Program Manager, Office of the President – Institute for the Study of War
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) seeks a full-time, Program Manager in the office of ISW’s President, Kimberly Kagan.
About ISW:
As the world continues to witness the devastating impact of armed conflict, the need for objective, real-time, unbiased analysis has never been greater. When decision-makers need information—from policymakers to humanitarian aid organizations to military leaders on the ground—time and time again, they turn to the Institute for the Study of War.
ISW has a unique, dual mission: to provide real-time intelligence to help leaders make informed decisions in conflict zones around the world and educate the next generation of national security leaders. This work is carried out through the General Jack Keane Center for National Security and the General David H. Petraeus Center for Emerging Leaders.
Position Summary:
ISW is seeking an emerging leader with experience managing dynamic projects and programs to be a full-time Program Manager in the Office of the President. The program manager is responsible for ensuring that all projects undertaken by the president, both regular and ad hoc, are designed, managed, executed, and overseen to achieve their intended effects in accord with the president's priorities. The program manager manages the president’s battle rhythm, calendar, and logistics to ensure that the president's time is allocated according to the president's strategic and tactical priorities and that the president has all materials and information required to execute her tasks in a timely manner and at a standard of excellence. The program manager also performs administrative tasks in support of the president. This role requires close alignment with the president’s priorities and strategic vision, taking initiative within the president’s intent, the ability to manage multiple significant projects simultaneously, forecasting and preparing for upcoming challenges and requirements, and developing processes and procedures as appropriate. The role requires managing projects to which different ISW organizational stakeholders and departments must contribute. It also requires engagement with members of the ISW Board of Directors and external senior leaders. The ideal candidate will be highly organized and able to organize others, proactive, a critical thinker, an excellent writer, a clear communicator, and skilled in handling confidential information with discretion. The program manager reports directly to the president.
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
Align with the President, Delegate, Oversee Projects, and Achieve Goals
- Establish and maintain continuous alignment with the president’s priorities, intent, and dynamic strategic vision for a growing organization.
- Clearly communicate the president’s priorities and intent to the rest of the organization.
- Monitor all major projects of the president including recurring efforts, quick-turn requirements, and long-term undertakings. Projects include internal institutional development, relationships with external stakeholders, and ongoing research efforts.
- Organize and oversee all stages of the preparation and execution of the president’s projects, establishing clear plans and deadlines, delegating clearly, identifying and tracking the status of individual explicit and implied tasks, engaging with other team members and stakeholders to ensure the timely execution of those tasks to a standard of excellence so that the project succeeds.
- Coordinate simultaneous projects in accord with the president’s priorities to ensure that highest priority efforts receive necessary attention while lower priority efforts still succeed.
- Establish procedures for monitoring and overseeing the execution of multiple simultaneous projects and for forecasting and preparing for future projects and requirements.
- Monitor the progress of the president’s and staff’s key objectives and corresponding responsibilities to ensure timelines are met.
Prepare the President for Her Engagements and Assist in Her Follow Up After Engagements
- Prepare the president for meetings, speaking engagements, and other public engagements, ensuring that she meets her personal and organizational objectives at each one by organizing her engagement properly and providing her with the correct background, presentation content, and collateral.
- Coordinate with key stakeholders throughout the organization to develop, prepare, organize and assemble content at the correct aperture for the president’s meetings. These may include talking points, scripts, graphics, and slide decks for the president. These will change dynamically based on the ISW analytical team’s most recent insights, assessments, and data as well as ISW’s evolving organizational needs.
- Organize the board meetings for members of the board of directors and the ISW management team. Be responsible for creating the board book with the president’s direction and overseeing the execution of necessary supporting tasks by ISW leaders.
- Organize and manage the president’s follow up after events.
- Manage the president’s media requests and social media (LinkedIn) in coordination with the External Relations Team and in accord with ISW’s brand, fundraising, and marketing priorities and in accord with the president’s intent.
Organize the President’s Engagements and Time in Accord with Her Priorities
- Manage the president’s battle rhythm, calendar, engagements, and tasks in accord with the president’s priorities.
- Receive incoming communication on behalf of the president, review contents, determine level of importance and effectively summarize and/or distribute contents to appropriate staff, and working with the president, reply to external correspondence.
- Manage calendar invites and logistics for internal and external meetings, cross- team collaboration, speaking engagements, publicity requests for the president and appropriate internal and external stakeholders.
- Manage travel arrangements for the president including but not limited to lodging and transportation.
- Support the president at external engagements and take notes at meetings.
- Monitor the president’s office phone line, including answering and responding to incoming calls.
- Support the president at ISW-hosted meetings and events, including facilitating the preparation meeting spaces and materials, and ensuring ISW guests are afforded an appropriate level of hospitality.
- Perform administrative and clerical duties as required.
The above responsibilities and duties are not an all-encompassing list. The Program Manager for president will perform other duties as assigned.
Required education, skills, and experience:
- A bachelor’s degree.
- At least 3-5 years of professional experience including 2-3 years demonstrated experience managing significant projects.
- Ability to manage a large portfolio of projects and balance competing priorities and deadlines.
- Meticulous organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
- Ability to work independently.
- Excellent critical thinking skills.
- Solutions-oriented and creative.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise discretion.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with peers, senior leaders, and junior teammates.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Suite, and project management software, and ability to learn new software independently.
- Willingness and ability to travel as necessary both domestically and internationally.
- Comfort working in fast-paced, dynamic environments with long hours, regularly including evenings and weekends.
- Highly resilient, agile, and able to operate effectively in challenging conditions.
- Ability to communicate with external parties and represent ISW with a high level of respect, professionalism, and dignity.
- Commitment to and interest in ISW’s mission and work.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. The salary range for this role is $70,000 - $90,000 annually. The final salary offered to the selected candidate will depend based upon, but not limited to, the following factors: the candidate’s prior experience, demonstrated skills, level of education, knowledge of national security issues, market data for comparable roles and the level of hire based on the previously stated qualifications. To apply, please submit a letter of interest and resume.