NSCSA Weekly Newsletter
Big Announcement - DO PAY YOUR DUES!
Fellow NSCSAers,
New year, new FY cycle. It was great to see so many folks at our NDAA & Defense Approps panel this week—we hope the event was informative and helpful as we dive into a new year. If you have feedback—whether you loved it or you thought it could improve—please drop us a line.
Continue reading for a big announcement…!
ANNOUNCEMENT —INTRODUCING ANNUAL DUES
For the 119th Congress, NSCSA is introducing a relatively small annual dues requirement for staff who would like to enjoy full benefits of membership. This will enable NSCSA to host more high-quality events and provide as much value as possible to our members.
Full-Time Congressional Staff Members: $20/year
Congressional Fellows/LLs: $10/year
For the cost of just two or three pumpkin spice lattes, you can invest in yourself by enjoying a year’s worth of NSCSA programming, and those benefits will last your entire career.
CLICK HERE to learn more about membership eligibility, the benefits of membership and how to become a member.
The deadline to contribute dues will be Friday, February 28.
Can’t or don’t want to contribute at this time? That’s ok! You will still have access to our weekly newsletter.
UPCOMING WCSA/NSCSA WOMEN EVENT - FEBRUARY 5 @ 6pm
Join the Wilson Center in partnership with the Women’s Congressional Staff Association (WCSA) and NSCSA Women for a conversation and reception featuring the Wilson Center’s top women foreign policy experts. This event will take place on Wednesday, February 5 at 6:00PM in 902 Hart Senate Office Building. This event is for current Congressional staff only.
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
Hoover Institution — Thursday, January 30, 5:15 PM. Ideas Uncorked: The Illusions of U.S. Foreign Policy. 1399 New York Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington DC. 20005. RSVP Here.
National Security Institute — Wednesday, January 22, 2025. Transatlantic Resilience: Defending Critical Infrastructure in the Face of Russian Aggression. GMU Mason Square Campus. RSVP Here.
PROGRAMS AND FELLOWSHIPS
Eurasia Congressional Fellow, Eurasia Center: Non-partisan, non-residential fellowship program that connects staff members from the US House and Senate with Atlantic Council senior fellows and other leading experts. This is a part-time, unpaid fellowship for current Congressional staffers. For more information and to apply, click here. Deadline: Monday, February 17, 2025
Department of State - Congress Communication Project Fellowship, Partnership for a Secure America: A collaboration between Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) and the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, the program provides a working forum for State Department and congressional staff to get to know the work dynamics and culture of the opposite institution, make bipartisan connections, and develop trust for future collaboration between the Department of State and Congress. For more information and to apply, click here. Deadline: Friday, February 7, 2025.
1-ON-1 COFFEE CHATS
We’ve seen several new faces, so we’ll use this as an opportunity to plug our Coffee Chats program. Joining coffee chats will enable you to be paired with another NatSec congressional staffer each month that you can choose to get coffee with. This is a great, low pressure opportunity to make new connections in the 119th. You can sign up by joining our Slack channel HERE.
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
If you are interested in participating in a future cohort of our mentorship program, please submit our interest form.
119TH CONGRESS JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE
We’ve developed a more streamlined process to assist staffers looking for new roles in the 119th Congress. If you’re looking for a new position, please complete this form.
If you’re an employer looking to hire, please complete this form.
NOTE: Completion of the staff form does NOT guarantee employment or referral to a role. However, we will use information provided to better match potential applicants with roles as they become available.
We place a premium on discretion, so we will NOT share your resume with anyone without first asking you.
JOB BULLETIN / RESUME BANK
Below the signature line are the NatSec-related openings and resume banks we’ve come across. If you run into any openings, know that one of the openings below has been filled, apply to a role below, or have information regarding jobs you’d like to share, please contact us at NatSecCSA@gmail.com.
*Note: With so many new, incoming members- and senators-elect, there will be more job openings than we can feasibly track. Several reliable federal government- and Hill-focused job boards that are worth subscribing to and keeping an eye on include Tom Manatos, Brad Traverse, The House Employment Bulletin, and the Senate Employment Bulletin.
As always, feel free to reach out to us if you need anything or have questions.
Sincerely,
NSCSA Board of Directors
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JOB OPENINGS
ON HILL
Sen. Duckworth - Defense Policy Staffer
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is seeking an experienced defense policy staffer to join her Legislative Team and lead work on Armed Services issues. Responsibilities include developing ambitious policy proposals and providing recommendations and analysis; drafting standalone legislation and National Defense Authorization Act amendments; staffing the Senator for Armed Services Committee hearings, meetings with high-level principals and foreign travel, as required; representing the office in a high volume of meetings with constituents and stakeholders; and mentoring more junior staff, to include overseeing their work and delegating tasks across a dynamic team. A successful staffer must efficiently manage short-term tasks with developing longer-term projects; independently organize daily and weekly schedules; enjoy working in a results-based, outcome-oriented environment with quantitative performance metrics; effectively solve emergent problems and adjust to rapid changes in a fast-paced environment; and be passionate about public service. Interested parties should submit a cover letter, resume, three references and one writing sample via our online application found here.
OFF HILL
Center for a New American Security - Development Assistant/Associate
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) seeks to hire an energetic, proactive, and organized Development Assistant/Associate (fundraising) to join the development team in Washington, D.C. CNAS is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit organization that develops strong, pragmatic, and principled national security and defense policies for a wide audience of experts, practitioners, and citizens. Apply here.
Department of Energy - Foreign Affairs Specialist
This position is part of the Office of Nuclear Energy - Headquarters, Department of Energy. As a Foreign Affairs Specialist, you will Foreign Affairs Specialist, developing and implementing policy and projects related to international cooperative agreements in support of the NE initiatives and coordinates policy priorities. Apply here.
Department of Energy - Foreign Affairs Specialist
This position is part of the Office of Nuclear Energy - Headquarters, Department of Energy. As a Foreign Affairs Specialist, you will serve primarily in an advanced developmental capacity; performing assignments having limited, and precisely stated objectives. Apply here.
Department of Defense - Deputy Director for Office of Strategic Capital
This position is located in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). The USD(R&E) serves as the Chief Technology Officer and is responsible for research, development, and prototyping activities within the Department of Defense (DoD). Apply here.
RESUME BANKS
New Trump/Vance Administration Resume Bank:
Linked is information regarding the application process and instructions for those interested in joining the Trump/Vance administration.
Senate and Senator-elect Resume Bank:
The Senate Employment Office is collecting resumes on behalf of all new Senators-elect. This resume collection is independent of the Senate Resume Bank, and is open now through January 3, 2025. This year, Senators-elect resumes will be collected in a single (linked) application. Individuals may specify the office(s) and position(s) to which they wish to apply. Please be aware that all submissions are final, so individuals should carefully review their application prior to submission.
There will be Senate Resume Workshop held on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. You may also visit this link for more information.
House Resume Bank:
The House Resume Bank connects job seekers with House offices that have a hiring need regardless of whether they have posted a specific job opening. Resumes may be requested by House offices at any time. House offices will match the qualifications of each resume with their specific hiring needs. Should a resume match their hiring needs, House offices will contact the job seeker directly.
House Democratic Resume Bank:
House Democrats also run their own resume bank. Job seekers pursuing employment with a House Democrat may submit their resume here.
Republican Study Committee Resume Bank:
The Republican Study Committee maintains a resume bank to help RSC member offices connect with qualified job candidates. Submit your resume here.
Vandenberg Coalition Resume Bank
The Vandenberg Coalition continues to collect resumes for the 119th Congress. If you are interested in working on the Hill or transitioning offices, you can fill out Vandenberg’s form to be included for consideration.