Research Analyst
This position will be located in Quantico, VA
PRIMARY PURPOSE
CNA is hiring for a Research Analyst to join their Expeditionary Warfighting Program in the Operational Warfighting Division. Staff at this level will be leading smaller/less complex activities will be serving as an important contributing team member on projects. They will work directly with clients/sponsors as part of a team at the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, VA that supports military experimentation and technology evaluation with a focus on INDOPACIFC operations.
The Operational Warfighting division conducts field-based research and manages the Field Program. We work on projects that help the Department of the Navy and other government agencies improve operational effectiveness through analysis of training methods, organizational alignment, policy, system performance, test & evaluation, interoperability, training, operational concepts, experimentation, and tactics development.
CNA fosters an inclusive culture that values diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Our flexible and engaging work environment encourages iterative and creative collaboration at every stage of the problem solving process. Our employees are committed to helping clients develop effective solutions to better manage their programs through scientific, data-driven approaches. We are looking for creative and innovative individuals to help carry out our mission.
JOB DESCRIPTION AND/OR DUTIES
1. With minimal or no guidance, meets CNA’s quality standards when working on well-structured pieces of a project. Demonstrates ability to develop sound analytic frameworks and associated analytic methodologies/ techniques for addressing both structured and unstructured problems. With direction and supervision, clearly defines, structures, and executes a piece of a complex study to meet quality standards. Demonstrates analytic creativity and curiosity.
2. Develops and maintains broad, general institutional knowledge of primary clients/sponsors; their culture, organization, and issues.
3. Contributes productively and harmoniously to the work of others; treats everyone respectfully, professionally and fairly. Keeps others informed. Proactively identifies and seeks out others working on similar topics. Works to identify opportunities for collaborations within team, division, and operating unit.
4. Supports business development efforts and/or marketing activities by maintaining strong client relationships through high quality work, increasing the visibility of our work, and other related activities such as proposal preparation.
5. Interacts with sponsors/clients under the supervision of an experienced colleague, and with study POCs independently.
6. Makes significant contributions to research publications and analytic products for individual projects.
7. Demonstrates ability to communicate results of work in a clear and concise fashion. Effectively communicates one-on-one and in groups. Can document work efficiently and accurately. Can effectively present work to colleagues, sponsors, and small audiences that are familiar with content.
8. Works with minimal or no guidance on focused, well-structured pieces of projects. Works under closer supervision on more complex, less-structured tasks. Can serve as task lead for pieces of projects by managing own activities. May lead small projects under the supervision of an RTL/CMD.
9. Exhibits a positive attitude in interactions with colleagues and clients/sponsors. Provides clear guidance to colleagues on tasks. Takes responsibility for own actions and outcomes.
10. Performs other duties as assigned.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
1. Education: Minimum master’s degree in quantitative and technical disciplines such as physics, chemistry, engineering, operations research, statistics or a relevant field, PhD preferred.
2. Experience: Typical minimum requirements Ph.D. & 0+ years or Master’s & 2+ years of experience in research and analysis. Previous experience working with the United States Marine Corps or United States Navy is preferred
3. Skills:
- Ability to make significant contributions to projects/analyses
- Strong analytic curiosity/ creativity
- Ability to operate independently in the execution of assignments
- Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment
- Familiarity with programming languages, such as VBA and Python
- Strong critical thinking skills
- Knowledge of research techniques
- Strong planning and organizational skills
- Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
- Ability to interact positively and somewhat independently with clients.
4. Other:
- Candidates must have an active Security Clearance - Secret Level or Above
- Candidates must be willing to travel at least 20% - 25% during the year
Required Documents
- Resume or CV
- Cover letter - Please upload a cover letter as part of your application that introduces yourself, summarizes your relevant skills and experiences, and describes why you would be a valuable asset to CNA
- Transcripts - Please upload your undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Unofficial copies are ok.
- Writing Sample - Please upload a research paper or journal article that demonstrates your writing and research skills (draft copies are acceptable)
Please include a personal statement as part of your application. A personal statement is a chance for us to get to know you. The statement is your opportunity to share your goals, interests, influences and show us that you will be a valuable asset to our organization. Please click here for personal statement guidelines – Click here
Personal statements will not be used as an elimination criteria for this position. They will only be used to enhance a candidate’s application
CNA is committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service and protected veterans, or other non-merit based factors. In addition to federal legal requirements, CNA complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. These protections extend to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting and hiring practices, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training and career development programs. For more information about EEO protections, please view the EEO is the law posters here: "EEO is the Law" Poster", "EEO Poster Supplement". The pay transparency policy is available here: Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Poster. To be considered for hire, all individuals applying for positions with CNA are subject to a background investigation. For positions requiring access to classified information, U.S. citizenship is required. Individuals will also be subject to an additional government background investigation, and continued employment eligibility is contingent upon the ability to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.
Other details
- Job Family Research
- Job Function Career Path I - Research
- Quantico, VA 22134, USA