The Brookings Institution
Position description
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.
We bring together leading experts in government and academia from all over the world, rooted in open-minded inquiry and representing diverse points of view, who provide the highest quality research, policy recommendations, and analysis. Research topics cover a full range of public policy issues in economics, foreign policy, development, governance and metropolitan policy.
With fair and transparent business practices, clear communication, mutual respect, and a collaborative atmosphere that offers both professional and personal development opportunities, Brookings offers an inclusive and welcoming workplace that values the efforts of all contributors.
The Foreign Policy program at Brookings is the leading center of high-quality, policy-relevant scholarship advancing actionable solutions to the major challenges to international peace and security. Brookings Foreign Policy scholars and staff draw on their deep expertise to engage in in-depth, nonpartisan research and analysis aimed at informing policymakers and the public debate and developing concrete policy recommendations to address the world’s toughest problems.
Position Location:This position is hybrid. Hybrid positions combine regular in-person presence at our Washington, DC office with the option of at least two days of remote work each week.
Please Note:This is a term-limited position. The appointment is expected to run throughDecember 2028, contingent upon project needs and continued funding.
Responsibilities
Want to contribute to Brookings’ success?
The Project Manager in the Brookings China Center plays a central role in the execution of a major new project on the United States and China that will be led by the China Center and will include participation by experts across Brookings. The Project Manager will be responsible for supporting the planning and managing the execution of all research products, events, and internal administration. This is a complex role which includes soliciting and managing inputs from research groups across Brookings and from outside the institution, and managing and executing convenings, travel, budgets and spending, contracts and invoices, and internal and external communications. The Project Manager collaborates with a broad range of research teams and functional offices and contributes to impact by maintaining high brand standards, upholding institutional policies, and managing important internal and external relationships.
Project Management(60%)
- Serves as primary liaison and manager of the Project’s research groups; organizing regular meetings, coordinating participation in planning, and ensuring consistency and alignment across the Project.
- Manages the day-to-day operations of the Project, which includes but is not limited to managing efforts for research and publication, events, outreach, budget and grant management, scheduling, and other Project-related activities as needed.
- Creates and manages implementation plans that foster the Project’s operations, growth, and impact. Enforces deadlines as necessary. Contributes to strategic planning and leads in setting operational processes and Project implementation.
- In coordination with Development and Finance teams, the Project Manager is the primary Project contact for fundraising efforts and products, including developing proposals and reporting on allocated labor costs, contracts, and Project strategy and outcomes.
- Manages spending, monitors appropriate use of funds, and arranges, executes, and tracks contracts.
- Coordinates logistics, timelines, and administrative support for scholars participating in the Project, including scholars across Brookings, visiting fellows, outside authors, and other contributors.
- As appropriate, coordinates and/or supervises contributions to the Project of Research Assistants, Interns, and other staff.
- Oversees Project-related travel logistics (international and domestic), which may include study tours, fieldwork, stakeholder engagement trips, and product dissemination travel, often in coordination with other institutional travel.
- Maintains strict confidentiality and exercises sound judgment when handling proprietary, financial, and other high-level information related to research content, internal strategy, partnerships, personnel, and funding.
- The Project Manager works in close coordination with the China Center, Foreign Policy management team, and other Brookings offices to remain aware of institutional priorities and guidelines and ensure follow-through and compliance.
Communications & Outreach (20%)
- Serves as the Project’s primary point of contact with research teams and functional offices around Brookings, as well as with external contributors.
- Contributes to the publication process for the Project’s products, ensuring that products adhere to Brookings’ research independence and quality review policies.
- Coordinates among the China Center, contributing scholars, and Communications staff to ensure that publications and other products are distributed to relevant and interested parties in a timely and efficient manner.
- Works with Communications and Development teams to schedule media interviews, stakeholder briefings, events, funder stewardship calls, and other dissemination efforts.
- Helps to manage internal and external communications ensuring consistency in thematic research pillars and products; articulates major outcomes of the research and the stakes of the U.S. relationship with China.
Research & Event Administration(20%)
- Supports scholars and Project director in all aspects of Project research, including coordinating with participating scholars and ensuring that Project timelines and deliverables are met.
- Organizes, implements, and oversees planning and execution of public and private events related to the Project, ensuring impact and compliance with institutional policies.
- In collaboration with Finance staff and research center staff, manages budgets and expenses for events. Ensures financial obligations comply with approved budgets.
- In collaboration with Finance staff, negotiates, and facilitates contracts with offsite event venues, hotels, caterers/restaurants, transportation companies, audio visual vendors, speakers, and all other vendors.
- Manages meeting space reservations, facilities needs, catering, AV and Zoom/Teams, and other logistics; anticipating and addressing any problems, logistical and otherwise, that may arise.
- Drafts event invitations, invites and prepares event speakers, and manages run of show for in-person and virtual events; works with program and central communications to live stream or swiftly post the event recording to the website.
- Manages all travel and logistical arrangements for potential speakers, including transportation, accommodations and per diem.
Qualifications
Ready to make an impact? In this role, you will support Brookings values of collegiality, respect, inclusion, diversity and community, and bring the following qualifications:
Education/Experience Requirements
A bachelor’s degree is required; demonstrated interest and experience in China, international relations, and foreign policy is strongly preferred. Minimum four years of relevant professional experience in project management, which may include operations or administrative roles for non-profit organizations, including direct experience with event organization, is required. Experience in a research setting is strongly preferred.
Knowledge/Skill Requirements
Organizational skills: Must possess superior organizational skills, and a high level of initiative and attention to detail. Demonstrated event management and project management skills are required. Must be able to work independently, multi-task, and complete tasks in a timely manner. Must also be able to anticipate and identify disruptions, and work collaboratively with colleagues to adjust plans as necessary.
Interpersonal skills: A high level of interpersonal skill is required to handle confidential situations and high-level contacts across the Institution. A combination of superior attention to detail and demonstrated poise, tact, flexibility, and diplomacy is required to deal with fluid scheduling demands and a large volume of details. Ability to manage up, down, and across is imperative. Must be persuasive, polished, and collegial with ability to interact successfully with high-level individuals in diverse settings and must be able to serve as an effective ambassador for the Project.
Communication skills: Communication skills including information sharing and ability to create a common understanding of purpose and direction, are required. Outstanding oral communications skills and ability to write precisely and clearly are required. Must be able to identify, contact, and interact professionally and productively with all levels of internal and external stakeholders, including potential consumers of Brookings products, in order to achieve maximum impact. Must be able to independently draft internal and external communications.
Technical skills: Ability to create, monitor, and enforce simple budgets is required, along with knowledge of basic financial and administrative practices including arrangement and administration of travel, reimbursement, contracts, expense tracking and coding, and operations are required. The Project Manager must be able to understand, explain, and maintain internal processes, and must be able to handle sensitive and confidential information responsibly and with discretion. Substantive knowledge: Academic or professional familiarity with China and a broad range of international relations and foreign policy issues, and a willingness to apply this knowledge generally in a management capacity, is required.
Application instructions
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