Job Description

Responsibilities:

• Maintain a primary role in the final production of all research and analysis outputs, including in the outlining, drafting, and intermediate draft stages.
• Oversee the development of primary source research networks and be responsible for primary source inputs.
• Assist in managing the recruitment process for hiring interns and analysts, continually refining the recruitment process based on lessons learned.
• Mentor and manage analysts.
• Independent auditing of quality and risk for other projects where required by senior staff.
• Training of junior staff in technical competencies of use to the Company, including InDesign (and best practices of report design more broadly) as well as geographic information systems (GIS).
• Aid in the development of the company Business Development literature, whether through inputs to the content of these documents or through eventual polishing and graphic design elements.
• Develop and refine internal and external publication schedule and strategy.
• Working with the BIDS team, ensure donor distribution lists are maintained/updated and that feedback from clients is shared with project, M&E and BIDs personnel as appropriate.
• Support bid writing efforts, especially by “Red Teaming” drafts of submissions as well as in areas of analytical focus.
• Manage the delivery of social media and external relations strategy through a DC-based analyst.

Outputs

• Quality-assured weekly, fortnightly, quarterly and discrete spot reports, delivered to the client.
• An always-up-to-date tracker of publication plans.
• Where required, analytical research products and government briefings.
• Templates—for InDesign, Illustrator, QGIS, PowerPoint, and Word—designed to be used throughout the company with a unified branding.

Qualifications Required:

Essential

• Strong organizational and time management skills, including the ability to work independently on multiple projects with competing deadlines.
• Demonstrated editing or copywriting experience, specifically on analytical or academic products.
• Strong, often meticulous, attention to detail.
• Strong knowledge of the Middle East region, to include an understanding of the current situation in Iraq and Syria.
• Demonstrated management experience, preferably with geographically disperse staff.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, specifically the ability to deliver succinct and persuasive analysis.
• High level of proficiency with InDesign, Illustrator, or other design soft
• Proficiency with QGIS.
• Native level proficiency in English
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, including political science, international affairs, journalism, and history.
• 5+ years of work experience.

Desirable

• Arabic language proficiency.
• Additional regional expertise. Specific regions of interest include southeast Asia and East Africa.

About the Organization

ARK is a research, conflict transformation and stabilisation consultancy that supports local communities in conflict and fragile areas. We believe that international stability, national security, community safety and individual empowerment are intrinsically linked.

As a team at ARK, we partner with local stakeholders to provide insight and develop programmes that are of immediate, tangible assistance to conflict-affected communities. Many of our staff are drawn from partner communities, hence ARK’s commitment to and understanding of conflict zones. ARK has ongoing programming in communities across the Middle East.