How to hire a targeting acquisition officer

How to hire a targeting acquisition officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step targeting acquisition officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a targeting acquisition officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new targeting acquisition officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a targeting acquisition officer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The targeting acquisition officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A targeting acquisition officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, targeting acquisition officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of targeting acquisition officer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Targeting Acquisition Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Targeting Acquisition Officer		$11-51

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • IC
   • HUMINT
   • Open Source
   • Government Agencies
   • Intelligence Operations
   • Law Enforcement
   • DOD
   • Intelligence Analysis
   • Direct Support
   • Intelligence Products
   • Network Analysis
   • Intelligence Support
   • Combat
   • All-Source Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the field logistics teams in developing effective stocking and inventory-managementsystems to minimize loss and maximize performance.
   • Collaborate with national level agencies as well as host-nation security services, to combat the movement of foreign fighters to Iraq.
   • Develop military specifications for combat engineer equipment.
   • Provide guidance on all special technical operations and military deception management issues to other team members for assign requirements and systems.
   • Integrate electronic warfare detecting and countermeasure systems to sense and negate hostile threats enabling safety in target ingress/egress.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your targeting acquisition officer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A targeting acquisition officer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, targeting acquisition officers' average salary in wyoming is 47% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level targeting acquisition officers earn 78% less than senior-level targeting acquisition officers.
   • Certifications. A targeting acquisition officer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a targeting acquisition officer's salary.

   Average targeting acquisition officer salary

   $51,604yearly

   $24.81 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level targeting acquisition officer salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a targeting acquisition officer job description

   A targeting acquisition officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a targeting acquisition officer job description:

   Targeting acquisition officer job description example

   • Current TS/SCI with ability to pass a polygraph
   • Ideal candidate will possess an active TS/SCI with polygraph
   • Minimum six (6) years total experience with at least (3) years of targeting experience and three (3) years of HUMINT experience
   • Bachelor's degree in Intelligence, Criminal Justice, Political Science, Law Enforcement or other related topics is highly desired
   • Experience in tagging data and building networks

   Possess the ability to :

   • Effectively communicate verbally and in writing in English
   • Clearly and concisely express multifaceted concepts
   • Develop ideas in a logical sequence leading to a validated conclusion.
   • Have working knowledge and experience with the basic personal computer, Windows Operating System, and Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

   When you join Peraton, you can expect a culture that focuses on supporting our employees, opportunities that provide stability while offering variety. You'll also be exposed to a wealth of training resources through our online learning portal. Build your technical skills through hands-on training on the latest tools and tech from our in-house experts. Pursuing another degree or certifications? Take advantage of our tuition assistance, certification training, academic programs, vendor relationships, and a network of professionals who can give you helpful tips. We'll help you develop the career you want, as you chart your own course for success. We will also take care of you financially, by providing a benefits package that is un-matched and puts money back into your paycheck. Let us pay a significant portion of your medical, dental, vision premiums, extra PTO days, and a monetary bonus once a year!

   Requires 5 to 8 years with BS/BA or 3 to 5 years with MS/MA or 0 to 2 years with PhD.

   Peraton Overview

   Peraton drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world's leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted and highly differentiated national security solutions and technologies that keep people safe and secure. Peraton serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies across the intelligence, space, cyber, defense, civilian, health, and state and local markets. Every day, our employees do the can't be done, solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers.

   An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disability/Veteran.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find targeting acquisition officers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your targeting acquisition officer job on Zippia to find and recruit targeting acquisition officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit targeting acquisition officers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new targeting acquisition officer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the targeting acquisition officer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new targeting acquisition officer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a targeting acquisition officer?