Career Enhancement from the Security Executive Council (SEC) Book Security Careers, by Jerry Brennan and Steve Walker
The manager of threat analysis and research identifies, develops and executes research and analytical techniques to evaluate sensitive, complex information that may have significant organizational, economic, political, military and national ramifications. His or her decisions and recommendations must be accepted as technically sound.
The manager of threat analysis and research is a mid-level position within this new and growing job category. These roles are developing not only in private business, but also with government contractors offering intelligence and law enforcement services.
Job Description
• Monitors, collects, researches, analyzes, coordinates, publishes and conducts briefs on security threats, non-technical risks and geo-political issues that may affect the organization's businesses and employees.
• Assesses unforeseen developments and difficulties and recommends changes in direction and approach. Supports global security leadership efforts to define and advance threat and risk concerns.
• Researches reference archives and databases to extract information contributing to threat and risk analysis or due diligence and background investigation research. Draws working hypotheses from analyzing complex reports to better analyze and predict threat and risk issues.
• Maintains communications with internal and external counterparts in meetings, conferences or other public settings to monitor current and historical developments and to represent the organization on threat and risk issues.
• Presents threat and risk information to senior management and external organizations.
• Coordinates with and issues technical guidance to other functions involved in the research and collections of security and geopolitical information.
• Assesses, evaluates and awards contracts to third parties for performing adjunct analytical duties and services. Supervises those contracts and workers to ensure organization receives the optimum results and value.
Qualification Guidelines
Bachelors or masters degree in related field and 10 years of experience in geo-politics or security. Sufficient knowledge of inductive and deductive reasoning to conduct archival research and analysis and evaluate the validity of data. Thorough knowledge of research on the effects of war or hostilities. Sufficient specialized subject-matter knowledge to apply, project and revise long-range security estimates for areas of operations with complex problems.
Salary Trends
Based on our anecdotal observations, the salary for this position ranges from $80,000 to $125,000 annually. Foushee Group is developing a 2008 update of Security Careers that will include more definitive compensation information for this category.
Security Careers by Jerry Brennan and Steve Walker may be purchased through the Security Executive Council Web site, www.csoexecutivecouncil.com/secstore/?sourceCode=std. The information in this article is copyrighted and reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
