The Center for the National Interest seeks an outgoing, pro-active, results-oriented individual to serve as its Assistant Director. The Assistant Director has an important role in managing programs, conducting outreach, and writing and editing institutional materials. The position also offers an opportunity to the highly-motivated individual for independent writing, particularly for the Center’s magazine, The National Interest. The Assistant Director will support the President and the Executive Director and report to the Executive Director.

Applicants should have a bachelor’s or preferably a master’s degree in international relations or a related field and at least two years’ experience in an operational or program-related role in think tank or in a similar setting. Strong writing skills and the ability to maintain close attention to detail while simultaneously managing multiple assignments are critical to success. External relations/media relations experience is a plus. Please note that this is a hands-on and detail-oriented junior management position with an opportunity for independent writing; administrative skills and an organizational mindset are essential.  

Duties include:

Program management: 

- Coordinating the planning and execution of seminars, conferences, briefings, and other meetings to maintain high quality

- Writing and editing meeting summaries

- Drafting reports to donors

- Other tasks as required

External relations: 

- Media outreach for the Center and the magazine

- Managing web site updates and drafting regular email bulletins to subscribers

- Ensuring that key databases are adequately maintained

- Serving as the point-of-contact for media interviews and drafting press releases, newsletter articles, and other materials

- Contacting current and potential donors and advertisers

- Supporting the president and the executive director in planning annual fundraising events

- Analysis/Commentary

- Writing analysis/commentary articles in areas of expertise as other responsibilities permit

The Center for the National Interest is a non-partisan foreign policy think tank based in Washington, DC.  The Center’s principal programs deal with U.S. relations with China, Russia, Europe, Japan and the Middle East as well as with transnational issues like energy, non-proliferation and terrorism.  The Center also publishes the prominent foreign policy magazine The National Interest and its web site, nationalinterest.org, now the leading online defense and foreign policy publication.

To apply, please submit a resume and a cover letter—including salary requirements—and two short writing samples to Paul Saunders, Executive Director, by email at [email protected] or by mail at 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC  20036.  No calls or visits please.  If applying by email, please type “Assistant Director” in the subject line.

Image: Creative Commons/Flickr.