Brembeck Fellowship: Project Coordinator, Strong Cities Network

The  Fourth Freedom Forum invites interested candidates to apply for the  Howard S. Brembeck Fellowship. This is a one-year renewable fellowship which will be hosted as a full-time employee at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue-US, where it will support the organization’s Strong Cities Network, while also receiving mentorship opportunities in other areas of ISD-US work and the broader ISD. 

Howard S. Brembeck Fellowship 

In its third year, the Howard S. Brembeck Fellowship is focused on promoting fair opportunities for aspiring young professionals early in their career to support them in continuing to build practical skills in the field of international peace and security. The founder Howard S. Brembeck had a vision of multigenerational engagement on international peace and security. This fellowship continues his legacy of promoting and supporting young professionals and future leaders whose work will also help to advance the Fourth Freedom Forum’s mission. Given this focus, the fellowship works to promote equity in the field through supporting young professionals who have historically faced marginalization based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Priority will be given to applicants from these backgrounds.  

ISD-US

ISD is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding freedom, national security, public safety and individual rights by reversing the rising global tide of polarization, extremism, foreign interference and authoritarianism.

For 20 years, ISD has been at the forefront of analyzing, exposing and combatting all forms of terrorism, extremism, foreign interference, digital manipulation and authoritarianism, helping equip institutions, communities and the private sector with the tools, policies and skills to achieve impact at scale. Combining research and analysis with government advisory work and the design and delivery of training, education and communications programs, ISD works to implement real-world, evidence-based responses to these challenges.  

Why work for ISD?
ISD's Guiding Principles of  integrity, collaboration, agility and courage  define who we are as a team and an organization. These principles reflect our culture and guide the way we work and the choices we make.

ISD is not your ordinary think tank. We turn research into action that changes the world. Our insights don't gather dust on shelves - they power the fight to protect democracy and human rights on the front lines. We're committed to delivering real change, from the grassroots to the highest levels of global institutions. And we're looking for passionate individuals who share our commitment to making a difference. Join us and be part of an organization that's making an impact. 

Our benefits

• Flexible and remote working based on ISD's Time Principles of trust, communication and flexibility

• 20 days paid time off plus an average of 11 federal holidays observed annually

• Up to 6 weeks of paid sick leave per year

• 1 week of additional paid time off over Christmas, outside of your PTO entitlement

• Subsidized health insurance policy including comprehensive health, vision, and dental plans via Blue Cross Blue Shield and Principal

• Other ancillary benefits such as life insurance, FSA/HSA and commuter savings plans in certain metro areas

• 401k including competitive company match

• Annual personal development budget, remote working allowance, and more!
  
  

Salary

$55,000 - $70,000 per annum, depending on experience 

Location

US Remote, candidates in the DMV metro area are welcome to work from our Washington, D.C offices if desired. Please note that we are unable to provide Visa sponsorship or to accept applicants living outside of the US for this role.

Hours

Full-time, 40 hours per week

Start date and term

4th January 2027 - 4th January 2028, with possibility of renewal

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

ISD is committed to promoting diversity throughout its workforce and aims for its team to be truly representative of all sections of society. We make a concerted effort to ensure our workplace, employment policies and organisational culture creates an inclusive, positive and progressive environment in which all members of our team are treated with dignity and respect. For further information about this policy or our recruitment practices, please email vacancies@isdglobal.org.

We strongly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented in our field, including people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, neurodivergent people, carers, and people from diverse backgrounds.

The role

The Project Coordinator will be a member of the Strong Cities North America Regional Hub and support Strong Cities engagement globally. 

The post holder will have strong communication, administrative, and organizational skills and an eagerness to develop project management skills. They will bring energy to the role and possess a strong work ethic and attention to detail. They will have demonstrated in previous roles the ability to work both independently and as part of a dynamic team environment—one which requires timely action and response—and be motivated to contribute actively to the Strong Cities mission. 

Key responsibilities include:

•   Research assistance and communications (45%) 

  • Conduct research on 1) city-level approaches to preventing/countering extremism and other threats to social cohesion; 2) emerging thematic priorities for Strong Cities members; 3) priority cities for Strong Cities to engage, particularly in Africa and MENA, 4) gaps, municipal stakeholders, potential partners, existing programs and donor opportunities.    

  • Conduct research for workshops, training modules, concept papers, and background materials as required. 

  • Support Strong Cities communications, including via its website and social media channels, and design of digital assets including impact summaries and event reports. 

• Event coordination and support (30%):  

  • Support the execution of Strong Cities webinars and in-person convenings, including the Seventh Strong Cities Global Summit. Tasks might include, as appropriate, contributing to defining objectives and setting the agenda and preparing event material (e,g., concept notes, agendas, invitations, presentations); note taking and collating due outs; preparing event summaries; liaising event venues and organizers including external speakers. 

• Business development tracking and coordination (10%):

  • Help pull together and maintain an overview of our business development efforts – whom Strong Cities has approached, what opportunity or idea was discussed, where things stand, and what follow-up is needed.

• Administration (15%) 

  • Maintain and regularly update a shared organizational calendar of webinars, events, and other key dates across all regions. 

  • Track and maintain the product pipeline dashboard for reports, toolkits, publications and other resources, monitoring key milestones, and supporting timely delivery. 

  • Utilize and help maintain Strong Cities CRM (Monday.com) and provide additional administrative and logistical support as requested.  
    

Please review the full job description for all of the expected responsibilities required here.

Please review our  job description  for essential criteria, and keep in mind that no candidate will meet every requirement. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified, but you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to hear from you.

How to apply

Interested applicants should submit your application with the following requirements:

1. Cover letter that includes a discussion of the applicant’s qualifications, professional experience, and career goals and how those interests and goals align with the mission and ethos of the Brembeck Fellowship and ISD-US’ Strong Cities Network and ISD-US more broadly (see job description);

2. CV

3. Contact information for three references- at least one should be from a non-academic source

Please submit your application by 15th September 2026, 11:59 ET. ISD reserves the right to interview and appoint candidates prior to the advertised closing date.

For roles with higher-than-average applications, our review process may take longer than expected. In these cases, our recruitment team may only reach out to candidates selected for a next stage interview. Requests for updates on the status of your application will not be answered, though it is our aim to keep interviewed candidates updated on the progress of their application within a reasonable timeframe.