Sponsored by NGA
Geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT, is at the core of nearly every decision made in society, yet there are many who rarely give it a second thought. For needs ranging from planning, transportation, and trade, to disaster and humanitarian relief, GEOINT is crucial for the country’s positioning in the world. In the United States, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is tasked with taking care of this critical need by operating at the cutting edge of technologies for the procurement and analysis of GEOINT.
Anyone who sails a U.S. ship, flies a U.S. aircraft, makes national policy decisions, fights wars, locates targets, responds to natural disasters, or even navigates with a cellphone relies on NGA. Given how technology is advancing, GEOINT is poised to become a significant part of everyone’s daily lives. NGA is the backbone that provides support for continuing smooth movement, military operations, and safety throughout the United States.
As the need for GEOINT only grows with new technological innovations, so too does the need for additional staff. NGA will be on site at Geo Week 2023 to speak with those who may be interested in joining the organization. They will be hiring for various imagery science positions so be sure to bring your résumé and be prepared for a potential interview on the same day! New employees are offered career development opportunities including mentorships with senior-level employees, shadowing experiences in various offices, and networking events across the agency. As a federal employee, employees will also have access to benefits like paid fitness time, extensive health insurance plans, retirement fund contribution, and access to our workforce support center.
About NGA
The establishment of NGA began in the 1990s, where lessons learned after Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm led to the then-radical idea of merging imagery and mapping elements from across the Department of Defense (DOD) and Intelligence Community. Ultimately, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) was established in 1996, bringing together an array of agencies and departments from across the DOD and CIA. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the unity between these agencies and departments strengthened. In 2003, Congress officially renamed NIMA the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and in the process cemented GEONT as a new intelligence discipline.
With this newly named agency and the new intelligence discipline established, along with things like the National System for Geospatial Intelligence, NGA quickly became a crucial component for many pieces of the U.S. military apparatus and the U.S. government. Today, NGA continues to provide support of these agencies and looks toward the future to anticipate all geospatial needs.
While the military makes up the largest beneficiary of NGA’s work in the geospatial intelligence field, they certainly aren’t the only ones. GEOINT is also crucial for things like transportation and trade, particularly concerning navigation on the water and in the air. NGA also assists in security efforts for major events like political inaugurations, sporting events, and other large gatherings. Location information is also crucial for response efforts after disaster events, so it’s no surprise that NGA plays an instrumental role in assisting with disaster recovery.
Today, NGA is headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, with other major locations in St. Louis and Arnold, Missouri, and a total of roughly 14,500 employees working across 100 domestic and 20 international locations.
NGA attended the 2023 ASPRS Annual Conference at Geo Week from February 13 - 15th and provided attendees with the opportunity to apply for different Imagery Scientist positions. If you were unable to attend the event and are interested in positions with NGA, you can explore positions here:
Inquire Here!
