Language Officer
Other Agencies and Independent Organizations – Central Intelligence Agency
Summary
Directorate of Operations Language Officers use their foreign Language skills, cultural experience, and expertise to support clandestine operations.
Duties
- Officer at CIA, you will perform a critical and dynamic function within the.
- Operations by using your advanced foreign.
- Language skills combined with cultural experience and expertise to produce high-quality, accurate, and timely translations, interpretations, and other.
- Language-related support to.
- Operations clandestine operations.
- Language Officers are key to the success of many foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, cyber, and covert action operations and have native or near-native level fluency in one or more of the following.
- Languages: Japanese Persian/Farsi Khmer Arabic Chinese Mandarin Russian Spanish Language Officers generally are assigned to the Washington, DC area, but have opportunities for overseas travel.
- Opportunities to serve multi-year postings overseas are very limited and these positions are highly competitive.
- You will receive specialized training to acquire an understanding of clandestine operations tradecraft and to maintain and/or advance your foreign Language skills.
- Classroom training, practical exercises, and on-the-job experience are all part of the training process.
- Foreign language ability is highly applicable in all DO career tracks – Case Officer, Collection Management Officer, Staff Operations Officer, Targeting Officer – and prospective Language Officer candidates interested in DO employment would be best served by submitting interest in multiple career tracks.
- If the candidate is not considered for the Language Officer role, they may still be considered for this alternate career track of interest to them.
Education
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (applicants within one year of earning a four-year degree will be considered); there is no preferred major or program of study (degrees from foreign academic institutions are accepted, but you are responsible for obtaining and providing CIA with a credential evaluation from an accredited firm confirming that the foreign degree is the equivalent of a Ba/bs and/or Ma/ms degree conferred by a U.S. college or university) At least a 3.0 GPA on a 4-point scale is preferred
Required Documents
Prepare the documents below before applying. Always confirm the exact requirements on the official announcement, since they vary by position:
- This usually includes your resume and any documents named in the official announcement, such as transcripts, an SF-50, or a DD-214 where applicable.
- Review the announcement for the exact list before applying.
About this role
The Language Officer position with the Other Agencies and Independent Organizations is based in Washington, District of Columbia. Directorate of Operations Language Officers use their foreign Language skills, cultural experience, and expertise to support clandestine operations. The role pays $79,567 to $131,826 per year.
Day to day, the work involves the core duties of the Language Officer role as detailed in the announcement below. The full list of duties, conditions, and required documents appears in the official announcement linked on this page.
Who should apply
Review the announcement's Qualifications section closely, since it defines exactly what federal administrative work experience this Language Officer position requires. Match your federal resume directly to the announcement's wording so a reviewer can confirm each requirement in writing. For this Language Officer position with the Other Agencies and Independent Organizations in Washington, District of Columbia, confirm you meet each requirement before applying.
How competitive it is
The posted pay of $79,567 to $131,826 per year places this in a competitive but attainable range for qualified applicants. Based in Washington, District of Columbia, it competes within that local market, which can mean lighter competition than major metropolitan postings. The announcement closes on September 30, 2026, and federal postings can close early once enough applications arrive, so applying promptly is wise.
This overview is general guidance from Job Army to help you understand the role. Always read the official announcement for exact duties, qualifications, and requirements before applying.