OSINT Analyst - Vessel Identification

Mission
Adjudicate the identifications that automated detection cannot resolve: attach a verified identity to dark, spoofed, or low-confidence contacts, with sourced evidence and an explicit confidence level. Investigate identity manipulation and evasion: AIS gaps and dark periods, GNSS and position spoofing, duplicated or borrowed MMSI, name and flag changes, and vessel substitution. Apply open-source intelligence tradecraft: interpret satellite and optical imagery, work ship-photo databases and vessel registries, corporate and beneficial-ownership records, port-state and terminal records, classification and insurance sources, and open reporting. Reconstruct pattern-of-life and ownership-over-time, building the history that turns a single detection into an explained vessel. Produce structured identification records with clear provenance: every conclusion traceable to its sources, confidence stated plainly, and reporting language disciplined and defensible. Feed the model-improvement loop: return ground truth and edge cases to the data science team, and help define where automation should focus next. Uphold sourcing and data-integrity standards across the team, keeping the record accurate, current, and trusted.

Experience & Background
Essential: 3+ years in intelligence, investigations, maritime analysis, or a related open-source (OSINT) research discipline, with a track record of turning fragmentary evidence into defensible conclusions. Working knowledge of the maritime domain: vessel types and particulars, AIS, registries, flag and ownership structures, and shipping operations. Genuine OSINT tradecraft: source discovery and evaluation, cross-referencing across independent sources, and disciplined handling of uncertainty and provenance. Confidence interpreting imagery (satellite, optical, and ideally SAR) well enough to reason about what a detection is showing. Meticulous, evidence-led documentation and clear written assessments, with careful use of confidence and caveat language. Desirable: Familiarity with sanctions, trade compliance, and evasion typologies (shadow-fleet behaviour, ship-to-ship transfers, chokepoint activity). Experience contributing labelled data or ground truth to machine-learning workflows, or working alongside a data science team. GIS and geospatial tooling, and comfort with large datasets. Additional languages relevant to major shipping and registry jurisdictions. Behavioural Competencies Rigorous and evidence-led, with an instinct for corroboration and a low tolerance for unsupported claims. Comfortable with ambiguity, and able to reach and defend a judgement when the picture is incomplete. Structured, methodical, and able to prioritise a queue of investigations under time pressure. Strong communicator, able to write for analysts, compliance teams, and senior stakeholders alike. Curious and collaborative, with a continuous-improvement mindset and a willingness to strengthen the tools around you. Qualifications Bachelor's or Master's degree in international relations, security or intelligence studies, maritime studies, geography, data or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.