Countering Advanced Conventional Weapons Program Advisor

GDIT is seeking a dynamic Program Advisor to advance U.S. efforts to counter China and Russia’s proliferation of advanced conventional weapons and private military and security companies, while promoting responsible U.S. vendors to outcompete adversaries for defense sales.

GDIT partners with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) to advance the Administration’s top national security priorities, including strengthening U.S. commercial diplomacy and defense competitiveness through targeted security assistance and international engagement. CTR develops technical studies and training programs to highlight the risks of Chinese and Russian defense systems, exposing how these deployments serve as “Trojan Horses” to gain economic and political leverage for the Chinese Communist Party and Russian Government.  CTR also promotes U.S. defense system and  private security alternatives to Russian private military companies and Chinese private security companies, helping to implement the America First Arms Transfer strategy. CTR's success depends on strong coordination with the Department of War, the State Departments’ T family (particularly the Political-Military Affairs Bureau), regional bureaus, overseas posts, and key private sector partners and implementers.

CTR seeks a Program Advisor that will manage high-priority programs that advance U.S. defense sector competitiveness against China and Russia. This position offers exceptional opportunities to promote U.S. commercial diplomacy and security priorities, build interagency and international partnerships, and creatively counter Chinese and Russian efforts to expand and maintain their international security partners.

The Program Advisor will be responsible for providing programmatic, financial, and technical oversight of assigned activities in several priority areas or countries and will work closely with various Department of State offices, relevant interagency groups, technical experts, and other key stakeholders, including foreign governments, to develop and execute program activities. The Program Advisor will provide technical support to relevant policy development and implementation within the Department of State as needed. 

This position is contingent on funding.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement security assistance programs with key USG stakeholders, including embassies, the Political-Military Affairs Bureau, offices of the Department of War, and regional bureaus
• Oversee the development of underlying research studies and interventions to promote U.S. security alternatives.
• Provide project management oversight, assist and lead third-party implementers in achieving CTR objectives.
• Monitor and assess implementer performance.
• Support CTR’s budget planning process, to include the preparation of documentation for grants, cooperative agreements, and Interagency Agreement documents; financial monitoring; financial reconciliation; and financial close out.
• Review threat reduction project proposals and make recommendations for funding based on geographical and subject matter expertise.
• Conduct research and analysis to support tailored programs to advance national security priorities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Represent CTR in technical and policy discussions and working groups.
• Collaborate across the State Department and with partners in the U.S. interagency to align CTR national security programs with U.S. government (USG) nonproliferation priorities and related activities to ensure effective and efficient implementation.
• Draft papers and brief high-level officials in the Department of State, interagency, foreign governments, and senior industry executives on CTR programmatic activities and related policy perspectives.
• Represent CTR in domestic and foreign meetings as required.
• Other activities as assigned by the ACN/CTR Office Director, Deputy Director, Team Chief, and Deputy Team Chief.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated prior experience working on USG international security, nonproliferation, national security, defense sales, and defense equipment releasability, including the design, development, implementation, and facilitation of exercises and trainings.
• Knowledge of Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Foreign Military Financing (FMF), and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) are a plus.
• Possess strong writing skills, presentation skills, and experience in analysis, research, strategy development, interagency coordination, and implementing international programs in a culturally-sensitive manner.
• Possess and demonstrate outstanding skills in diplomacy, communication, teamwork, stakeholder coordination, and project management.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple projects simultaneously, responding to tasks with short deadlines, and prioritizing a complex workload.
• International travel will be required, and foreign language skills are a plus.
• Must be able to receive and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• For the Senior Analyst Level: Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 7+ years’ relevant experience, Master’s degree and 5+ years’ relevant experience, or a Ph.D. and 1+ years’ relevant experience. An international affairs, national security, or foreign policy technical background is preferred.