ISW’s General Jack Keane Center for National Security publishes analysis on Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, China, and other geographic and thematic areas. ISW’s maps of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have reached millions of viewers across broadcast and print media including CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, BBC, Financial Times and other leading publications and broadcast networks. ISW’s social media following is rapidly growing and now includes over 350,000 Twitter followers.
ISW also runs a top-tier and growing talent development program. ISW’s General David Petraeus Center for Emerging Leaders identifies, educates, and develops the next generation of national security leaders through formal educational programs and other offerings.
ISW provides a proven platform for emerging researchers to launch their careers in an innovative and highly relevant project. ISW is undergoing transformational growth and change. ISW’s coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has earned more than 50k media mentions since February 2022 and brought us to over 350,000 Twitter followers.
China Program Researcher
ISW seeks a self-motivated Researcher with expertise in Chinese foreign policy, national security, central decision-making, and/or military policy issues. The Researcher will join an open source intelligence team conducting analysis, assessments, and forecasts for publication and to support the Alternative Strategies for the Coalition Defense of Taiwan effort ISW is launching together with the American Enterprise Institute. The Researcher will contribute directly to publications under his or her own byline to help U.S. policy makers and practitioners develop and execute better strategic approaches to the problem of China and the protection of US and allied vital national interest in the Indo-Pacific region. The candidate must be passionate about conducting detail-oriented research on current events and demonstrate the ability to manage and mentor a team of research interns supporting the project.
Responsibilities:
The China Researcher will provide expert analysis on the dynamic security issues within the China Portfolio by synthesizing open-source information on political and security developments. The Researcher will capture and analyze granular information on these developments, with a particular focus on the China-Taiwan security situation. The Researcher will help ISW keep policy makers apprised of the situation, inflection points, developments affecting US interests, and potential policy options for the United States and its coalition partners. The Researcher will also work closely with others studying Russia, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and other portfolios in order to generate insight into regional and cross-border trends and themes.
The Researcher will gain proficiency in data-driven analytic software platforms to support his or her investigations into complex research questions and will publish findings through timely written and graphical reports as well as oral briefings. The Researcher will also provide synthetic research support to long-term projects and forecasts to other team-members and programs as required. The Researcher will lead, coach, mentor, and manage several research interns and collaborate with other team members. The Researcher will author, co-author, and oversee short, medium, and long-form intelligence products that adhere to institutional writing standards. The Researcher will also adhere to and enforce rigorous processes and procedures for data acquisition, validation, and management.
Candidates are not expected to have prior experience in open source or classified intelligence practices, but must be able to learn and apply them rapidly.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have:
- A Bachelor's degree in a field of study related to the ISW's core mission and research agenda, Master’s degree preferred;
- Professional working proficiency in Mandarin Chinese (minimum 2 years of study);
- Demonstrated ability to write clear and logical arguments supported by evidence;
- Strong understanding of Chinese political dynamics and military operations, either in an operational context or through research or coursework. A sophisticated understanding of military institutions and military history is a plus;
- Exceptional writing skills, proven independent research skills, good initiative, and the ability to collaborate on research projects; experience writing for a policy audience is a plus;
- Eagerness for professional development in briefing and presentation skills including experience conveying information to senior-level decision-makers and developing public speaking and briefing skills;
- Excellent qualitative and analytic skills, ability to represent material graphically in team-oriented settings. Comfort with integrating technology into research, and knowledge of using ArcGIS a plus;
- The dedication and drive to produce policy-relevant research in a timely manner;
- Passionate curiosity for ISW’s research agenda and mission.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
Compensation will be commensurate with work experience.
To apply, please submit:
- a CV/resume,
- a letter of interest/cover letter,
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an academic/professional writing sample (
include the writing sample in the same document as your cover letter
).
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answers to a few questions after you click "Apply for This Job."
We look forward to your application.