Counterintelligence Analyst Lead

Career Guide

Leads a team that identifies, analyzes, and reports on foreign intelligence and insider threats. Plans and oversees all-source counterintelligence assessments, coordinates with government and contractor partners, and delivers briefings that inform operations, security posture, and risk decisions.

Browse All Roles

Key Responsibilities

Direct all-source CI analysis and production
Develop threat assessments and indicators of compromise
Oversee quality control and analytic tradecraft standards
Brief senior leaders and mission partners on findings
Synchronize collection requirements and debrief support
Fuse HUMINT, SIGINT, OSINT, and reporting into assessments
Coordinate with DoD/IC and security teams on mitigations

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Counterintelligence Program Manager

Intelligence Branch/Division Chief

Analysis & Production Manager

Transition Opportunities

Insider Threat Program Manager

Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager

Security Intelligence Manager (Corporate/Gov)

Law Enforcement Intelligence Supervisor

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

IC analytic standards and sourcing rigor (ICD-203)Collection requirements and targeting integrationHands-on proficiency with link/graph analysis platformsCI legal/policy framework and reporting procedures

Development SuggestionsComplete accredited intel analysis coursework and tool training; produce unclassified writing samples mirroring IC standards to build a portfolio.

Market Intelligence Report

Counterintelligence Analyst Lead is part of the Intelligence Analysis category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

See the market intelligence report

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry Level$85,000 - $110,000

Mid Level$110,000 - $145,000

Senior Level$145,000 - $185,000

Growth Trend

growing — Defense, insider‑threat, and great‑power competition sustain demand

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

Booz Allen HamiltonLeidosCACI

Industry Sectors

Defense & AerospaceFederal GovernmentSecurity & Investigations

Recommended Next Steps

Pursue an intelligence analysis certificate or master’s focused on CI/national security; include a capstone threat assessment as a writing sample.

Get training in link analysis (i2/Palantir-like) and OSINT tradecraft; apply these to a self-directed case study to demonstrate methodology.

Network at AFCEA/INSA events and apply to defense contractors for analyst roles that sponsor/transfer clearances toward TS/SCI with CI polygraph.