Working at NSI
At NSI, you'll support clients in the government or commercial markets, work on critically important real-world problems in national security or business intelligence, and be empowered with the freedom and trust to solve them.
Core Values and Culture
Intellectual Honesty, Integrity, Rigor
At NSI we are extremely proud of our reputation for intellectual honesty, integrity, and rigorous analyses. We promote these attributes in everything we do, and look for team members who value the opportunity to do academic-quality research in a challenging applied setting. We are dedicated to excellence and value our honest broker, thinking partner relationship that we have with our clients, often referred to as their “brain trust” or "team of nerds."
Empowerment and Opportunity
One of our highest priorities is to foster an environment in which employees at all levels can grow and excel personally and professionally. All of our team members contribute to the project planning process and the work that we do. We seek out opportunities for each team member, and encourage and support them to take on decision-making responsibility to gain project or task-level management experience.
Collegiality and Compassion
We encourage all NSI employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Our “work hard, play hard” corporate culture is the source of the work-day flexibility employees enjoy. We promote cooperation and teamwork, and firmly believe that the contributions of each member of the team is equal to those of every other, and that colleagues who are supported and respected are primed to work at the highest standards.
Inclusive, Trust-based Management
As a company based on geographically dispersed project teams, we recognize the importance of mutual trust and respect among project team members and managers. We work hard to create and sustain a flat workplace environment where employees feel they are respected by their colleagues at all levels as self-motivated professionals, that they are valued, and that their input is always well-received.
Employee Benefits
NSI has been “virtually” organized since its founding in 2007. Working with the mindset that the best people are not necessarily co-located or live in the same part of the country, NSI embodies a “virtual” organizational construct with our employees working both out of home offices from across the country as well as co-located with their clients working out of their spaces. We currently have employees in states spanning the US, including: MA, VA, PA, TX, NC, IN, IL, CO, NY and in Washington DC.
There are numerous benefits to this, including: it empowers our employees to effectively manage and balance their professional and personal lives; it enables the company to recruit and employ a diverse and top-caliber team independent of their physical location; and it enables the employees and the company to be highly flexible, adaptive, and responsive to our clients.
Time Off: 2-4 weeks vacation; 12 PTO days; 10 “floating” holidays
Health Insurance: employer-subsidized medical and dental
Disability Insurance: fully subsidized short-/long-term plan
Life Insurance: fully subsidized MetLife life insurance
Bonuses: eligible for end-of-year performance bonuses
Retirement: 401(k), 4% company match, 100% vesting
Professional Development: paid education opportunities
Others: a host of other benefits from our HR provider
Our Hiring Process
Submit Required Documentation
To be considered for employment at NSI the candidate must submit a resume; a cover letter expressing the candidate’s personal interest in NSI is recommended but not required. It is preferred the candidate be a US citizen but is not required, although there may be some work-related restrictions for non U.S. citizens. Submit resumes to: careers@nsiteam.com
Preparing for the Interview
During the interview, we ask questions about the candidate’s overall background and experiences, research and analytical accomplishments, industry and domain knowledge, technical skill set, and business development and management experiences. Because we require every employee at NSI to be able to think critically and write effectively, an important aspect of the interview will be to discern the candidates abilities in these areas. This may include the candidate submitting one or more writing samples.
The Telephone Interviews
The interview process consists of three to five telephone interviews. These calls are done by NSI staff at all levels, and typically last between 45 minutes to one hour. The general focus is for the candidate to learn more about NSI, and vice versa. We also try to determine whether or not there is a good "fit" between the candidate and NSI. We leave ample time to address any questions the candidate may have.
After the Interview
After the telephone interviews are completed, we get back in touch with the candidate relatively quickly—a few days to a week. At this point the company has deliberated internally and made a decision as to whether or not it wants to move forward and extend an offer to the candidate. If an offer is being extended, then NSI’s Vice President of Operations will contact the candidate to negotiate terms of employment.
Negotiate Terms of Employment
The general terms of employment to negotiate are: position title; employment start date; compensation (i.e., salary and bonus); and vacation time off. All other benefits are standard across the company.
Collegiality Culture
NSI is a flat organization that fosters a culture of openness, cooperation, and collegiality. We value honesty, integrity, inclusiveness, opportunity and empowerment. We welcome, value and respect the inputs and ideas from everyone, without exception. We strive to continuously learn from one another in order to reach the highest standards and excellence. To learn more about our culture, read on and watch the video clips from the NSI employees themselves.
"One of my favorite things about NSI is the empowerment and that everyone’s thoughts, ideas and opinions are encouraged and taken into consideration for nearly every aspect of operation, regardless of one’s rank, title or seniority."
-George Popp
Charitable giving is a significant priority at NSI. Here is Bob at a rest stop with his team during his 2-day, 192 mile bike ride from Sturbridge, MA to Provincetown, MA for the Pan Mass Challenge which is an annual fundraising event for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Virtual Life at NSI
NSI has been virtually organized since its founding in 2007 with employees working out of home offices from across the country. It is one of our greatest perks because it allows NSI employees to effectively manage and balance their professional and personal lives. It also enables the company to recruit top-caliber employees independent of their physical location. To learn more about the “virtual” life at NSI, read on and watch the video clips from the NSI employees themselves.
.png)
Because NSI is virtually organized, we rely heavily on modern IT and communications technology like cell phones, emails, text, teleconferences, and webex. Here is George at the weekly SMA webex which happened to fall on October 31st.
.jpg)
"Because NSI is not geographically bound we are able to recruit the best talent and brightest minds from across the country no matter where they reside."
-Sarah Canna
Join Our Team
We are always looking to expand our team and network of consultants. If you wish to explore employment opportunities submit your cover letter and resume to: careers@nsiteam.com
Site-wide Search
Search all site content, including all NSI and SMA publications, SMA Speaker series, NSI Team member bios, services, portfolio projects, company info, and more.
