Senior Protective Intelligence Specialist

Global Risk and Security (GR&S) at Vanguard enables business strategy, protects client and Vanguard interests (e.g., assets and data), and stewards a strong risk culture. Our teams leverage enterprise-wide insights, deep expertise, and trusted advice so that across Vanguard leaders and crew drive faster, stronger, risk-informed decisions.

Within GR&S, the Enterprise Security and Fraud (ES&F) sub-division is responsible for the global protection of Vanguard crew, property, data, and client assets. We are the trusted advisors that protect the pride of Vanguard with state-of-the-art security and fraud capabilities. We are a world-class destination of highly engaged, passionate, and diverse talent expected to continuously learn and develop in an ever-changing security landscape.

Our crew are our greatest resource – by joining our team you will build collaborative long-term relationships and enjoy a suite of benefits that includes comprehensive health and wellness care, work-life balance, and an investment in your future at its core.

Core Responsibilities

Protective Intelligence & Behavioral Threat Assessment

• Identify, collect, and analyze intelligence related to threats against senior executives, including fixation, grievance, insider risk, and targeted hostility.

• Conduct behavioral threat assessments focused on executive risk, evaluating indicators of intent, capability, and imminence using structured, evidence‑based industry standard methodologies.

• Assess executive exposure related to travel, events, residences, offices, and public appearances.

• Monitor open-source, proprietary, and internal data sources to identify emerging or escalating risks to executives and their families.

• Produce timely, actionable intelligence products that directly inform executive protection posture, resource allocation, and decision‑making.

Direct Support to Executive Protection Operations

• Partner closely with executive protection teams to provide intelligence support for executive travel and event security; protective advance planning; elevated threat or crisis situations; instances of inappropriate approaches or communications.

• Translate intelligence assessments into clear, operationally relevant recommendations for EP leaders and agents.

• Support real-time or near‑real‑time threat monitoring during sensitive executive movements or engagements.

• Serve as a trusted intelligence advisor during high‑risk situations involving executive leadership.

Behavioral Threat Analysis & Tradecraft

• Apply strong intelligence tradecraft, including structured analytic techniques, hypothesis testing, bias mitigation, and confidence assessment.

• Conduct in‑depth analysis of concerning or otherwise inappropriate communications, online behavior, and other indicators relevant to executive targeting.

• Distinguish between credible threats, non‑credible expressions, and noise—providing defensible, well‑reasoned assessments.

• Maintain rigorous standards for sourcing, documentation, validation, and analytic transparency.

Program Development & Capability Building

• Contribute to the design, maturation, and governance of the executive protective intelligence program.

• Help develop and refine: threat assessment frameworks and standards; intelligence workflows and escalation protocols; playbooks for executive‑specific threat scenarios; metrics to measure program effectiveness and impact.

• Identify gaps in executive threat detection, assessment, or response and propose innovative solutions.

• Lead protective intelligence engagements and collaboration with investigations, legal, Crew Relations, and other key internal stakeholders.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Stay current on emerging threats to executives, including trends in fixation, activism, insider risk, and online targeting.

• Explore new tools, data sources, and analytic methods to enhance early detection and assessment of executive threats.

• Contribute to a culture of curiosity, learning, and continuous improvement within the Vanguard physical security organization.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in intelligence studies, security studies, psychology, criminal justice, international relations, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

• Minimum five years of related work experience with three years experience in protective intelligence, executive threat assessment, or a closely r