Policy Research and Project Management Fellow vacancy with U.S.-Pakistan Leaders Forum

[Zeeshan Suhail]

Company:  Convergence

Website:  www.cnvg.com

Location:  Washington, D.C.

Job Type: Policy Research and Project Management Fellow

Industry: Public policy and conflict resolution

Total compensation: Highly competitive base salary

Benefits: Full Health

Required Education: PhD in the Humanities

Required Experience: 1+ years professional experience

 

Summary:

• Founded in 2009, Convergence is a non-profit organization that employs dialogue and consensus building to forge enduring solutions to long unresolved domestic and international issues.  Working with three other organizations, our principal foreign policy project, the U.S.-Pakistan Leaders Forum, is a multi-year initiative that promotes action-oriented, cross-societal dialogue among opinion leaders and decision-makers from the U.S. and Pakistan.  These dialogues are long-term in nature and seek to improve trust and understanding between the two societies through the development of relationships outside of government, and through the incubation of mutually beneficial partnerships that have visible societal impact.  

 

Description:

Great opportunity to join dynamic team of influential policy-making professionals in a creative and entrepreneurial organization that partners with leading policy think tanks and conflict resolution organizations across the U.S. Enjoy great learning and networking opportunities, significant autonomy and the ability to make a strong contribution toward the development of critical foreign policy initiatives.  At Convergence you will be exposed to cutting-edge processes in policy development, interface with influential decision makers in Washington, D.C. and around the world, and be part of building a new not-for-profit organization.

 

Position:

At Convergence, you will operate within a vibrant team-based environment, working with civil society and policy leaders who collaborate on the U.S.-Pakistan Leaders Forum. As a Policy Research and Program Management Fellow, you will be responsible for research, interviews, strategic planning, and managing partnership initiatives.  Position may include some travel within the U.S. and to foreign countries. 

 

Responsibilities include:

• Facilitate and supervise project partnerships and programs between U.S. and Pakistani partners
• Conduct on-going research of subject matter and stakeholder communities related to the U.S.-Pakistan Leaders Forum.
• Identify new stakeholders and compile background and contact information.
• Schedule and complete phone-based and in-person interviews of key stakeholders.

·         Provide high quality synthesis/analysis of research and interviews.

·         Attend and compile summaries from relevant seminars at leading policy think tanks and NGOs in Washington D.C.

·         Participate in weekly strategic planning meetings

·         Provide writing and editorial assistance for policy documents, policy briefs, grant proposals and other publicly disseminated material.

·         Assist with the overall communication strategy for the project, including development of online materials, newsletters and short memos.

·         Support and/or participate in activities related to project fundraising.

 

Requirements:

·         Ph.D. degree in the Humanities (required at start of fellowship)

·         Superior analytic skills

·         Comfortable conducting research and interviewing within an international context

·         Excellent written and oral communication skills

·         Ability to present oneself professionally, persuasively and intelligently

·         Well established organization, multitasking and prioritization skills

·         Comfortable operating in unstructured work environments and with significant autonomy

·         Able to communicate and work flexibly and empathetically with people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds

 

Preferred:

·         Research specialization in South Asia

·         Urdu (or Hindi) language abilities

·         Project management experience

·         Non-profit or policy experience

 

A successful candidate will possess:

·         Self-motivation and problem-solving ability

·         Intellectually curious and able to approach problems in an unbiased manner

·         Demonstrated interest in and knowledge about the Muslim world in general and Pakistan in particular

·         Rapid relationship-building skills

·         Proven ability to write and speak persuasively

·         Exceptional listening skills and ability to listen with empathy

·         Ability to research complex issues and present information concisely

·         Ability to anticipate or proactively surface new questions to approach and research

• Strong goal-setting, time management, and organizational skills
• Ability to build credibility with a senior level audience from diverse sectors
• Ability to work through setbacks and look for new approaches to advance project goals
• Interest and experience in public policy and dialogue/conflict resolution

 

Convergence is an equal opportunity employer. Hiring decisions are made without consideration of race, color, religion, creed, sex, marital status, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, political affiliation or belief, or any other factor that employers are prohibited by law from considering.

 

Interested applicants please send resume and cover letter to: Laura Perrault at conve...@cnvg.org. Review of applications will begin January 9^th, 2012. Anticipated start date will be Feb/March 2012.

Zeeshan Suhail
Mobile phone: +92-333-528-4499
Skype: Zeeshan.Suhail1