CCR-L Mission Liaison (2026 Job Ad)

Institute for Defense Analyses • San Diego, CA

1d • $100,648 - $242,636 • Onsite

About The Position

The IDA Center for Communications Research, La Jolla, invites applications to be our mission liaison, who will work as a member of our research staff at our California facility and also spend time in liaising directly with our sponsor at their facilities. It is anticipated that the liaison will spend a minimum of 1 month with the sponsor each year and around 30% of their effort on liaising. The liaison will also serve as data curator, facilitating data sharing and preparing necessary paperwork (SPFs).
As a member of the research staff, the incumbent will enjoy significant autonomy in choosing the best way to provide their technical expertise in support of IDA’s long-term mandate to help the intelligence community identify and solve difficult technical problems in areas such as cryptanalysis, high-performance computing, and network defense and exploitation. Research staff members pursue and achieve solutions to problems individually and in groups, using mathematics, developing algorithms and code, generating and analyzing data, etc.; document their ideas and incremental progress and share them with the community; and contribute to the overall technical health of the organization through efforts like leading workshops and SCAMPs, recruiting and interviewing potential researchers, serving as a liaison to academic departments, arranging for external speakers, and giving outbriefs on conferences attended. Critical skills for a research staff member include being able to effectively manage time across multiple research projects, to collaborate well, to effectively and appropriately leverage computing resources, and to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing.
The start date for this position is flexible, but we anticipate that a typical applicant will want to begin work the 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2026. The appointment will be for 3 years.
We support transparency, equity, and fairness in our compensation program and provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range based on data-driven market analysis for each position. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range, a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $100,648 - $242,636. Individual salary within this range will be commensurate with the incumbent’s experience and unique skills or qualifications.
About CCR La Jolla
We are part of a non-profit corporation, and our working environment feels like a mathematics department at a leading research university, albeit without teaching duties, free of administrative burdens, and with a greater emphasis on collaborative research. The scientific scope is broad and varied; while we prove a lot of theorems, we also make high-performance implementations of mathematical algorithms and do practical machine learning and data analysis. Our staff is enthusiastic about collaboration, multidisciplinary teams, and combining theory and practice.
We are located in San Diego, California, which boasts one of the best climates in the US and many attractions including a wide array of outdoor recreation, renowned arts and culture, family-friendly activities, fine regional cuisine, and outstanding craft beverages.

Requirements

• US citizenship is required.
• Employment is contingent on obtaining an appropriate security clearance (which we will sponsor).
• A bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or a related field is required.
• At least ten years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated ability to perform independent research. Proven ability to present findings orally and in writing.
• Able to work in an unstructured environment and/or on more than one project concurrently.
• Success at interacting with government representatives.
• Travel is required for this position.

Responsibilities

• Work as a member of our research staff at our California facility and also spend time in liaising directly with our sponsor at their facilities.
• Spend a minimum of 1 month with the sponsor each year and around 30% of their effort on liaising.
• Serve as data curator, facilitating data sharing and preparing necessary paperwork (SPFs).
• Provide their technical expertise in support of IDA’s long-term mandate to help the intelligence community identify and solve difficult technical problems in areas such as cryptanalysis, high-performance computing, and network defense and exploitation.
• Document their ideas and incremental progress and share them with the community
• Contribute to the overall technical health of the organization through efforts like leading workshops and SCAMPs, recruiting and interviewing potential researchers, serving as a liaison to academic departments, arranging for external speakers, and giving outbriefs on conferences attended.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level