Howard S. Brembeck Fellow

Position description

 

 The Fourth Freedom Forum* invites interested candidates to apply for the full-time Howard S. Brembeck Fellowship. This one-year, renewable Fellowship will be hosted as a full-time employee at the Charity & Security Network (C&SN), where it will support the organization’s work while also receiving mentorship opportunities throughout. 

Howard S. Brembeck Fellowship Now in its third year, the Howard S. Brembeck Fellowship is an early career fellowship focused on promoting fair opportunities for aspiring young professionals to continue building practical skills in the field of international peace and security. The founder Howard S. Brembeck had a vision of multigenerational engagement on these issues. This fellowship continues his legacy of promoting and supporting young professionals and future leaders whose work will also help to advance the Fourth Freedom Forum’s mission. Given this focus, the fellowship works to promote equity in the field through supporting young professionals who have historically faced marginalization based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Priority will be given to applicants from these backgrounds. 

Fellowship Objectives and Duties 

C&SN is a resource and advocacy center for nonprofit organizations focused on defending the civil society space from overreaching national security measures. As we mark more than two decades since the attacks of 9/11, C&SN advocates to policymakers and institutions of power to consider the too-often overlooked consequences of a national security paradigm centered on counterterrorism. We work to promote and protect the ability of nonprofits to carry out effective programs that support human rights, peacebuilding, and aid civilians in areas of disaster and armed conflict. Our network is made up of over 200 organizational members across dozens of countries, including: lawyers, nonprofit professionals, human rights defenders, and civil society members across the globe. 

The fellow will work directly with Ashleigh Subramanian-Montgomery, Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy, at the Charity & Security Network. 

The objectives and duties of the fellowship include: 

• Policy Research, Analysis, and Writing: Conducting research and analysis on C&SN’s core thematic areas, including Financial Access, Sanctions, and Human Rights in Counterterrorism

 

 

• -ups, issue briefs, submissions/calls for input, and other related publications on these and related topics.
• Convenings: Supporting on all aspects of convenings, both virtually and in-person, including planning, coordinating, and managing public events, teleconferences, and webinars. Developing, sending, and tracking invitations; engaging with speakers/panelists and developing Run of Show and timeline; and organizing logistics, such as food and event space.
• Working Groups & Coalitions: Support C&SN’s internal working groups and listservs and external coalitions and networks, through leading on logistics, administration, outreach, agenda development, meeting scheduling and reminders, and relationship building. Propose ideas for new working groups and listservs, and excel in proactivity in ongoing engagement and scheduling for current working groups and listservs.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Policy and advocacy engagement with high-level stakeholders across C&SN thematic areas, including U.S. and external government officials, UN counterterrorism and human rights entities, Member States, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and fellow civil society partners from across the globe. Prepare talking points for high-level conferences and meetings, and meeting summaries. Represent C&SN in meetings and convenings related to our core issues.
• Day-to-Day Administrative & Logistical Support: Maintaining and regularly updating calendars and schedules for project activities, events, and meetings. Scheduling follow-up meetings after convenings to support relationship-building. Keeping organizational drive updated with relevant documents. Managing work across multiple different portfolio areas of work with competing and sometimes shifting deadlines and priorities.
• Program Management: Playing a leadership and project management role for an initiative C&SN will be spearheading in 2025. This will involve project, time, deadline, and relationship management; organization and attention to detail; taking initiative; teamwork; and working across sectors, including academia, researchers, data analysts, and practitioners.

 

Qualifications 

Applicants who meet some, but not all, qualifications or have relevant lived experience are encouraged to apply. 

• Relevant master’s degree, such as international affairs/relations, public policy, or peace studies.
• At least three years of progressive, relevant work experience, including in nonprofit organizations, research and writing, and stakeholder engagement.
• Understanding of, and belief in, C&SN’s mission and mandate.
• Policy analysis, including tracking developments, identifying trends, understanding “policy moments”, and developing actionable recommendations.
• Experience or interest in civil society, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), or nonprofits.
• Experience or interest in advocacy to global standard setters, policymakers, UN entities, and U.S. executive and administrative branch engagement.
• Experience and desire to implement diverse, equitable, and inclusive work practices; and have historically faced marginalization based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
• Familiarity with national security and counter-terrorism measures impacting the operating environment for humanitarian, peacebuilding, and human rights organizations, such as sanctions, financial access and exclusion issues, and similar legal and policy impediments to civil society programs.

 

 

• Planning, coordinating, and managing public events, teleconferences, and webinars.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Proficiency and comfort in facilitating in-person and virtual meetings using Zoom and other platforms.
• Fluency with Microsoft Office suite, cloud-based document management software, and online project management tools, including G-Suite and Google Workplace.
• Cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence to engage a wide array of stakeholders.
• Solid writing and communication skills.
• Proactive and highly motivated self-starter with the ability to effectively problem solve and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Quick learner and able to remain flexible. Able to work with a remote team of colleagues.
• Willingness to support administrative and operational tasks for the organization.

 

Eligibility 

The Fellowship requires candidates to have U.S. work authorization. Candidates must have completed their relevant master’s degree by December 2024 or demonstrate they possess the equivalent knowledge and/or work experience in international affairs/relations, public policy, or peace studies. 

Applicants must be familiar with research methods and able to write and edit quickly and effectively. As such, they may be subjected to testing to demonstrate during the interview process. 

This hybrid position is located in Washington, D.C. Preference will be given to candidates residing in the DMV area who can attend meetings and events in person at least one day per week. Occasional travel may be required. 

C&SN is a fiscally sponsored project of NEO Philanthropy. C&SN at NEO Philanthropy is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other legally protected status. Women, people of color, LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Benefits 

The selected fellow will receive an annual salary of $50,000 to $60,000 commensurate with experience, paid vacation, and Federal holidays. 

Through NEO Philanthropy, this position is offered a full benefits package, including 100% medical coverage for the employee and 90% medical coverage for dependents; 100% coverage for vision, dental, life/AD&D, long-term disability. NEO also offers a 401K retirement savings plan, Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), Medical FSA, Dependent Care FSA, commuter benefits, Employee Assistance Program, other supplemental benefits and paid time off. 

How to apply 

Interested applicants should submit (1) a cover letter which includes a discussion of the applicant’s qualifications, professional experience, and career goals, and how those interests and goals align with the mission and ethos of the Brembeck Fellowship and C&SN; (2) a CV; and (3) contact information for three references – at least one (but two preferred) should be from a non-academic source. Applications should be emailed to: [email protected]. Applicants should attach their cover letter, CV, and 

references to the email with a subject line that includes their full name and the phrase “Brembeck Fellowship Application.” 

Applications are due by Friday, November 1 at 11:59 PM ET. 

The Fourth Freedom Forum 

The Fourth Freedom Forum is a nonprofit foundation established by Howard S. Brembeck to produce and support research and policy relevant recommendations for governments, nongovernmental organizations, and multilateral institutions on a number of international peace and security issues. For the past 40 years, we have worked on sanctions, incentives, and diplomacy; nuclear nonproliferation; counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism; human rights and the rule of law; and international cooperation. 

Our definition of security encompasses an integrated cooperative approach. The scope of work for this fellowship is not limited to traditional views of state-centric international security, rather we encourage applicants to embrace the concept of Integrated Cooperative Security. That is: the collective promotion and attainment of sustainable peace, dignity, and well-being for all of humanity including active measures to safeguard the health of the environment. It involves a holistic, inclusive, and multi-stakeholder approach to preventing and addressing threats from intimidation and violence in all forms and from humiliation and human rights violations. It requires providing civilian-led protection from economic, food, health, ecological, personal, community, digital, and political inequities and insecurities, through the use of good governance initiatives, diplomacy, peacebuilding, harm reduction, development, advocacy, technology, and other peaceful means of governmental and non-governmental action without overreliance on the use of military force. 

Charity & Security Network 

Founded in late 2008, the Charity & Security Network works to promote and protect the ability of nonprofits to carry out effective programs that support peace and human rights, aid civilians in areas of disaster and armed conflict, and build democratic governance. We are a resource center that works at the intersection of nonprofit rights and national security. The organization was created in response to the closing of civil society space and obstacles created by the expansion of national security, namely counter-terrorism, laws and policies. 

C&SN is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for our staff, volunteers, program participants, and community. C&SN seeks and values diversity and inclusion in its activities and encourages women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, majority world individuals, and members of other historically underrepresented groups to apply. C&SN will not discriminate in recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, training, and other terms or conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability status, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation, political affiliation, genetic information, protected veteran status, military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.