HUMAN 

INTELLIGENCE

Discover your career
2 HUMAN INTELLIGENCE CAREER FIELD 

We will continue to develop a highly skilled, 

professional and agile workforce through 

a robust Talent Management System that 

grows employees from the entry-level to the 

senior ranks ... We will invest in developing 

those individuals through defined career 

paths. The Agency will actively steer 

employees into priority assignments when 

needed to cover mission.

We will promote officers who best meet 

our standards, represent our culture, and 

demonstrate the capability to contribute 

at the next level. This process will involve 

leadership at all levels and treat DIA’s human 

capital as the most critical resource for the 

success of the Agency.”

–DIA Strategic Approach
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE CAREER FIELD HUMAN INTELLIGENCE CAREER FIELD 1

Are you ready for a career in 

Human Intelligence?

From overt collection to clandestine operations, Human 

Intelligence offi cers often put their lives at risk to collect and 

disseminate actionable intelligence to the Nation’s warfi ghters, 

policymakers and defense planners. As an offi cer in this career 

fi eld, you will perform a wide variety of functions to manage 

every aspect of the collection reporting cycle.

Using a spectrum of sources and methods, you will employ your 

sound judgment and interpersonal skills to manage DIA’s global 

collection priorities. We need you to keep the Nation safe.

Think this could be you? Explore how your unique contributions 

can make a national impact as a Human Intelligence offi cer in 

one of our many specialty areas.

ON THE COVER: Human Intelligence answers intelligence requirements that cannot be 

addressed through any other means except someone’s personal observation. 
2 HUMAN INTELLIGENCE CAREER FIELD 

LEFT:

Human Intelligence 

is all about 

gathering critical 

information from 

human sources. 

Photographed 

is a clandestine 

officer obtaining 

information from 

a source.

RIGHT:

Operations support 

officers meet to discuss 

collection priorities.

OPPOSITE PAGE:

Good communication 

skills are key to Human 

Intelligence collection.

Human Intelligence Specialties 

Clandestine Collection

Clandestine human intelligence solves the Department of Defense’s hardest 

problems. Join our elite team of officers who operate globally to plan and 

conduct clandestine human intelligence collection. Gaining expertise in 

technology, foreign culture and languages, you will report on intelligence 

information obtained from human sources to answer the priorities of the 

Nation’s analysts, warfighters, combatant commanders and the secretary of 

defense. In addition to field tours, you may specialize in the following areas:

• Liaison Activities. 

• Operations Policy.

• Training.

Operations Support

Officers in this specialty manage, guide and oversee our global human 

intelligence collection operations. Collaborating across DIA and the 

Intelligence Community, you will ensure quality intelligence reporting 

to increase our target knowledge and accomplish mission-critical 

requirements. Without you, our human intelligence operations would not 

succeed. Serve on our team in one of these positions:

• Collection Manager.

• Desk Officer.

• Targeting Officer.
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE CAREER FIELD 3
4 HUMAN INTELLIGENCE CAREER FIELD

Overt Collection

Officers in this specialty acquire critical human intelligence information 

through worldwide, open collections. You will employ a variety of 

techniques, such as observation, elicitation, debriefing and interrogation, 

to keep the Nation safe. Serve on our team in one of these positions:

• Interrogator. • Strategic Debriefer.

LEFT: 

Overt collectors

discuss latest 

technology.

Ed

Human Intelligence Officer

“I joined the Human Intelligence Career Field with a background in journalism, 

Linguistics and political science. HUMINT is a spectrum of skills and tools to 

acquire information from people — some of these skills are innate, like natural 

curiosity and mental fortitude, while others can be taught, like language and 

tactical skills. I was able to move along this spectrum and become a fullyproficient collector with the support of great leadership and talented mentors 

who pushed me into challenging training and experiences. When I reflect back 

on all of the worldwide opportunities I’ve taken and the myriad of collection 

requirements I’ve supported, I feel fortunate to have had such a diverse and 

satisfying career.

Now, after conducting HUMINT in warzones, urban centers and combatant 

commands, I am a career development officer, mentor and professional 

management coach. I assist DIA officers in developing their careers, broadening 

their skill sets and imagining and attaining their future goals. The best part of the 

job is seeing officers’ renewed energy and initiatives after they get out of their 

comfort zones, get out into the Intelligence Community, and get out in support 

of the warfighter.”
www.dia.mil

Do What Matters

DIA’s Unique Role

DIA is committed to excellence in defense 

of the Nation. Leaders at all levels of the 

military and U.S. Government rely on 

DIA for cutting-edge analysis, targeted 

collection and advanced technological 

expertise to support global military 

operations. We provide defense 

intelligence on foreign militaries and 

operating environments that delivers 

decision advantage to prevent and 

decisively win wars. Excellence begins 

with the support that each member of 

DIA and the greater Defense Intelligence 

Enterprise receives every day to complete 

the mission. With a global workforce of 

over 16,500 employees, DIA requires a 

robust, agile and skilled mission support 

team to provide administrative, physical 

and technical support while operating in 

complex threat environments.
For more information on a career at DIA, visit our website:

www.dia.mil/careers

DIA Career Fields

and Specialties

Analysis

• All-Source Analysis

• Scientific & Technical Intelligence

Counterintelligence

• Counterintelligence Agent

• Cover Support

Finance & Acquisition

• Acquisition Program 

Management

• Budget

• Contracting &

Procurement Analysis

• Finance & Accounting

• Requirements Manager & 

Contracting Officer Representative

Human Intelligence

• Clandestine Collection

• Operations Support

• Overt Collection

Human Services

• Behavioral Sciences

• Equal Employment

• Human Resources

• Training & Education

Information Technology

• Cyber Security

• IT Data Specialist

• IT Engineer

• IT Mission Support

• IT Specialist

Mission Management

• Collection Management

• Intelligence Operations 

Management

• International Affairs

• Joint Capability Development

& Intelligence Support to 

Acquisition

• Joint Intelligence Planning

• Joint Target Intelligence

• Policy & Strategy

Office Management

& Infrastructure

• Communications, 

Operations & Media

• Facilities

• Logistics

• Program Analysis & Management

• Staff Operations

Science & Technology

• Open-Source Intelligence

• Research & Development

• Technical Collection

• Technical Exploitation

• Technical Operations

Security

• Credibility Assessment

• Criminal Investigator

• Global Security

• Insider Threat

• Police

• Security Specialist

DIA&YOU

Your Career. Our Commitment.

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