Senior Director, GeoTech Center

Job Location: Atlantic Council Headquarters – Washington, DC
Employment Type: Full-Time
Seniority Level: Director
Job Category: Staff

Overview

The Atlantic Council seeks a technologically expert, policy-oriented, intellectual entrepreneur to lead and expand its GeoTech Center.

Founded in 2019, the GeoTech Center’s core mission is shaping the global future together at the intersection of geopolitics and rapid technological change. The senior director will work directly with the Vice President for Tech Programs and Strategy in building a more ambitious, integrated strategy to harness technology for good, compete effectively in an era of geopolitical competition, and meet the moment in a defining opportunity of our time.

The Senior Director of the GeoTech Center will join the leadership team of numerous first-in-class technology efforts, including the Digital Forensic Research Lab, Cyber Statecraft Initiative, Democracy + Tech Initiative, and regional technology-focused programming across the Atlantic Council to advance an ambitious agenda at the intersection of geopolitics and technology. The GeoTech Center works to ensure emerging technologies can enter use widely across the globe for public benefit, while identifying and mitigating potential societal and geopolitical risks. The Center serves as an essential bridge between technologists and national and international policymakers, bringing together subject matter experts, thought leaders, and decision-makers through purposeful convenings to consider the broader societal, economic, and geopolitical implications of new and emerging technologies; leverage technology to solve global challenges; and develop actionable tech policy, partnerships, and programs.

The ideal candidate will have more than 10 years of public and private sector experience, proven track record of management and leadership, superior public speaking and writing skills, and an ability to focus the GeoTech Center’s efforts toward impact. The candidate must be able to connect government, industry, technology, and academic leaders to achieve real-world results. They will have a proven track record galvanizing communities and shaping policies to maximize opportunities of this unprecedented period of rapid and often disruptive technological change.

The ideal candidate will have robust experience in project and talent management with strong background in business development. The senior director will provide hands-on, entrepreneurial leadership for the Center, while building a program to provides unique insights and results-oriented programming on the geopolitical, societal, economic, and security implications of emerging technologies, safeguarding the interests and values of free societies while at the same time ensuring protection of privacy.

The successful candidate will have an established domestic and international network in the tech arena, particularly government and industry analysts and decision-makers in the United States, Asia, and Europe, along with a desire to expand and further develop this network.

Experience in executive and/or legislative branches of government is helpful.

The senior director will also be expected to moderate private and public events and conduct media engagements. The position is located in Washington, DC, on a hybrid schedule, and requires domestic and international travel. Pay is commensurate with experience, education, and organizational equity, with offers starting at $160,000.

Job responsibilities

The Senior Director will be specifically responsible for:

• Intellectual Leadership. The senior director will play a leading role in developing the intellectual and policy frameworks to advance the Atlantic Council’s mission and programming through written work and speaking engagements, along with expanding the GeoTech Center’s thought leadership. They will work closely with the Vice President for Technology Programs and Strategy, as well as the wider Council leadership, to build a more ambitious strategy on technology as it relates to “shaping the global future together.”
• Programmatic Design and Oversight. The senior director will develop programming and new initiatives to influence policy and impact public discourse at the intersection of technology and geopolitics. The senior director will be required to oversee simultaneous implementation of multiple projects.
• Business Development. The senior director will generate programmatic content for the GeoTech Center, independently craft fundraising proposals, and generate financial support for new and existing lines of work. Working with Atlantic Council leadership, the senior director will expand the program’s funding by sustaining current relationships while pursuing additional support from corporations, government agencies, international organizations, foundations, and high net worth individuals.
• Staff and Financial Management. The senior director will manage and foster opportunities for growth with GeoTech Center full-time staff while managing the Center’s robust network of non- resident senior fellows. The senior director will also serve as a reliable and faithful steward of program and Council funds by overseeing expenses and revenues, management of budgets, and anticipated fundraising to ensure program solvency.
• Outreach/Communications. The senior director will represent the Atlantic Council externally with the administration, Congress, diplomatic community and foreign governments, donors, media, as well as at public and private events, international conferences, and more.

Qualifications

• A minimum of ten years of significant work experience on an array of emerging technologies within public service, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and/or academia;
• A Master’s degree or Doctorate in a relevant field heavily preferred;
• Extensive experience in program management and development, preferably in a nonprofit or entrepreneurial environment;
• Excellent writing, editing, and briefing skills; must be able to write policy-like documents under tight time constraints. A dossier of published work is highly desirable;
• A strong and current bipartisan and international network in Washington, Asia, and Europe among government, business, and civil society;
• Demonstrated track record in budget management and forecasting, responding to government grant solicitations, and fundraising to include solicitation from individuals, foundations, and corporate sources;
• A proven ability to build networks and initiate effective partnerships among expert analysts, government leaders, and non-governmental organizations, international institutions, and business executives.