Graduate Fellowship / Public Affairs and Information Management

The American Academy of Diplomacy (AAD) is dedicated to strengthening the resources and tools America brings to managing its diplomatic challenges. The Academy accomplishes its mission through outreach programs and panel discussions on American diplomacy, lectures, podcasts, distinguished awards, and publications. Through these activities, the Academy promotes an understanding of the critical importance of diplomacy to serving our nation and enhancing America’s standing in the world. The Academy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization of former U.S. senior ambassadors and other high- level foreign policy officials who represent a unique wealth of talent and experience in the practice of American diplomacy.

 

The Academy seeks a bright and motivated graduate student or a recent graduate with an M.A. or an equivalent degree to serve as a graduate fellow responsible for expanding communications, member relations, and outreach capacity of the Academy. This will be a part-time (up to 20 hours per week) 12-month contract with possibility for renewal that provides the fellow with hands-on experience running non-profit communications and public outreach. The Graduate Fellow will be an integral part of a small team and will need to be able to work effectively with the rest of the team and at times with minimal supervision. The position requires flexibility and willingness to assume varied duties and projects, although the fellowship will predominantly focus on communications and public outreach. Candidates with an interest in American foreign policy and diplomacy will find this position particularly interesting.

 

 

Description of Duties

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External communication and outreach duties:

• Formulating and executing a comprehensive communication strategy that includes a website, social media, and email campaigns.

• Maintaining and streamlining current Academy website.

• Designing, editing, and distributing various types of written and visual content for the website, social media, public events, and communications with members and donors.

• In collaboration with the Program Director, creating and producing newsletters for the organization.

• Assisting with planning of the Academy’s public and member events and providing logistical and communications support during the events.

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Internal information management duties:

• Maintaining and improving membership and donor databases.

• Maintaining physical and digital files, ensuring that a complete archive of events, activities, and members exists, and that materials are easy to locate.

• Contributing to the “History of the Academy” project.

 

Qualifications

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• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, International Relations, or another relevant field of study.

• Currently enrolled in or recently completed a graduate program in a relevant field of study (M.A., MBA, Ph.D., etc.).

• 1-3 years of work experience in a relevant field, such as foreign policy, diplomacy, development, public affairs, or non-profit communications.

• Motivated self-starter with demonstrated initiative, good judgment, critical thinking, flexibility, resourcefulness, and problem-solving abilities.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, as well as a demonstrated ability to compose and edit effectively.

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with others.

• Ability to maintain professionalism, composure, and confidentiality.

• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, while maintaining a firm grasp on individual project details and deadlines.

• Proven experience producing quality written and visual materials for digital communications, social media, and websites.

• Demonstrated professional experience running social media and managing websites.

• Experience in communications, creative writing, graphic design, or marketing is a plus.

• Technical proficiency in and experience with:

  • Professional social media channels; Email marketing platforms (e.g., MailerLite or equivalent);

  • Graphic design software (e.g., Photoshop, InDesign, Canva, etc.);

  • Video production skills;

  • CRM database platforms or databases (E.g., Salesforce or MS Access);

  • Wix websites;

  • Microsoft Office Suite (particularly, Word, Excel, and Access);

  • Google Apps.

 

Application deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; application window will close when position is filled
Anticipated start date for selected candidate: August 20, 2025

Compensation: $21 / hr for up to 20 hours of work per week

 

Applicants should email a cover letter, resume and a short writing sample (1-2 pages) to: academy@academyofdiplomacy.org with “2025 AAD Graduate Fellowship Application” in the subject line. No phone calls please.