Jobs & Internships

Development and Communications Coordinator

The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to examining how genuine democracies can develop in the Middle East and how the United States can best support that process. Through dialogue, research, and advocacy, we work to strengthen the constituency for U.S. policies that peacefully support democratic reform in the Middle East. POMED is an energetic and dynamic organization that seeks to have an impact in the Washington, DC policy community at this historic time of political change in the Middle East and North Africa.

Description:

POMED is currently hiring a Development and Communications Coordinator to lead POMED’s efforts to raise funds and to enhance public outreach and encourage greater media coverage of POMED’s work. Responsibilities will be split fairly evenly between development/fundraising and communications/public outreach.

The Development and Communications Coordinator will be expected to:

- Develop POMED’s overall fundraising strategy and take the lead in implementing key aspects of this strategy.
- Lead POMED’s efforts to maintain and cultivate relationships with current donors and potential new donors. This will include a variety of foundations, institutional donors, and partner institutions, as well as individual donors.
- Identify fundraising opportunities, write letters of inquiry to foundations and other potential donors; write proposals and edit and adapt concept papers and project proposals drafted by other POMED staff to enhance their quality and adherence to donor guidelines and expectations.
- Follow political developments in the Middle East, developments in U.S. foreign policy, and changes to the economic and fundraising climate in the U.S. and adapt POMED’s fundraising strategies according to these and other relevant factors.
- Maintain a continually updated database with all donor information and coordinate all communications with existing and potential donors.
- Manage POMED’s media relations efforts and strategy; work with POMED staff to identify appropriate communications goals and approaches.
- Increase the visibility and impact of POMED’s research, advocacy, and dialogue work through outreach to various target audiences.
- Assist in the production and distribution of POMED publications and in drawing media and public attention to POMED reports, policy briefs, analysis, and advocacy initiatives.
- Support the planning, execution and especially the promotion of POMED’s public discussion events, dialogue conferences, and other public activities.
- Lead effort to enhance and expand POMED’s online presence and increase traffic to POMED’s website; explore opportunities to integrate additional features into POMED’s website; assist with management of the POMED website to ensure that all materials are updated in a timely manner and with high quality.
- Assist in facilitating regular communications among POMED’s Executive Director and the members of POMED’s Board of Directors and Board of Advisors.

Qualifications:

Successful applicants will be bright, highly-motivated and very well-organized individuals. They should possess outstanding communication and organizational skills, be detail-oriented and able to multi-task. Candidates should have excellent writing and editing skills and should have demonstrated an ability to take initiative and work independently and as part of a team. Candidates should have a minimum of 2-3 years of relevant professional work experience (development, communications, external relations, or related field). Some experience with donor relations and fundraising is essential, and experience with fundraising related to international affairs, foreign policy, or Middle East affairs is preferred. Candidates should have a strong academic background and an interest in U.S. foreign policy and the prospects for democracy in the Middle East and North Africa. Candidates should be committed to POMED’s mission and principles (http://pomed.org).

Application:

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to development@pomed.org. We will begin reviewing application materials on August 15.

Program Assistant:

Description:

POMED is currently hiring a Program Assistant fluent in Arabic to support POMED’s work with civil society organizations in Egypt and Tunisia and to coordinate ongoing joint projects between POMED and local organizations. The position also includes providing administrative support to POMED’s efforts in Washington, DC. Responsibilities will be split between program duties related to POMED’s regional partnerships with civil society organizations in Egypt and Tunisia and providing assistance and administrative support to POMED’s Washington, DC office.

The Program Assistant will be expected to:

- Play a leading role in coordinating and monitoring progress on projects undertaken by Egyptian and Tunisian civil society groups in collaboration with POMED. The overall goal of these partnerships is to strengthen the ability of Egyptian and Tunisian NGOs’ to advance policy recommendations based on sound research and analysis.
- Coordinate peer-to-peer partnerships that link POMED staff and expertise with local partner staff to produce independent and credible policy-relevant products that are mutually valuable to audiences in Washington, DC and Cairo/Tunis. The Program Assistant will also monitor progress of these projects and produce periodic reports as necessary.
- Assist with editing and translation of publications and online materials, as well as with the planning and execution of public events.
- Provide general administrative support for POMED’s office. This will include managing contacts, assisting with scheduling and travel arrangements, ensuring the smooth functioning of POMED’s office, communicating as necessary with POMED’s landlord and office subtenants, coordinating POMED’s data management, and assisting in the upkeep of POMED’s online and print materials.

Qualifications:

Successful applicants will be bright, highly-motivated and very well-organized individuals. They should possess outstanding communication and organizational skills, be detail-oriented and able to multi-task. Candidates should have a strong academic background and an interest in U.S. foreign policy as it relates to prospects for democratic reform in the Middle East; specific working knowledge of Egypt and/or Tunisia is a plus. Candidates should be committed to POMED’s mission and principles (www.pomed.org). Native (or equivalent) fluency in spoken and written Arabic is required. Knowledge of French is desirable but not required.

Application:

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to program.assistant@pomed.org. We will begin reviewing application materials on August 15. Please direct any questions to Anna Newby at anna.newby@pomed.org or (202) 828-660, ext 23.

Policy Interns

Description:

The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to identify and inform a constituency in favor of more consistent and credible U.S. support for democracy in the Middle East. To pursue this goal, POMED provides policy briefs for Members of Congress and their staff, forums for constructive dialogue in Washington and the Middle East, and a weekly digest highlighting trends in the region and in U.S. policy.

POMED is currently hiring Policy Interns for the Fall 2011 term. The unpaid internship offers a unique opportunity to not just observe what happens in the Washington policy community, but to take part. As a Policy Intern you will play a critical role in supporting our work by covering news and policy debates around U.S. policy and the Middle East on the POMED blog, as well as writing for our weekly digest. Policy Interns also report on congressional hearings and other Washington policy events, represent POMED at various Washington functions, track legislation and Congressional votes, and conduct research on U.S. policy.

Qualifications:

Successful applicants will be bright, highly-motivated individuals with strong academic backgrounds and an interest in U.S. foreign policy as it relates to prospects for democratic reform in the Middle East. Candidates should also be committed to POMED’s mission and principles (www.pomed.org). The internships will last about four months, from September through the end of December, 2011.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to policy.internship@pomed.org. We will begin reviewing application materials in August.

Research Interns

Description:

POMED is hiring Research Interns for the Fall 2011 term. The unpaid position offers a unique opportunity to participate in the organization’s core activities and to support the work of a Senior Research Associate. The Research Interns will assist in the planning and production of POMED publications including a Policy Brief series and country pages for the website, as well as working with prominent authorities in Washington and the Middle East on political affairs and democracy.

Qualifications:

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to research.internship@pomed.org. We will begin reviewing application materials in August.

Egypt Programs Intern

Description:

The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to examining how genuine democracies can develop in the Middle East and how the United States can best support that process. Through dialogue, research, and advocacy, we work to strengthen the constituency for U.S. policies that peacefully support democratic reform in the Middle East. POMED is hiring an Egypt Programs Intern for Fall 2011. The position provides a unique opportunity to impact debates on US policy towards Egypt, as well as build skills and interact with leading thinkers.

The Egypt Programs Intern is responsible for producing POMED’s Egypt Daily Update, an email roundup of news stories on democracy and human rights in Egypt that is sent to policymakers, academics, journalists, activists, and others. This involves surveying English and Arabic news, choosing stories and consolidating similar topics, writing summaries, translating quotes and headlines, and proofreading. Proficiency in Arabic is required, as well as the ability to quickly extract and synthesize information.

The Egypt Programs Intern will also help organize a series of visits by Egyptian leaders in politics and civil society. These weeklong visits to Washington, DC aim to inform the policy debate around a specific issue related to political reform in Egypt, and help Egyptian civil society leaders make contacts in the Washington policy community. This will involve coordinating with partner organizations, publicizing events, communicating with visitors, and making travel arrangements.

In addition, he/she will help support projects undertaken by Egyptian civil society groups in partnership with POMED. He/she may also be called upon to provide research for POMED reports, perform translations, give input on Egyptian politics or media, attend events, or help arrange roundtables and panels.

Qualifications:

This position is ideally suited to outstanding graduate students focused on the Middle East and/or governance and democratization and interested in gaining practical experience in informing policymakers. Applicants who recently completed a bachelor’s degree are also welcome to apply.

The POMED Egypt Programs Intern is chosen each term through a highly competitive application process. Candidates should be deeply motivated individuals with a strong working knowledge of the policy debates surrounding U.S. impact on political reform in Egypt and the Middle East more broadly. They should possess outstanding communication and organizational skills, be detail-oriented and be able to multi-task. Strong research skills and proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic are required. Prior experience organizing and managing panel discussions or conferences is a strong plus.

Candidates should be able to work from September through the end of December on at least a part-time basis (20 hours per week). This position is unpaid. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and one short writing sample (no more than 5 pages) to egypt.internship@pomed.org. We will begin reviewing application materials in August.

Please direct questions about any of the internships to Anna Newby at (202) 828-9660, ext. 23, or by email at anna.newby@pomed.org.