Who We Are

Peace is our commitment. The United States Institute of Peace represents the American people’s shared values and commitment to peace worldwide. We know that Peace is Security – it advances both U.S. and international security by preventing, managing, and mitigating violent conflict.

We are an independent, non-partisan institution and are actively engaged with peacebuilding efforts worldwide. Together we tackle the most challenging problems and hold fast to the possibility of a more peaceful world. To learn more about USIP programs and job openings, go to https://www.usip.org/about/careers.

If you have a passion for making the world a better place and want to have a front-row seat on the world stage, USIP is the place for you.

JOB BRIEF

The Senior Advisor serves as the Institute’s principal expert and strategist on matters pertaining to international religious freedom, strategic religious engagement, and peacebuilding, responsible for advancing USIP’s thought leadership role in this field and assisting USIP programs with developing programming that advances religious engagement and religious freedom as a key component of international conflict and advancing peace and security. The Senior Advisor also counsels the Institute’s president and leadership on key aspects of strategic religious engagement as needed. This position will work at 20 percent level of effort, is based in Washington, DC, will report to the Acting Director of Religion & Inclusive Societies (RIS), and is a member of the Center for Thematic Excellence (CTE).

CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS 7/22/2024

TARGET SALARY

Grade 15 – $163,000- $169,000

The Institute uses the General Schedule salary tables for administering compensation. Offers are determined based upon candidate qualifications, related experience, internal equity, and the amount budgeted for the position.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Advisor & Thought Leadership: Support the Institute’s leadership in leading and promoting programmatic analysis and practice on religious freedom, religious engagement, and peacebuilding by ensuring that the latest and most relevant knowledge, theories, research, and practices are available to leadership and staff.
* Contribute to scholarly and policy-oriented audiences through writing reports, articles, and/or books for USIP publication.
* Conduct briefings for both internal and external audiences, including Congressional and inter-agency leaders and staff.
* Provide technical assistance to policy makers, government practitioners, non-government organizations, and regional and international organizations in the U.S. and abroad.
* Research and develop new strategies, plans and practices for religious freedom and religious engagement in programming and peacebuilding initiatives to enable more sustainable outcomes to USIP’s work.
* Support regional and functional units in identifying funding streams that secure resources for religious freedom and religious engagement and peacebuilding.

Representation and Communications:
* Consult and collaborate with colleagues internally and externally to exchange critical information and to monitor trends in the religious freedom and religious engagement fields.
* Meet with foreign delegations to provide information on USIP and the Institute’s religious freedom and religious engagement approaches, expand contacts and information-sharing, and explore potential collaboration.
* Convening on- and off-the-record roundtables discussions, study groups and organizing and chairing conferences, meetings, and workshops.
* Project Leadership
* Lead engagement and training with military chaplains on religious peacemaking, tools, and resources.·
* Engage missions and offices regarding FORB standards and USIP resources on religious engagement and peacemaking.·
* Develop strategies to leverage sacred sites to promote pluralism and interfaith understanding.·
* Engage the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance on behalf of USIP and explore areas of collaboration.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
* Advanced degree in internationally focused discipline (international relations, anthropology, political science, foreign affairs, etc.) required.

* Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in policy and program leadership, development programming, strategic planning, coordination support or change management preferably in an international organization.

* Excellent representation and communication skills (oral and written), including cross-cultural, media, interpersonal skills; proven ability to deal with counterparts from the lowest and highest political, social, cultural, and economic levels.

* Demonstrable expertise in the field gender
* Field experience in non-western context is preferable.

* Strong program management skills and experience overseeing complex projects; and previous experience implementing adaptive programs in highly complex and dynamic environments.

* Demonstrable experience and ability to conduct high quality programmatic research.

* Ability to think strategically, and to effectively develop, communicate, and execute plans.

* Proven track record of drafting high quality proposals, reports, strategic notes and related documents.

HOW TO APPLY
To be considered for this position, please submit a complete application package consisting of:
1. Completed employment application
2. Cover letter
3. Resume

Note: Only those applicants that are selected for further discussions will be contacted.

USIP is an equal opportunity employer. USIP does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.