Senior Advisor in Defense Industry Partnerships and Policy Strategist

Established in 2004, Culmen International is committed to enhancing international security, strengthening homeland defense, optimizing government operations and providing humanitarian assistance around the world. We provide technical and management expertise, develop innovative technology solutions, and deliver youth care services, logistics, training and language services worldwide. With experience in over 140 countries, Culmen supports our clients to accomplish critical missions in challenging environments.

Culmen International LLC is seeking to hire a Senior Advisor in Defense Industry Partnerships and Policy Strategist for a future opportunity supporting a Department of State contract onsite in Kyiv, Ukraine. Working with the Senior Advisor for Defense Production Liaison, the Senior Advisor shall provide expert guidance and technical assistance needed to develop, implement, and sustain Ministry of Strategic Initiatives transformation into a professional entity that can effectively regulate and oversee Ukraine’s defense industry.

What You’ll Do In Your New Role

• Work collaboratively with the Senior Advisor for Defense Production Liaison to ensure work product cohesion and advance a robust, reliable, and well-governed Ukrainian defense industrial base.
• Develop strong professional relationships with key stakeholders in MSI.
• Participate as an advisor/liaison in any relevant working groups and/or initiatives already underway which contribute to the development of a sustainable Ukrainian DIB.
• Establish relationships with counterparts at agencies that partner with MSI and support interagency communication and/or coordination mechanisms between these entities.
• Advise on business arrangements that facilitate production of defense articles with foreign investors.
• Advise MSI throughout the implementation life cycle of a partnership with U.S. or NATO-allied industry that results in the production of the needed defense articles.
• Assist with developing effective investment strategies, plans, and policies to enhance transparency and accountability as well as promote and manage foreign investment in Ukraine DIB.
• Complement and coordinate with other ongoing advisory and security assistance efforts to ensure Ukraine has legislation, regulations, and procurement best practices in place.
• Ensure there is partner ownership over the processes developed and a sustainable structure that can remain in place after advisory support ends.
• Establish relationships with other USG and international advisors working in the DIB and defense production space to coordinate and deconflict recommendations.
• Integrate into the U.S. Embassy political and security cooperation structure to share information, expand connections, and ensure alignment with embassy guidance and priorities. Meet regularly with U.S. Embassy to brief on progress and challenges.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Moderate Risk Public Trust Clearance required.
• Minimum O-6, or civilian/industry equivalent (FS-01/GS-15)
• Master's Degree in Procurement Law, Security Studies, Business Administration, National Security Policy/Affairs, International Acquisition, International Affairs, Security Studies, Supply Chain Management, Political Science and/or Military Technology or a similar field
• 10 years of US military and/or US civilian professional experience with security and/or defense industry and policy development
  
  

OR

• Bachelor's Degree and 15 years of US military and/or US civilian professional experience with security and/or defense industry and policy development
• One year (1) of experience advising senior officials in a foreign government or foreign military on defense industry and acquisitions processes. Non-resident or intermittent work experience may count toward some or all of the required year.
• Experience working with senior officials in a former-Soviet-bloc government on national industrial policy, defense technology release policy, defense industry business development, Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), corporate board structures, change management.
  
  

Desired Qualifications

• Experience managing, executing, or developing defense planning systems.
• Experience working within a large and complex defense industry organization.
• Experience recommending key policies at executive levels on bs and actions required to strengthen the capacity and resilience of DIB.
• Experience leveraging technologies to provide solutions to complex defense industries, and modernization of defense enterprises.
• Experience advising foreign governments on complex strategies in areas such as federal procurement acceleration, joint experimentation, joint ventures, or critical technology areas.
• Experience implementing a change management system or process in a government institution.
• Experience in establishing and institutionalizing national industrial policy.
• Have a deep understanding of warfighting technologies / systems and the supply chains, manufacturing chains, and development processes/investment processes needed to deliver them to the battlefield. Recent (within the past five years) experience living or working in Europe and/or post-Soviet bloc.
• Proficiency in speaking/reading/writing in the Ukrainian and/or Russian language (Foreign Service Institute (FSI) score of 3/3 or higher, a Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) score of 2+/2+/2+ or higher, or a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) score of C1 or higher.)
  
  

About The Company

• Local furnished housing to include utilities and high-speed internet in safe and secure location
• Transportation accommodations
• Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance
• International SOS coverage
  
  

At Culmen International we are committed to creating, promoting, and sustaining a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our commitment to these values is unwavering across all our work around the world. We include and celebrate employees of diverse races, genders, religions, sexual orientations, ethnicities, nationalities, socioeconomic statuses, languages, (dis)abilities, ages, and religious commitments. These differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our employees and clients. Culmen is an equal opportunity employer.