Raymond Frankel Nuclear Security Policy Fellow

Position description

As part of the Academy’s Global Security and International Affairs (GSIA) program area, The Raymond Frankel Nuclear Security Policy Fellowship provides an opportunity for an early-career professional with training in security studies or nuclear policy to learn about a career in public policy and administration.

Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, the Fellow will assume primary responsibility for one or more workstreams within the Academy’s nuclear and global security portfolio. They will work in close coordination with Academy staff, the Academy’s Committee on International Security Studies (CISS), and project chairs to steward and advance the work of this program area. Some of the duties may include: organizing Track-2 dialogues between nuclear experts and former officials from the United States, China, Russia, and other regions to identify critical goals in maintaining nuclear security; coordinating publications focused on critical debates within nuclear security and arms control; arranging educational briefings and events with scholars, policymakers, and other audiences to deepen knowledge on key issues and challenges facing the United States in arms control and international security; and assisting with other areas of the GSIA portfolio including project development, administration, outreach, and reporting.

The Academy is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and looks to all its staff members to foster and promote these values.

The Fellowship is supported through an endowment fund provided by the Raymond Frankel Foundation of Chicago, IL.

The Fellowship program has three objectives:

• To support, guide, and help launch the career of an early-stage professional who wants to develop expertise on issues of nuclear security and international affairs policy;
• To increase the number of international relations-policy professionals who are engaged in substantive discussion of nuclear security research questions, with a broad understanding of their policy implications; and
• To expand the scale of Academy projects and studies focused on challenges facing the international community related to nuclear weapons.

The Fellow’s Portfolio will include:

• Promoting Dialogue on Arms Control and Disarmament
• Other projects, meetings, and activities, including the development of potential new projects in collaboration with the Academy’s Committee on International Security Studies (CISS).

Major Areas of Responsibility:

In addition to managing the Promoting Dialogue on Arms Control and Disarmament project, the Fellow may:

• Work with Academy staff and members to carry out policy and academic studies;
• Help organize virtual and in-person meetings, roundtables, and events on topics related to the program area;
• Draft and edit reports for internal use and external audiences, including workshop proceedings, white papers, policy briefs, and online content;
• Assemble committees of experts from inside and outside the Academy’s membership and provide guidance and support to those committees and advisory groups in the conduct of their work;
• Develop agendas and multimedia presentations for committee meetings and project workshops and draft meeting summaries;
• Help prepare and distribute conference materials and provide on-site staff support at events;
• Design and organize outreach activities to communicate the findings and recommendations from Academy studies to external audiences;
• Draft and edit grant proposals and progress reports for Foundations and individual donors;
• Work closely with Academy staff and members to develop new projects in this area;
• Work to identify professional development opportunities to advance the Fellow’s knowledge and skills relevant to the field of security studies and nuclear policy;
• Foster and contribute to a positive Academy culture of belonging and excellence through communication, knowledge sharing, and collaboration across the program areas and Academy departments;
• Help expand the profile of the Academy and its audiences within the academic and policy communities;
• Assist in the development and implementation of member engagement initiatives as requested;
• Assist with executive briefings, presidential remarks, and speeches;
• Other duties as assigned.

Fellowship Eligibility:

• Applicants must have a Ph.D. in an area of social science, science, or engineering with an emphasis on nuclear policy or security studies and should have experience or a demonstrated interest in policy-oriented research and outreach. The Ph.D. must be conferred prior to starting the position.
• Strong writing, organizational, and interpersonal skills are desired.
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States without Academy sponsorship.

Qualifications

• Excellent written and oral communications skills, including an ability to synthesize and summarize research findings and recommendations to a variety of audiences.
• Strong attention to detail and excellent organizational and event-management skills.
• Independence, initiative and follow-through skills.
• Ability to comfortably and professionally interface with a wide range of constituents, including Academy members, staff, policy-makers, and the public at large.
• Ability to learn quickly, prioritize tasks, and work accurately under pressure.
• Ability to creatively problem-solve and be flexible to work in a changing environment.

Location: The position is a hybrid role with a presence near Academy Headquarters in Cambridge, MA. Occasional travel (typically less than 10%) and some nights and weekends are required to support project activities.

Terms: The appointment is for a two-year term, with a preferred state date of Summer 2025.

Application instructions

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