Weapons and Nuclear Weapons/Missile Defense Analyst

📍 Washington, District of Columbia · 🏛 Congressional Budget Office · 💰 $130,000–$195,000 per year · 🎓 AD 00 · 🧭 Nuclear Engineering (0840) · ⏳ Closes Feb 7, 2027 · 85 days left · 🗓 Posted Nov 13, 2026
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About this job

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a small, nonpartisan agency that provides economic, budgetary, and policy analysis to Congress. CBO's National Security Division seeks analysts to conduct studies of the costs and capabilities of defense systems and potential acquisition programs, including conventional weapons, military aviation, space systems, command, control, and communications (C3) systems, nuclear forces, and air and missile defense programs.

Duties

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a small, nonpartisan agency that provides economic, budgetary, and policy analysis to Congress. CBO's National Security Division seeks analysts to conduct studies of the costs and capabilities of defense systems and potential acquisition programs, including conventional weapons, military aviation, space systems, command, control, and communications (C3) systems, nuclear forces, and air and missile defense programs.The division's recently published work includes analyses of the 10-year costs of nuclear forces, approaches to national missile defense, homeland cruise missile defenses, proliferated satellite constellations, hypersonic weapons, and small unmanned aircraft systems.CBO's analysts communicate their findings to Congress and the public through reports, letters, briefings for Congressional committee staff, testimony, and innovative publications such as online tools and infographics.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a graduate degree or equivalent experience in physical sciences, engineering, operations research, statistics, applied mathematics, national security policy, public policy, or a related field. All candidates must have demonstrated experience in quantitative analysis. The ideal candidate will have experience in one or more of the following areas: weapons systems analysis, military aviation, space systems, nuclear weapons systems, air and missile defense, defense budget analysis, program cost analysis, operations research, or analyses of alternatives. CBO is seeking candidates at two experience levels: Analyst: At least three years of relevant experience, which may include graduate work. Experienced Analyst: At least five years of work experience, including experience working independently. Leadership of analytical studies or tasks within larger studies is desirable, and a demonstrated record of professional publications is highly desirable. CBO analyses are often conducted by a single analyst or a small team. Candidates must be able to develop models that capture the principal factors driving costs or affecting capabilities, often when data are limited. CBO maintains high standards for accuracy, precision, clarity, and objectivity. Candidates must be excellent writers who can make complex technical topics understandable to nonexpert audiences. The ability to work with Congressional staff and develop relationships with experts in government, think tanks, and private industry is also important. Candidates must have or be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance. Work Schedule: This position follows a hybrid work schedule requiring employees to work in person at CBO's Washington, D.C., offices on designated core days. Additional in-office days may be required depending on operational needs. Full-time telework is not available.

Education

Candidates must have a graduate degree or equivalent experience in physical sciences, engineering, operations research, statistics, applied mathematics, national security policy, public policy, or a related field. All candidates must have demonstrated experience in quantitative analysis.

Requirements

US citizenship or current permanent residents seeking citizenship

Evaluations

Your application includes your resume, responses to the on-line questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a not qualified determination. Those who aren't qualified will be informed and not considered further. Others will be referred to the hiring division for further consideration.

How to apply

Applicants must submit a cover letter summarizing their relevant experience, a résumé that includes a list of publications, a brief writing sample demonstrating their ability to communicate technical issues to a nontechnical audience, and contact information for three references online at https://cbo.clayhr.com/jobboard/#/positions.

Applications are handled only on the official announcement. This page is a readable copy of the public announcement data — the official version controls if anything differs.

Apply on USAJobs (official) ↗

Required documents

Cover letter summarizing their relevant experience, a résumé that includes a list of publications, a brief writing sample demonstrating their ability to communicate technical issues to a nontechnical audience, and contact information for three references online

What to expect next

You will receive an email confirming that you have applied to the position. Once your application is reviewed, it will be forwarded to the hiring division if you are qualified. If you don't meet qualifications, you will be informed by email and your application will not be considered further. All qualified candidates will be informed by email when the position has been filled.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. To learn more: https://www.cbo.gov/about/careers/benefits

Other information

Not a remote position. Telework/Hybrid position.

Frequently asked questions

How much does this Weapons and Nuclear Weapons/Missile Defense Analyst job pay?

The announcement lists a salary of $130,000–$195,000 per year (AD 00).

When is the last day to apply?

Applications close on Feb 7, 2027 — 85 days from today.

Where is this job located?

This position is located in Washington, District of Columbia with the Congressional Budget Office.

How do I apply?

Applications are submitted through the official announcement on USAJobs. Use the Apply button on this page to go to the official posting — this site never takes applications itself.

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Data: USAJobs (U.S. Office of Personnel Management), retrieved 2026-11-14 · Announcement DE-13116728-27-AB · Official announcement. FederalJobs is unofficial and is not affiliated with OPM or the agency.
Weapons and Nuclear Weapons/Missile Defense Analyst
Feb 7, 2027 deadlineApply