About the position
Open-Source Intelligence Specialist
Pretoria
Salary - Market Related
Permanent
Reports to the - Senior Operations Manager: Intelligence Support Services
Role Level - Very Advanced
Job Purpose:
Direct the gathering of information open-source material using specialized technology from various sources including the internet, dark web, deep web, social media platforms and any other place authorized by the organization.
Overview Key Experience/Skills:
Seeking a highly skilled and analytical Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Specialist to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in financial investigations, with a specialist focus on blockchain intelligence, cryptocurrency tracing, and open-source data analysis related to financial crime, terrorism financing, and cybercrime.
An experienced financial crime investigator with specialist expertise in open-source blockchain intelligence, cryptocurrency tracing, and regulatory advisory. Skilled in leveraging OSINT tools and public ledger data to identify, analyze, and report on illicit financial activity in line with the organizations mandate to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, and cybercrime.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conduct open-source investigations into financial crime threats, using a wide range of digital and public domain sources.
- Conduct blockchain forensic investigations to trace cryptocurrency transactions, preserve digital evidence, and identify links to illicit activity including money laundering, terrorist financing, and cybercrime.
- Produce intelligence reports and risk assessments to support regulatory and law enforcement stakeholders.
- Monitor and interpret trends in crypto-asset abuse, darknet markets, mixing services, and evolving typologies in financial crime.
- Provide expert advice on legal, regulatory, and AML/CTF issues related to digital assets.
- Lead and contribute to digital forensic investigations involving cryptocurrency and blockchain-based financial activity.
Required Skills and Experience:
- Proven experience in financial crime analysis and complex investigations, particularly involving virtual assets.
- Specialist knowledge in blockchain analysis, including the use of tools such as Chainalysis, TRM Labs, or Elliptic.
- Experience with cryptocurrency transaction tracing and forensic analysis.
- Strong understanding of blockchain technology and distributed ledger systems.
- Knowledge of Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF), and relevant legal frameworks.
- Ability to synthesize open-source intelligence with blockchain and financial data to support actionable intelligence.
Preferred:
- Previous experience working with financial intelligence units (FIUs), law enforcement, or regulatory bodies.
- Familiarity with darknet investigations, privacy-enhancing technologies, and high-risk jurisdictions.
Key Performance Areas:
- Identify user specifications for the acquisition of technical equipment needed to gather and analyse open-source material relevant to the production of financial intelligence.
- Determine, set up, apply and maintain technical equipment to gather open-source material as directed by the organization over a short - to long-term duration.
- Deploy suitable measures in the information gathering cycle to ensure the company is not contravening section 60(1) when executing its functions under section 4 (a) of the Act.
- Ensure compliance with relevant legislation when gathering information from open source.
- Develop and implement SOPs to gather and analyse open-source material relevant to the production of financial intelligence.
- Analyse data and produce reports that are relevant to the production of timely financial intelligence.
- Apply diagnostic ability to see multiple relationships and make multiple causal links to determine the impact of multiple part chains on events in order to formulate a hypothesis.
- Produce complex reports which contain possible inferences and conclusions for medium term planning purposes.
- Lead briefings and presentations with internal and external stakeholders and clients.
- Disseminate information requested (once it has been approved) as per agreed timelines and specifications.
- Ensure aggregation and utilisation of relevant technical equipment.
- Perform quality assurance tests for ensuring data integrity and quality.
- Resolve technical equipment problems, queries and error reports in an accurate and timely manner.
- Review the production of technical assessments or forecasts from open-source information concerning AML/CFT or proceeds of crime.
- Perform technical surveillance countermeasures.
- Support information gathering requirements within the department.
- Act as a lead assigning and reviewing work to others.
- Conduct training as and when required.
- Perform any other ad hoc duties as assigned.
Education/Skills/Experience Required:
- Relevant University Degree and working towards Postgraduate.
- At least six years' experience in a relevant field
- Computer literacy at an advanced level.
- Completed internal training on systems, policies, procedures, etc.
- Proven ability to understand and explain the behaviours of different types of complex organizations, from criminal syndicates to financial enterprises.
- Proven ability to translate complex information sets into specific recommendations that can be actioned by customers to enhance their financial intelligence operations.
- Familiarity with cyber threats, defences, motivations and techniques.
- Must have advanced skills to deploy Open-Source technology.
- Experience with intelligence analysis tools, methods and the intelligence life cycle
- Experience distilling raw information into actionable financial intelligence.
- Ability to maintain or develop professional contacts in the cyber security community and in industries including finance, law enforcement and government,
- Cyber Security - Understand different operating systems and network security concepts.
- Internet capabilities - Understand Domain Name Services (DNS), Transmission
- Control Protocols over the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Small Mail Transfer
- Protocol (SMTP), IMAP, Secure Shell (SSH), Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure
- (HTTPS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
- Working knowledge of how malicious code operates and technical vulnerabilities are exploited.
- Understand the tactics, tools and procedures used by cyber criminals, especially the dark web and The Union Ring network.
- Produces timely written recommendations and assessments.
- Advanced level writing Skills
- Advanced level Presentation Skills
- Knowledge in foreign languages is a plus.
Behavioural Competencies:
Conceptual Thinking:
- Help others understand complex data or situations and make
complex ideas or situations clear, simple and/or understandable to others
Achievement orientation:
- Improves performance and makes specific changes within the
work system or in own work methods to improve performance.
- Initiative: Acts 4 - 12 months ahead and demonstrates the ability to anticipate and proactively manage all the variables involved, to ensure that critical opportunities for the Centre are not missed.
Working Conditions:
- Position may require long hours and occasional travelling.
Please Note: Should you not receive feedback within 3 months, please consider your application as unsuccessful.
Desired Skills:
- financial investigations
- blockchain intelligence
- cryptocurrency tracing
- open source data analysis
- financial crime
- terrorism financing
- cybercrime
- regulatory advisory
- OSINT tools
- public ledger
- analyze
- report on illicit financial activity
- combat money laundering and terrosim financing and cybercrime
- open source investigations
- blockchain forensic investigations
- forensic analysis
- blockchain technology
- relevant legal frameworks
- cryptocurrency transaction tracing
- knowledge and experience of anti money laundering and counter terrorism financing
- experience working with financial intelligence units
- experience working with law enforcement
- experience working with regulatory bodies
- familiar with darknet investigations and privacy enhancing technologies and high risk jurisdictions
Desired Work Experience:
Desired Qualification Level:
About The Employer:
Financial Services
Employer & Job Benefits:
- Medical Aid
- Provident Fund
