Job Description

Senior Associate, Government Capacity

Full-time FAS staff

Washington, DC

Why FAS?  

Does FAS sound like an organization that you would be energized to join?  Is it aligned to your values?

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) takes quite seriously our role as a beacon and voice for the science community.  

FAS has a rich history: after the devastating bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, a group of atomic researchers – deeply concerned about the use of science for malice – created an organization committed to using science and technology to benefit humanity.  

The group they created – the Federation of Atomic Scientists – soon became the Federation of American Scientists in recognition of the hundreds of scientists across diverse disciplines who joined together to speak with one voice for the betterment of the world.  

Today, we are a group of entrepreneurial, intrepid changemakers, forging a better future where science, technology, ideas, and talent are deployed to solve the biggest challenges of our time—and we see government as the strongest enabler in that vision. We value equity, inclusion, and transparency.  As a collective, we are building an organization focused on being impact-driven, customer-focused, and growth-oriented as a force for good in the world.

Skills and Expertise: Must Haves

FAS is seeking an entrepreneurial, ambitious, and resourceful individual to join the new Government Capacity team. The team is a growing cohort dedicated to dramatically increasing the government's ability to deliver for the American people, to create and deploy innovative solutions, and to act with agility and responsiveness to both crises and opportunities. 

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree and at least three years of relevant experience (preferred) or other relevant experience.
• Passion for driving reform in government (at the federal, state, or local level), with specific interest in one or more areas related to building government capacity  (might include but not be limited to civic tech or civic design; government performance and innovation; public sector talent; building connectivity between the legislative and executive branches; improving government implementation or service delivery; rethinking models of governance; design of public institutions).
• Strong ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and timelines in a highly dynamic working environment.
• Strong ability to work both independently on subsets of projects and also collaboratively across projects to ensure internal coordination and to ensure that all deliverables meet FAS standards.
• Professional presence and capacity to represent FAS externally at conferences, workshops, and other convenings—serving as a trusted ambassador who clearly communicates our mission and identifies opportunities for partnership.
• Comfort with an uncertain and rapidly evolving policy landscape; the ideal candidate is able to monitor and synthesize evolving policy dynamics to help FAS and partners adapt in real time to shifting political or budgetary conditions.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Comfort with “managing up”; i.e., working with more senior partners and project contributors to deliver on project goals and outcomes.

Skills or Experience: Preferred

• Working knowledge of major U.S. policy systems and levers, especially in the federal government.
• Experience, expertise, or interest related to the role of government in climate (e.g.,  clean energy, transportation, permitting, housing) or science policy domains (e.g., research and development, technology regulation). 

To Sum It Up…

What’s the “elevator pitch” for the role?

The Senior Associate will work with the Director for Government Capacity and a team including FAS staff, expert senior advisors, and technical consultants. The team collaborates to understand the root causes of barriers and bottlenecks to more effective governing, rapidly develop and evaluate new policy and practice changes, and then support their implementation by working closely with agency leaders and policymakers in the executive branch, Congress, and state and local government. 

Government Capacity Portfolio (50%):

• Contribute to projects that advance government operating system reform across workforce and hiring, deproceduralization, digital modernization, and applied state capacity work.
• Drafting policy memos, blog posts, and public-facing content that translate government capacity reform ideas for practitioner, legislative, and public audiences.
• Learning and increasingly mastering key aspects of the policy entrepreneurship toolkit
• Planning and executing convenings to activate communities around shared goals
• In coordination with other FAS colleagues, establishing and continuously improving internal workflows and implementation processes to ensure the program operates efficiently, strategically, and at scale.
• Providing operational support across the portfolio, including tracking budgets, supporting contract and vendor management, and helping ensure projects run on time and within scope.

Future of Government Institutions and Workforce  (50%): 

This work supports FAS's efforts elevate government’s ability to deliver in priority policy domains like climate, clean energy, and science policy, offering solutions for a stronger workforce,  tools, and in institutional design. As a start, this work will include a multi-phase initiative to develop a government clean energy talent strategy and address specific barriers to hiring at the Department of Energy and laying the groundwork for longer-term organizational design work. This includes:

• Project management and research support, including project coordination, structured interview support, and synthesis of diagnostic findings on what's blocking DOE's hiring and workforce capacity.
• Research and analysis of hiring practices across federal agencies, including comparative work on what's achievable in principle versus what agencies deliver in practice, and support developing and stress-testing scenarios DOE is likely to face.
• Stakeholder and partner engagement with key external collaborators as the initiative develops.

The Senior Associate reports to the Government Capacity Diretor and will work closely with leads across Government Capacity workstreams, senior advisers, and members of FAS's climate, science, and data policy teams. The ideal candidate will be a detail-oriented and collaborative individual with experience in policy research, project management, and federal or state government operations.

Work Environment 

This position will be a hybrid role, meaning that both remote and in-person work can be accommodated, generally two to three days per week on-site, and two to three days per week remote. For this role, much of the work will be relationship building and meeting with federal government officials within Washington, DC.

This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific terms and conditions of employment are subject to collective bargaining.

Salary Range

$70,000-$78,000 

Hiring Statement

Don’t check off every box? Apply anyway! Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every listed qualification. At FAS we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and developing new voices. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway – you might just be the right candidate.

The Federation of American Scientists is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The Federation of American Scientists  prohibits discriminating against employees and job applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose the compensation of the employee or applicant or another employee or applicant.  Employment is contingent on successful verification of eligibility to work in the United States.

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