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The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is seeking an experienced and entrepreneurial leader in digital communications to drive the organization’s comprehensive digital strategy. This individual will guide and oversee the creation of a wide range of impactful content strategies specific to each digital platform, external outreach to digital partners, and support for FDD’s experts with digital engagement. This individual will lead a vertical of content creators and social media managers to amplify FDD’s research and policy communications in the digital sphere by collaborating across departments to amplify FDD’s mission and objectives. Title to be commensurate with experience. This position may be based at FDD headquarters in Washington, DC, or in other U.S. cities where the candidate can establish and lead a world-class digital strategy team.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Develop and execute FDD’s overarching digital strategy, ensuring brand consistency, alignment with mission and goals, and an impactful digital voice, look, and feel.

2. Lead the creation of high-impact multimedia content, collaborating with research and communications teams to identify key messages and analysis for engaging infographics, videos, and other policy-driven digital content.

3. Drive innovation by building relationships with industry professionals, analyzing communications strategies, and integrating emerging digital trends and technologies into FDD’s digital strategies.

4. Oversee FDD’s digital channels, including website and social media platforms, ensuring a dynamic content schedule, optimal user experience, and adherence to best practices to expand FDD’s visibility, reach, and impact.

5. Provide data-driven insights to enhance digital engagement, regularly reporting key performance and impact metrics.

6. Lead and mentor a team of digital professionals, fostering strategic partnerships with external agencies, consultants, and digital coalition partners to maximize FDD’s digital reach.

7. Guide and support FDD staff in building their personal digital profiles by effectively leveraging social media platforms.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree in communications, digital media, public policy, international relations, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.

2. Senior experience in digital strategy, communications, content production, and policy communications.

3. Proven success in developing and implementing high-level digital strategies and communications, working on tight deadlines and within news cycles.

4. Deep expertise managing corporate or organizational social media platforms to include Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, and Telegram.

5. Knowledge of U.S. national security and foreign policy, with the ability to align digital communications goals with breaking news; familiar with and committed to furthering FDD’s mission.

6. Strong leadership and project management skills, with a track record of guiding cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.

7. Proficiency in digital analytics tools, SEO best practices, and website optimization. Knowledge of WordPress and Adobe Creative Cloud programs preferred.

8. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of engaging effectively with senior leadership, policy experts, and external partners.

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The Opportunity

The Center on Economic and Financial Power – one of three Centers on American Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies – is looking for an Senior Analyst – Economics, Finance & Trade to join our growing team.

This role is a unique opportunity to be on the front lines of economic security, working on high-impact research related to national security policy. Our team tackles everything from sanctions evasion networks and illicit finance risks to strategic supply chain vulnerabilities and economic coercion. The ideal candidate is someone who brings entrepreneurial energy, intellectual curiosity, and strong analytical skills – someone who is eager to dive into complex issues and deliver data-driven insights that make a difference.

We recognize there is no one perfect career path to this role. Candidates from government (Treasury, Commerce, intelligence, law enforcement), financial institutions (compliance, risk analysis), strategic consulting, or other policy-relevant fields may all bring valuable expertise, even if they don’t have a traditional think tank or academic background.

Scope of Work

This role provides the opportunity to work across multiple workstreams, issue areas, and methodologies, giving candidates a rare chance to contribute to a broad and high-impact economic security portfolio. Responsibilities may include:

• Illicit Finance & Sanctions Evasion: Develop country-specific illicit finance risk matrices to assess how sanctioned entities evade financial controls and move illicit funds.
• Trade & Commodity Flows: Analyze global trade data, FDI flows, customs records, and financial transactions to identify patterns in sanctions circumvention and trade diversion.
• Supply Chain Security: Develop replicable supply chain risk reports, focusing on vulnerabilities in critical industries, emerging technology sectors, and high-risk trade routes.
• Strategic Trade & Economic Coercion: Examine how economic statecraft tools – such as sanctions, export controls, and investment restrictions – impact global power dynamics.
• Real-Time Policy & Risk Analysis: Produce data-driven policy briefings, white papers, and risk assessments for audiences that include government agencies, corporate risk officers, and national security officials.
• Opportunities for Thought Leadership: Write and contribute to long-form reports, policy memos and other written products and participate in high-level policy discussions on economic security and financial power.

This is not a narrowly defined role. We are looking for someone eager to take initiative, bring analytical depth to structured research efforts, and engage in fast-moving policy discussions.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct quantitative and qualitative research on economic statecraft and illicit finance.
• Work with large datasets to analyze trade flows, financial transactions, and economic vulnerabilities.
• Build risk matrices, dashboards, visuals, and analytical tools to track illicit networks and economic threats.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders, including government agencies, financial industry experts, and security professionals.
• Balance structured, long-term research projects with timely policy analysis.
• Synthesize technical findings into clear, actionable reports and briefings for policymakers and industry leaders.

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years of experience in economic research, data analysis, financial intelligence, trade analysis, or a related field.
• Strong proficiency in data analysis tools (Python, R, SQL, Stata, Tableau, or similar).
• A deep understanding of economic and financial security issues, such as sanctions, illicit finance, supply chains, and trade controls.
• Proven experience working with large datasets and applying economic analysis to real-world policy questions.
• Ability to balance independent research with collaboration, working across multiple issue areas while maintaining analytical rigor.
• Entrepreneurial mindset – someone who can navigate complex, evolving policy challenges and identify new research angles.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to translate technical findings for policy and non-technical audiences.
• Advanced degree preferred.

Work Environment & Flexibility

• Hybrid work arrangement available with preference for candidates based in the greater Washington, DC area.
• Collaborative but Independent: This role requires both structured teamwork and intellectual independence – ideal for someone who enjoys both deep-dive research and dynamic policy engagement.
• Mission-Driven Work: The research produced in this role will have real-world national security impact, shaping how governments and industry tackle illicit finance, sanctions enforcement, and strategic economic threats.

Please submit a cover letter, CV, and a recent writing sample on a topic relevant to the work of CEFP. Interested candidates should apply here.

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FDD is seeking a full-time production manager and copy editor who will oversee the production and quality of a high volume of publications. This position reports to the vice president of program management.

Key responsibilities:

• Proofread and edit content for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style adherence, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and consistency in publications.
• Provide rapid copy editing of daily short-form publications as well as review of longer reports.
• Manage content production pipeline and timelines, from submission to publication and promotion, in direct coordination with internal researchers, communications, and design teams.
• Oversee layout and formatting of longer-form content with designers and researchers, providing the final quality control review to include proper citation, licensing, and copyright compliance.
• Maintain and ensure adherence to brand, tone, and editorial guidelines.
• Meet tight deadlines while managing multiple projects.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in international relations, political science, history, English, or related field
• Proven experience as a copy editor, proofreader, or similar role
• Exceptional command of the English language and grammar rules
• Strong attention to detail and proven ability to work under tight deadlines
• Interest in U.S. national security and foreign policy in alignment with FDD’s mission and position as an independent, non-partisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy
• Familiarity with AP style preferred

Please submit a cover letter, CV, and a writing sample on a topic relevant to FDD’s work.

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FDD’s research department seeks an exceptional senior editor capable of ensuring the clarity, concision, and persuasiveness of a high volume of publications ranging from single-page policy briefs to full-length papers. The senior editor will report to the vice president of research. FDD will consider concurrent appointment as a research fellow for candidates with a doctoral degree or comparable experience in policy research. Compensation commensurate with experience.

Key responsibilities:

• Help FDD scholars craft engaging and persuasive works of varying length.
• Edit multiple short articles per day, including policy briefs and op-ed columns. Help authors identify suitable outlets for their articles.
• Edit longer publications, including FDD research memos, monographs, and congressional testimony. Ensure coherent structure and analytic rigor in addition to quality of prose.
• As necessary, assign work to freelance editors and ensure the quality of their output. Also ensure quality of output by junior FDD editors.
• Coordinate with copy editor, creative director, and publications manager to turn approved drafts into fully designed publications.
• Facilitate the development of junior FDD researchers as professional policy writers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Eight-plus years of experience as an editor and writer
• Exceptional command of the English language
• Exceptional interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to forge a positive rapport and enduring cooperative relationship with authors
• Consistent attention to detail and ability to work on deadline
• Strong interest in U.S. national security and foreign policy
• Alignment with FDD’s mission and position as an independent, non-partisan foreign policy think-tank

Please submit a cover letter, CV, and a writing sample on a topic relevant to FDD’s work.

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FDD seeks a full-time active duty U.S. military officer to serve as a Military Fellow in its Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). The successful applicant will have the rank of O-4 to O-6 and seek to gain research experience on issues related to U.S. defense policy and strategy.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research related to the defense strategies, policies, and capabilities necessary to deter and defeat threats to the freedom, security, and prosperity of Americans and our allies;
• Author or co-author on the above and related topics (both internal and external publications, including newspapers, journals, and online outlets);
• Discuss research at events, both organized by FDD and in outside venues;
• Work with appropriate FDD staff to plan and execute meetings and briefings, as well as networking and professional development opportunities for FDD scholars with Department of Defense officials; and
• Support the day-to-day research and work of CMPP and CMPP’s Senior Director.

Qualifications

• Active duty U.S. military officers between the rank of O-4 (Major/Lieutenant Commander) – O-6 (Colonel/Captain);
• Commitment for 6-month or 1-year fellowship;
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team; and
• Excellent writing, research, and analytical skills.

FDD is a nonprofit and nonpartisan national security and foreign policy institute devoted to independent research in the defense of free nations against their enemies. FDD runs a National Security Network (NSN), a nonpartisan mentorship and leadership development program for mid-career national security practitioners. NSN is comprised of nearly 600 alumni from the military, the executive branch, the Hill, think tanks and the private sector. FDD does not accept donations from foreign governments.

Interested and qualified applicants should apply here. 

To view current internship opportunities, visit us here.

About FDD’s internship program

Based in downtown Washington, D.C., the Foundation for Defense of Democracies has a number of internship opportunities available during the spring, fall and summer semesters. All FDD interns will have the opportunity to participate in a twice-monthly speaker series, which brings high-level DC officials and senior staff members to engage with interns in an intimate setting. FDD interns will be encouraged to build on their academic skills by working closely with senior staff. FDD is also happy to assist students who wish to earn academic credit for this internship. All interns are eligible for a stipend and will be required to complete specific government documentation before this stipend is paid. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. It is recommended that interested candidates submit applications early.

Please specify the department(s) for which you would like to be considered (feel free to indicate preferences) in your cover letter. While you may use the same cover letter for multiple positions, please submit a separate application for each position of interest. Incomplete applications will not be considered. For general inquiries, email: [email protected].

Eligibility

• Must have at least a 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
• Should have a relevant course of study and have completed coursework in any of the following fields: International Relations, Security Studies, History, Communications, Journalism, International Economics, Political Science, Computer science, and/or a relevant STEM field of study.
• Interns should have knowledge of Microsoft Office programs, including Word, as well as basic Excel skills.
• Must be able to commit to a minimum of 22 hours per week.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States.

Application Materials Required

1. Resume/CV
2. Cover letter (Please review our website and include which FDD projects and issue areas resonate with you and why. Also indicate where you found this internship and your availability for the semester.)
3. Writing sample (no more than three pages)
4. Unofficial transcript copy