Research Assistant, Women, Peace and Security - United States Institute of Peace

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 research assistant will support the overall strategy of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) team with an emphasis on the team’s external engagements as well as internal gender integration efforts. The research assistant will work with the WPS team to maintain current relationships and support new strategic partnerships to advance and amplify USIP’s work on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and gender inclusive peacebuilding more broadly. As a key function, the research assistant will coordinate the work of the U.S. Civil Society Working Group on Women, Peace and Security* (U.S. CSWG), of which USIP is the secretariat. This position will be supervised by the team’s Program Officer.

* The U.S. CSWG was established in July 2010 and has over 65-member organizations. U.S. CSWG member organizations meet monthly and are actively engaged in the U.S. Security on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) through education, training, policy and research. Frequently, U.S. CSWG monthly meetings include briefings or consultations with high-level policymakers from the U.S. government tasked with WPS implementation, experts in the field, and international delegations interested in U.S. implementation of the WPS agenda.

Pay: $17.00 - $18.00 / hour

Work schedule: 20 Hours/Week Expected

Start Date: May 2024

RESPONSIBILITIES

WPS Program Support:

• Serve as the Secretariat’s (USIP) point of contact for U.S. CSWG and its engagement with the U.S. government and civil society.
• Organize membership and subcommittee meetings by drafting agendas, tracking RSVPs and taking meeting minutes.
• Support the U.S. CSWG secretariat in maintaining communication channels with the U.S. CSWG executive committee and U.S. CSWG member organizations.
• Manage U.S. CSWG external communications including, but not limited to the U.S. CSWG webpage and social media accounts.
• Synthesize external current and new research findings related to gender and peacebuilding weekly.
• Assist in the development of agendas, identification of participants and drafting of invitations for meetings, interviews, working sessions and public events on gender and peacebuilding.
• Contribute to and coordinate activities including, but not limited to, scheduling meetings with key stakeholders; preparing and drafting materials such as policy briefs, talking points, background research, and other publications, as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be a full-time university student. Masters students preferred. Undergraduates with relevant academic or work experience may also apply. 
• Demonstrated interest in gender and public policy from an international perspective; 
• Knowledge of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, or security fields preferred; 
• Excellent note-taking,  writing, editing, and research skills; 
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team; strong interpersonal and communication skills; 
• Excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously; 
• Experience living and working overseas or other cross-cultural communication experience (desirable);
• Working knowledge of PC-based word processing and spreadsheet applications.

USIP's Research Assistant program is administered through the Consortium of Universities in the Washington Metropolitan area. Any full-time university student (local or within the U.S) area is eligible for these openings.

All USIP contract and employee positions are contingent upon the favorable completion of a suitability background investigation.

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

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

No Phone Calls. Interviews will be scheduled by appointment only.  

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.