise in I/O psychology, survey methodology, and psychometrics.
  • Advanced statistical analysis skills with R, Python, or SPSS.
  • Proven track record of diagnosing workforce challenges and creating actionable solutions.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor a team focused on workforce assessments.
  • Oversee lifecycle management of employee survey programs.
  • Conduct statistical analyses of survey data to identify trends.
  • Provide strategic consultation to NGA leadership.
  • Enhance competency frameworks and design workforce studies.
  • Document and innovate survey processes and methodologies.
  • Ensure compliance with data governance standards.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health and wellness packages.
  • Retirement savings plans with agency contributions.
  • Opportunities for professional development and training.
  • Work-life balance initiatives.
  • Potential for telework and flexible scheduling.
Full Job Description
Summary

Team Leads provide technical and process-related guidance, answer questions, and address technical issues to support the day-to-day operations of a work group or team. In addition, they support Supervisors by providing supplemental performance information for employee evaluations/appraisals and collaborating on strategies for accomplishing team goals and objectives. Lead Research Psychologists app

Duties

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: As a Lead Research Psychologist Team Lead, you will play a critical role in shaping NGA's workforce through the application of Industrial-Organizational (I/O) psychology principles. You will lead a team responsible for designing, administering, analyzing, and reporting on key workforce assessments, including the Congressionally mandated Employee Engagement Survey (EES). This high-visibility position requires strong analytical skills, expertise in survey methodology and psychometrics, excellent communication skills, and a proven ability to influence stakeholders at all levels. You will also provide expert consultation to NGA leadership, contributing directly to organizational improvement and strategic decision-making.

This position encompasses a combination of leadership, research, analysis, and consultation. Key responsibilities include:

- Leadership & Team Management: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of professionals, fostering a high-performing and collaborative environment. Manage team workload, prioritize deliverables, and ensure the quality of work products. Manage performance, provide constructive feedback, and identify development opportunities.

- Employee Survey Program Leadership: Oversee the entire lifecycle of NGA's survey portfolio (including EES, New Hire Survey, Exit Survey) from design and administration to data analysis, reporting, and dissemination of actionable insights. Coordinate with IC working groups and NGA stakeholders to ensure successful implementation.

- Data Analysis & Reporting - Conduct rigorous statistical analysis of survey data and other workforce data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement. Develop clear and concise reports, visualizations, and presentations tailored to various audiences, including senior leadership.

- Consultation & Strategic Partnership: Provide expert I/O psychology consultation to NGA offices, addressing critical workforce challenges and improving human capital processes. Establish and maintain strong partnerships with key stakeholders within NGA and the IC.

- Competency Assessments & Workforce Studies: Lead efforts to enhance NGA Competency Framework, incorporating industry best practices. Design, execute, and analyze workforce studies to gain a deeper understanding of workforce dynamics and organizational priorities.

- Knowledge Management & Innovation: Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation of survey processes and methodologies. Stay abreast of cutting-edge I/O psychology research and explore innovative approaches to data collection and analysis. Ensure team knowledge is shared, and continuity of operations is maintained.

- Data Governance: Ensure survey data handling adheres to agency data standards and governance requirements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
  • Security Investigation


SPECIAL INFO:

As a condition of employment at NGA, persons being considered for employment must meet NGA fitness for employment standards.

- U.S. Citizenship

- Security Clearance - Top Secret /Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)

- Polygraph & Drug Test

- Direct Deposit

- Trial Period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. We may consider: performance conduct; needs and interests of the agency; and whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government and the efficiency of the Federal service

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

You must be able to obtain and retain a Top Secret security clearance with access to SCI. In addition, you are subject to a Counterintelligence Polygraph examination in order to maintain access to Top Secret information. All employees are subject to a periodic examination on a random basis in order to determine continued eligibility. Refusal to take the examination may result in denial of access to Top Secret information, SAP, or unescorted access to SCIFs.

Employees with SCI access and who are under NGA cognizance are required to submit a Security Financial Disclosure Report, SF-714, on an annual basis in order to determine continued eligibility. Failure to comply may negatively impact continued access to Top Secret information, Information Systems, SAP, or unescorted access to SCIFs.

NGA utilizes all processes and procedures of the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). Non-executive NGA employees are assigned to five distinct pay bands based on the type and scope of work performed. The employee's base salary is established within their assigned pay band based on their unique qualifications. A performance pay process is conducted each year to determine a potential base pay salary increase and/or bonus. An employee's annual performance evaluation is a key factor in the performance pay process.

This position is a DCIPS position in the Excepted Service under 10 U.S.C. 1601. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are an external applicant claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must self-identify your eligibility.

Qualifications

MANDATORY QUALIFICATION CRITERIA: For this particular job, applicants must meet all competencies reflected under the Mandatory Qualification Criteria to include education (if required). Online resumes must demonstrate qualification by providing specific examples and associated results, in response to the announcement's mandatory criteria specified in this vacancy announcement:

1) Experience managing multiple concurrent projects, including establishing milestones, tracking deliverables, and achieving project goals.

2) Experience leading teams and providing formal performance feedback and supporting the professional development of team members.

3) Experience applying, I/O psychology and research methods, including survey methodology and psychometrics

4) Experience using advanced statistical analysis using software such as R, Python or SPSS.

5) Experience conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis of workforce data to identify organizational trends and generate actionable insights

6) Experience consulting with organizational leaders to diagnose workforce challenges, design and present evidence-based recommendations, and implement human capital initiatives.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: A. Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Psychology. Master's or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Educational Psychology, Applied Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Social Psychology, or a related field is preferred.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATION CRITERIA: In addition to the mandatory qualifications, experience in the following is desired:

1) Experience designing and executing employee engagement surveys, congressionally mandated assessments, and/or workforce studies within a federal government or Intelligence Community (IC) agency.

2) Experience managing stakeholder relationships across matrixed organizational structures to implement organizational change initiatives.

3) Experience utilizing data visualization tools (such as Tableau or Power BI) and human capital analytics platforms to analyze or report workforce data.

4) Experience applying federal data governance standards and policies to human capital data systems.

Additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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