Senior Director, China Engagement

This position reports to the NTI Vice President for Global Biological Policy & Programs. This is a full-time, limited-duration, hybrid position, working a minimum of three days a week in our Washington, DC office. This position is grant-funded for an 18-month period. NTI seeks to extend the role, but continuation beyond that time is contingent on additional project funding.

The selected candidate will work with NTI’s senior leadership team and programmatic leads to deliver and grow our work with Chinese experts to reduce shared nuclear, biological, and emerging technology risks. This will include applying expertise to execute ongoing dialogues, developing new projects and proposals, contributing to U.S.-China policy analysis, and advising on strategy.

Responsibilities, in partnership with program teams, will include:

• Building and sustaining long-term partnerships with Chinese think tanks, research institutions, and senior experts, as well as U.S. organizations working on U.S.-China relations, to enable substantive engagement
• Designing and executing Track II and Track 1.5 dialogues on biosecurity, AI-bio convergence issues, nuclear deterrence, and nuclear security with a clear theory of change and measurable, jointly agreed outcomes to reduce shared risks
• Conducting a strategic assessment of NTI’s current work with Chinese experts and institutions to identify where NTI can enhance contributions to reducing shared risks
• Conceptualizing and writing grant proposals that sustain and expand NTI’s engagement with Chinese experts on reducing biological, nuclear, and emerging technology risks
• Writing policy papers and conducting timely analyses that identify practical opportunities for the United States and China to reduce shared biological, nuclear, and emerging technology risks
• Reviewing outreach materials, talking points, and op-eds intended for Chinese audiences or addressing U.S.-China security dynamics for accuracy, tone, and cultural context
• Representing NTI in meetings and dialogues with Chinese research institutions and other relevant counterparts
• Tracking publicly available developments in Chinese policy, research, and public discourse relevant to nuclear, biological, AI-bio, and other emerging technology risks to inform NTI’s strategy
• Developing an NTI engagement strategy and advising NTI’s senior leadership on an implementation plan to work with Chinese experts in reducing biological, nuclear, and emerging technology risks

What are the requirements for the position? Preferred candidates will have:

• A bachelor’s degree, master’s or Ph.D. preferred, in a relevant field (e.g., international affairs, China studies, security studies, public policy, or a related field)
• Significant (10+ years) experience in international security, nonproliferation, or China-focused policy work, including relevant graduate research
• Demonstrated success designing and leading a Track II or comparable dialogue with Chinese counterparts, from design through delivery
• Substantive knowledge of Chinese security policy, government structure, and decision-making processes as they relate to biological, nuclear, or emerging technology issues
• Fluency in Mandarin, written and oral

What would make you stand out?

• You can demonstrate your commitment to reducing nuclear, biological, and emerging technology risks through sustained engagement with China
• You have deep substantive expertise in two or more of NTI’s core issue areas (biosecurity, nuclear security, AI governance), paired with fluency in how these issues are understood and debated in China
• You have a track record of translating Track 1.5/Track II dialogue outcomes into actionable recommendations for senior decision-makers
• You can anticipate how NTI’s proposals and public statements will be received by Chinese counterparts, and proactively adjust framing, tone, and channel so they are understood as intended
• You have prior government, think tank, or diplomatic experience specific to U.S.-China relations
• You have strong written and oral communication skills and are comfortable briefing the most senior levels of an organization on sensitive, fast-moving developments
• You exercise sound judgment operating amid political sensitivity and shifting bilateral dynamics, including what can and cannot be said publicly and how to protect dialogue participants’ confidentiality
• You understand the legal and regulatory environment for foreign nonprofit engagement in China, including rules on data and information sharing, and have experience designing engagement that keeps participants within the laws of their respective jurisdictions
• You can juggle multiple concurrent dialogue tracks or projects with competing timelines.

This position will require some domestic and international travel, typically less than 25% of your time.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities, or requirements.

Hiring pay range: $173,000 – $182,400. This position is eligible for health insurance benefits, as well as other generous benefits that are part of the NTI compensation package.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship, now or in the future. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Candidates must reside in, or be willing to relocate to, Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia before their start date and maintain residence within this geographic area throughout employment.

NTI is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered without attention to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, District of Columbia, or other applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations as required by law.

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