Biosecurity Engagement Program Advisor

GDIT is seeking a Program Advisor to oversee national security trainings abroad to disrupt U.S. adversary biological weapons (BW) programs, protect U.S. biotechnologies and supply chains, and strengthen Biological Weapons Convention implementation.

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 preventing state actors from illicitly acquiring biological expertise, data and intellectual property, materials, or equipment for use in BW programs.

The Program Advisor will serve as an on-site contractor at the Department of State and assist CTR in developing, implementing, and coordinating national security programs on topics such as research security in the life sciences and biotechnology sector, intellectual property protection for commercial and research environments, biological supply chain protection measures, and bio-cybersecurity practices.

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:

• Develop and implement security assistance strategies and national security programming to prevent exploitation of biotechnologies, biological intellectual properties and data, biological research partnerships, and related supply chains by U.S. adversaries.   
• Provide project management oversight, assist and lead third-party implementers in achieving CTR objectives.
• Review threat reduction project proposals and make recommendations for funding based on geographical and subject matter expertise.
• 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.
• 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, biosecurity, global health security, or biodefense programs, including the design, development, implementation, and facilitation of exercises and trainings.
• 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, foreign policy, or biological related technical background is preferred.