About the Job:
The Middle East Forum (MEF), a Philadelphia-based research and activist organization, is hiring a full-time Research Associate for its Islamist Watch project. The selected candidate will be crucial in investigating and exposing the activities of Islamist groups across the Western world.
Job Description:
The Research Associate is a critical position focused on tracking and analyzing the networks, activities, and financing of radical Islamist organizations and individuals. This individual will be central to enhancing MEF’s work in countering Islamism through meticulous research, analysis, and communication efforts.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Research & Investigation
- Monitor and expose Islamist activity through open-source research and undercover investigations.
- Submit FOIA requests.
- Cultivate academic, governmental, and reformist Muslim sources.
- Contribute to a proprietary database on Islamist activities.
Publishing & Communications
- Publish articles and blog posts at Focus on Western Islamism, MEF’s counter-Islamist news outlet.
- Maintain social media accounts.
Database & Analytics
- Help develop tools to monitor radical networks.
- Track and analyze large datasets, such as governmental funding databases.
Candidate Qualifications:
Required
- Agreement with MEF’s outlook that “radical Islam is the problem; moderate Islam is the solution.”
- Knowledge of open-source research tools and techniques.
- An ability to write clear, concise articles and papers.
Desirable
- Experience parsing and analyzing large datasets.
- Some knowledge of Python or JavaScript.
- Proficiency in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, or Urdu.
- Legal work experience, including familiarity with drafting FOIA requests.
Location:
Remote, anywhere in the United States.
Compensation:
Non-profit competitive ($50,000-$60,000 per annum). Benefits include group medical, dental, vision, life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance.
To Apply:
Prepare an application that includes:
- A cover letter indicating your interests, qualifications, and goals.
- A résumé or curriculum vitae.
- Two writing samples.
When the application is completed:
- Bundle the entire application as a single document, preferably in Adobe Acrobat (Word is also acceptable).
- Title it with your name in reverse order, without spacing, as in “ChurchillWinston.”
- Submit the application to Thelma Prosser at prosser@meforum.org by July 1, 2024.
About the Middle East Forum:
The Middle East Forum, founded in 1994 by Daniel Pipes, promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects Western values from Middle Eastern threats. It accomplishes its mission in three ways:
- Intellectually, by providing information, context, and policy advice through publications, media appearances, lectures, and private consultations.
- Operationally, by getting things done in Washington, on campus, in courts of law, and beyond.
- Philanthropically, by distributing about $2 million annually in separately earmarked funds to allied groups and individuals working to promote our goals.
