Scott Kirkpatrick

Mr. Kirkpatrick was appointed as the Director for Science and Technology, Directorate for Science and Technology in May 2025. In this role, Mr. Kirkpatrick advises the Director and Deputy Director, DIA regarding technical intelligence collection and open-source intelligence and leads worldwide intelligence collection and exploitation operations to defeat adversaries of the United States. Prior to this appointment Mr. Kirkpatrick served as the Acting Deputy Director for Science and Technology and Chief for the Office of Advanced Technologies Intelligence, Directorate for Science and Technology. Mr. Kirkpatrick first entered the Senior Executive Service in 2017 with his dual appointment as the Chief of the National MASINT Office and as Chair of the MASINT Committee.

Mr. Kirkpatrick joined DIA in 2004 serving in various supervisory and senior intelligence officer positions including Chief of the Chemical and Nuclear Sciences Division; Deputy Chief, Science and Technology Office; Chief of the Office for National Collection Systems; and on detail to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as the DIA lead for the Integrated Collection Architecture effort. Other career highlights include serving on active duty as the Technical Manager of the Collection Management Mission Applications program and as the Operations Officer for the Joint Deployable Intelligence Support Systems Joint Program Office both in the Office of Naval Intelligence. Prior to being recalled to service after September 11, 2001, Mr. Kirkpatrick spent eight years as a practicing attorney in private practice at Ross, Dixon and Bell, LLP in Washington, DC and as a Trial Attorney for the Aviation and Admiralty Litigation Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division.

Mr. Kirkpatrick’s military service encompasses 22 years as an intelligence officer and intelligence specialist in the United States Navy Reserve. Mr. Kirkpatrick holds a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College at the National Defense University; a Juris Doctor from the National Law Center of the George Washington University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from Indiana University. He and his wife Lisa live in Williamsburg, Virginia.