The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR), a nonprofit, nonpartisan security policy think tank based in Washington, DC, seeks to hire a full-time Strategic Foresight (Senior) Fellow. This newly-created role will be key to the successful implementation of CSR’s work focused on forecasting and other methodological approaches to analyze converging risks. See below for a full description of the position and qualifications desired, and click here to apply.

Roles and Responsibilities

The role of Strategic Foresight Fellow will cut across a range of current and future projects at CSR, including, for example, those focused on ecological security, addressing biological risks, and long-term consequences of nuclear weapons use. The primary initial responsibilities of this role may include:

• Help develop ecological security foresight tools and capabilities that incorporate anticipated ecological disruption trends (e.g., through expert elicitation and/or other strategic foresight methods). An important outcome for the project will also be progress toward identifying emerging ecological security issues before they take root.
• Help to identify technological and methodological approaches improving confidence-building and verification of the Biological Weapons Convention and other biosecurity norms, with a specific focus on open source tools.
• Lead the analysis of historical and current models related to the long-term consequences of nuclear weapons use (radiological effects, environmental damage, climate effects, food security, political instability, etc.); help to identify data and modeling gaps and devise a proposal to fill them; and assist in the development of a multi-year effort to more deeply understand the effects of plausible nuclear warfighting scenarios.
• Assist in and help to drive other types of foresight and methods work at CSR as additional needs arise.

Qualifications

CSR will consider candidates with a range of relevant experiences. Successful candidates will be proactive, hands-on, and collaborative. Desired qualifications are:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree
• Advanced degree preferred (or equivalent practical expertise and training) possibly in Futures Studies, design thinking, or a similar interdisciplinary focus
• Expertise in a wide range of approaches, models, and forecasting methodologies (e.g., Delphi method, open source analysis, environmental and horizon scanning, predictive analytics, etc.)
• Experience using different tools (qualitative and/or quantitative) for engaging in strategic foresight and trends analysis related to risks to national and global security issues
• Expertise in backcasting, scenario building, simulations, wargaming, and/or designing table-top exercises on complex, systemic, and existential issues
• Intermediate understanding of statistical modeling to help interpret results and analyze model strengths and weaknesses
• Excellent attention to detail, verbal and written communications skills, and interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Proficiency with cloud-based workspaces
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines while exercising initiative, good judgment, creativity, and diplomacy
• Passion for CSR’s mission of anticipating, analyzing, and addressing systemic risks to security in the 21st century, including climate security, ecological security, pandemics, biological weapons, and nuclear weapons
• Experience in the security field – including the fields that CSR is involved in  – is desirable but not required

CSR has a highly flexible work environment. Outside of specific meetings and events (when they may be conducted safely) virtual working is our norm. CSR’s pay band for candidates hired at the Fellow level will be $78,000-$114,000, based on the qualifications and experience levels of the applicants, and above if a successful candidate is brought in at higher levels. CSR’s current benefits include health insurance with employer coverage of 70% of premium costs and a range of plan options; a 403(b) retirement plan for which CSR matches employee contributions dollar for dollar up to 6% of their salary, with no vesting delay; and 21 full days of leave and 3 sick days, in addition to observing all U.S. federal holidays. 

CSR will evaluate applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled, so applying early is encouraged.

Apply for the Strategic Foresight Fellow position at this link. 

CSR is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, political affiliation, matriculation status, genetic disposition or carrier status, or any other category protected under applicable federal, state or local law.