Temporary Political Think Tank Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Senior Fellow and Director, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Sahel

North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Sahel Program

FTE: 100%

Location: Washington, DC

About Stimson

The Henry L. Stimson Center (Stimson), a nonpartisan global security think tank located in Washington, DC, seeks a Senior Fellow and Program Director reporting to the Acting President & CEO.

We seek a highly motivated, organized, entrepreneurial, and collaborative individual committed to Stimson's mission and core values. This person understands that any organization is only as good as the people working there and the relationships they build and sustain. This job will require building authentic relationships with staff and affiliates that facilitate the successful candidate's ability to challenge, develop, and support them.

About the Program and Position Summary

Full-time; in-office presence required Monday-Thursday, Friday remote

The Henry L. Stimson Center, an award-winning foreign policy think tank, seeks a highly motivated individual to serve as Senior Fellow and Director of the North Africa, Mediterranean and the Sahel program. North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Sahel sit at the intersection of political transitions, economic transformation, and transnational security pressures, with developments in these regions influencing energy markets, migration flows, maritime security, and great-power competition, yet they remain unevenly represented in international policy conversations. The Stimson Center's North Africa, Mediterranean, and the Sahel program is dedicated to elevating these interconnected regions by delivering timely, policy-relevant analysis on political economies, internal dynamics, and cross-regional relations, with a focus on how developments across these spaces increasingly shape global affairs.

The Director will be responsible for conceptualizing, managing, fundraising, and substantively advancing a multi-dimensional program on issues relevant to North Africa and the wider Mediterranean and Sahel, which require significant expertise and credibility. The successful candidate will be expected to build a coherent programmatic vision that integrates political, economic, and security trends across the region that address governance challenges, transnational threats, and regional integration for greater stability and resilience. The Program Director will lead Stimson's engagement across the region and be responsible for the full spectrum of program development, funding, and execution.

The ideal candidate will combine subject-matter expertise with entrepreneurial judgment, institutional leadership, and a demonstrated ability to operate in a fast-moving think tank environment.

Essential Functions:

• Set the strategic vision and program priorities for the program, including research, convening, policy engagement, and applied initiatives.
• Conceptualize and implement research/advocacy projects that advance knowledge, debate and policy-making in the region;
• Develop and sustain relationships with stakeholders across governments, international organizations, technology companies, scientific and technical communities, academia, philanthropy, and civil society.
• Represent the Program and the Stimson Center in high-level domestic and international forums, expert dialogues, public events, media engagements, and policy discussions.
• Identify, develop, and cultivate funding opportunities; lead proposal development; manage donor relationships; and build a sustainable funding base for the Program.
• Produce and oversee high-quality written analysis, including reports, policy briefs, op-eds, articles, commentary, testimony, and other public-facing or private products.
• Develop and implement mechanisms to evaluate project progress and ensure timely and high-quality work product;
• Identify emerging risks and opportunities across the policy landscape and develop forward-looking strategies for policy engagement and institutional positioning.
• Manage program budgets, project timelines, deliverables, performance metrics, reporting obligations, and internal coordination processes.
• Recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate program staff, consultants, fellows, and interns.
• Collaborate effectively with Stimson's executive leadership, research programs, communications, development, finance, and administrative teams.
• Pursue cross-programmatic collaboration within Stimson and help connect the program's work to the Center's broader regional and functional expertise.
• Relay timely and useful information to press contacts upon request and contribute to Stimson's public profile.
• Supervise staff at multiple levels, including Senior Fellows, Fellows, Analysts, Research Associates, and Research Assistants.

The above specified tasks may not be the only duties assigned. Employees will be required to carry out any other job-related instructions requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodations.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in related field and 10 years relevant experience or PhD in related field and 7 years of experience.

Employee Benefits

• 15 Vacation Days, 10 Sick Days, 13 Paid Holidays, Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance, Retirement Match, Long-Term and Short-Term Disability Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Plan, Commuting, Wellness, Education Benefits, Parental Leave, and Bereavement Leave.

Stimson is an equal-opportunity employer. We will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable laws.