Senior Research and Policy Associate

UNO is Nebraska's public metropolitan research university - a university with strong academic values, diverse programs and learning opportunities, and significant relationships with our community that facilitate engaged teaching and research.

Job Title
Senior Research and Policy Associate

Department
Center for Collaborative Science

Essential Functions

The National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center ( NCITE ) seeks a Senior Research and Policy Associate to develop new prospective funding partners, lead research, and execute engagements within new audiences. The position will require a diverse and extensive set of experiences that provides leadership to manage the current work of NCITE, while generating ideas and strategies to expand NCITE’s research portfolio and diversify funding seen as a critical lever for transforming NCITE in the Homeland Security Enterprise. The successful candidate will bring a substantial track record of successful outcomes leading federally funded grants and contracts, academic report publishing, media engagements, and policy advancement through congressional hearings and legislative means. The successful candidate will be highly networked with Federal Government personnel and the Homeland Security Enterprise.
NCITE is a growing and busy research consortium with current federal and state funding and potential future private and industry funding. Its audiences are: federal, state, and local government leaders and elected officials; law enforcement entities; university administration and leadership; researchers and investigators in the NCITE consortium; private industry; and the public.

The Senior Research and Policy Associate will serve a crucial role to the NCITE director, collaborating closely on new funding business development and execution of the varied counterterrorism end-users across the U.S. NCITE seeks a committed, passionate, mission-driven proven professional who is future- and solutions-oriented. This is a high-impact role that will hep position the organization as it evolves and expands business development central to NCITE business plan/goals.

This position represents UNO as a member of the Center for Collaborative Science- National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center:
Leadership and Management:

• Performs and directs research in specialized areas including countering terrorism and targeted violence, bolstering suspicious activity reporting, and improving prevention efforts. Will also support interprofessional development of other research colleagues and projects.
• Make significant contributions to the project team through support and training of early career researchers and students in areas of expertise and project needs.
• Will serve as the senior NCITE representative to members of the US Senate and US House of Representatives

Strategy and Planning:

• Serve as a leader for advancing NCITE’s research into legislative priorities with the Legislative Branch
• Design and develop counterterrorism caucus building strategy for the Legislative Branch
• Design and develop national media outlet engagement strategy
• Design and develop philanthropic outreach strategy for U.S. based gifts.

The University and department have a strong commitment to achieving diversity among the faculty and staff. The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. UNO is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an E-Verify employer.

Additional Duties

Strategic Planning & Leadership

• Prospect and secure new mission-critical support and funding sources in Washington DC and surrounding area generating diversified funding for NCITE within the federally funded-research field.
• Plan and Implement stakeholder engagement process with newly identified stakeholders.

Management

• Serve as principal investigator on federally funded homeland security research projects

Other

• Representing NCITE, serve as subject matter expert for in-person congressional hearings, meetings, stakeholder engagements in Washington DC and surrounding area.
• Represent NCITE, serving as subject matter expert for public relations and media requests.

Required Qualifications

Required education: Bachelor’s degree
10-15+ years of experience:

• translating national security fundamentals into strategic execution in support of business goals.

• building relationships across an organization in service of international and national counterterrorism affairs specifically among federal agencies.

• supporting and interpreting domestic legislative initiatives, specifically in Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

• solving a myriad of novel problems, including sourcing effective and collaborative ways in which to further counterterrorism research in complex and matrixed environments.

• serving as principal investigator or Co-PI on federally funded research projects and contracts

• highly networked with Federal Government personnel and the Government Contractor community identifying available federally funded research opportunities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to collaborate and be flexible in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Oversee contracts and PhD-level contractors as appropriate
• Solutions-oriented actor who carefully weighs factors but will act quickly and independently on making decisions.
• Collaboration-oriented professional with proven record of professional conduct on National public platforms
• Serve as a leader and trusted advisor effectively influencing decisions at the leadership level.
• Manage scope of large-scale projects and initiatives with varying levels of complexity.
• Demonstrate ability to follow best practices for prospective funding management principals.

Posting Number
2023F-00113

Special Instructions to Applicants