Job Opportunities
The Population Reference Bureau is seeking qualified professionals interested in employment for a number of new project opportunities. These positions will be based in Washington, DC.
Editor, Communications Department
(March 27, 2008) Working closely with the vice president for communications and marketing and with the senior demographic editor, the editor will plan and direct content for PRB's website, covering both U.S. and international population, health, and environment topics. The editor will interact with demographers, health experts, and researchers to collect story ideas and shape news stories; conduct interviews and write at least two articles and other online content per month, and edit articles and reports written by others, ensuring adherence to PRB style for translating technical data and analysis into useful information for policymakers, journalists, researchers, educators, and students. The editor will help develop new editorial products and create targeted media contact lists of reporters to expand PRB's reach around the world, as well as participate in professional organizations and attend meetings or seminars on population topics.
Responsibilities
- Write original news articles and newsletters on U.S. and international population and health issues for publication on PRB's website.
- Edit articles and reports on both U.S. and international population and health issues, including graphics and Population Bulletins.
- Direct and plan content for PRB's website. Canvass PRB departments and external sources (journals, listservs, news reports) for story and content ideas.
- Synthesize existing PRB work into new articles, reports, or policy briefs.
- Work with PRB demographers and other specialists on projects that involve print products or web articles.
- Identify and contact writers in the United States and elsewhere to write articles for PRB's website. Articles focus on issues related to population, global health, and the environment. Commission and edit these articles, ensuring work is reviewed by the relevant people at PRB.
Qualifications: A degree in journalism or social sciences is preferred, as is experience in a population-related organization or social research institution. Five to seven years of writing and editing experience, as well as publications management experience. Strong editorial, writing, planning, management, and interpersonal skills. Knowledge of demography and related fields—including new directions and sources of demographic data and other statistics. Ability to synthesize and present concepts and data to a general audience. Ability to work with graphic designers on selected print publications. Effective use of software and technology for writing and editing. Good research skills—including use of online bibliographic services and databases.
Salary and Benefits. Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. PRB has an excellent benefits package, including generous health, leave, and retirement plans.
Applications. Please send cover letter and resume, along with two writing samples, and salary requirements to HR Specialist, Population Reference Bureau, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 520, Washington, DC 20009, USA; fax to 202-328-3937; or e-mail jjackson@prb.org. All applicants must have authorization to work in the United States.
Summer Internship Program 2008
(March 21, 2008) The Population Reference Bureau seeks four interns for the summer of 2008 in the following departments: Domestic Programs (1), International Programs (1), and Communications and Marketing (2). Depending on level of skill, the interns will assist senior PRB staff members with a variety of tasks ranging from data collection and analysis to communicating policy relevant information on child and family issues, reproductive health, gender, poverty, aging, and migration.
Salary and Benefits: PRB pays a stipend for the summer internship positions. Our internships consist of 8-10, 35-hour workweeks with preferred starting dates in early June. Paid summer holiday(s). No other benefits are provided.
To Apply: Please send resume with cover letter and salary requirements to HR Specialist, Population Reference Bureau, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 520, Washington, DC 20009, or fax to 202-328-3937. In your letter, describe the reason(s) you are interested in an internship at PRB and indicate your preferred start date. Please attach two letters of recommendation and a copy of your academic transcript. Please specify the department in which you are interested in doing an internship in your cover letter.
Application Deadline: April 25, 2008. We encourage applicants to apply before the April 25th deadline as we will review applications as they are received and conduct interviews accordingly.
Specific intern descriptions and qualifications for each department are listed below.
Domestic Programs
Domestic Programs seeks a summer intern to work with PRB staff members on issues related to child and family well-being, population aging, labor force issues, and immigration. The intern will collect, check, and analyze demographic data, prepare summaries of recent literature, and may author or co-author articles for PRB's website.
Qualifications: Enrolled in Masters Degree program in social sciences, demography, or public policy preferred. Undergraduates with relevant skills and research experience will also be considered. Research experience involving data analysis and interpretation. Demonstrated interest in U.S. population issues. Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel software; experience with SAS software package and accessing data from the U.S. Census Bureau a plus. Good written and oral communication skills; ability to work effectively with a broad range of individuals
International Programs
One intern will work on the Population, Health, and Environment Program, which helps decisionmakers understand the critical links between healthy human populations and the changing environment. The intern will work with staff to research the connections between family planning/reproductive health and environmental change for periodic web articles; as well as research new funding initiatives related to population, climate change, and human health. Specific tasks will include collecting and interpreting health and environmental data from selected developing countries; identifying key partner organizations and funding agencies for new initiatives; and helping the PHE program document past accomplishments.
The second intern will work on our ENGAGE Project—a global initiative to expand information for policymaking on family planning and reproductive health—and the BRIDGE Project, which supports gender equity among other activities. Under ENGAGE, the intern will help senior staff create a reproductive health database and assist with the creation of multimedia presentations. Tasks could include collecting, checking, and interpreting data and trends from selected developing countries; researching information to create presentation storylines; and reviewing national population and reproductive health policies. Under BRIDGE, the intern will assist with conducting an assessment of a popular gender listserv with more than 600 members.
Qualifications: Enrolled in a Masters Degree program in social sciences, public health, environmental science, demography, or public policy preferred. Undergraduates with relevant skills and research experience will also be considered. Experience with research, information and data collection, analysis, and interpretation desirable. Interest in international population, reproductive health, environment (with an interest in interdisciplinary work), and/or gender issues a plus. Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint software. Good written and oral communication skills; ability to work effectively with a broad range of individuals.
Communications Department
The Communications Department seeks two interns to work with PRB staff members on issues related to population, health, environment, gender, and poverty. The intern will research topics for PRB web articles using a variety of sources including medical-, natural - and social-science journals and databases, Nexis, Web and print newspapers, magazines, listservs, and government databases, and may author or co-author an article for PRB’s website. Will also help update PRB archives and library databases, and assist staff in updating and marketing the PRB website.
Qualifications: Enrolled in Masters Degree program in social sciences, library sciences, demography, public health, journalism, communications, or public policy preferred. Undergraduates with relevant skills and research experience will also be considered. Research experience involving data analysis and interpretation. Interest in both U.S. and international population and related issues. Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel software. Good written and oral communication skills; ability to work effectively with a broad range of individuals.
Senior Policy Adviser
The Population Reference Bureau seeks a Senior Policy Adviser for the ENGAGE Project (Eliminating National Gaps, Advancing Global Equity)—a new global initiative designed to enhance the policy environment for family planning and other reproductive health services in developing countries. The project aims to raise awareness, promote policy dialogue, and accelerate the pace of program and policy reform through a series of innovative policy communication activities.
The Senior Policy Adviser will work in a team-oriented environment with both technical and management (team leader) responsibilities for advocacy tool development and country-level activities.
Responsibilities will include:
- Collecting the latest demographic, reproductive health, and socioeconomic data from a variety of sources and analyzing them to identify trends.
- Using trend data and other information to develop dynamic presentations using new, state-of-the-art animated software technologies.
- Building the capacity of local policy "champions" to communicate policy-relevant information to a variety of policy audiences at national and subnational levels, e.g., high-level government policymakers, civic and religious leaders, program officials, journalists, and other influentials.
- Developing and conducting in-depth interviews with representatives of target audiences to solicit knowledge and attitudes about high fertility and other RH issues.
- Assisting local partners to frame the issues, create evidence-based messages, and develop comprehensive strategies for data dissemination and use.
The ideal candidate will have an advanced university degree (Ph.D. or Master's) in demography, public health, sociology, economics, or a related field, with a strong substantive background in reproductive health and family planning. Candidates should also have familiarity with the broader impacts of high fertility and maternal mortality and morbidity on national socioeconomic development and efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Demonstrated experience with "on-the-ground" interventions and the challenges of program implementation required. Understanding of the principles of policy communication and advocacy, data use for improving policies and programs, audience assessment techniques, and strategic planning methodologies are a plus. Excellent English writing skills and oral communication skills are essential; an ability to work in French or Spanish would be desirable. The candidate must be able to travel up to 30 percent of the time to selected countries.
Preference will be given to candidates with a minimum of 10 years job experience. Networking abilities and a proven ability to work collaboratively with professionals at different levels, including colleagues, partners, and donor organizations is also highly desirable.
Salary and Benefits. Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. PRB has an excellent benefits package, including generous health, leave, and retirement plans.
Applications. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to HR Specialist, Population Reference Bureau, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 520, Washington, DC 20009, USA; fax to 202-328-3937; or e-mail jjackson@prb.org. All applicants must have authorization to work in the United States.
Multimedia Specialist
PRB is seeking a highly motivated multimedia specialist (part-time consultant) to create and customize interactive presentations that will be designed for use in developing countries. These interactive presentations will focus on raising the visibility of critical population and maternal heath issues among high-level decisionmakers and leaders.
The multimedia specialist will combine design and technical knowledge to create the interactive presentations using the latest software. The specialist will work with different multimedia features such as text, sound, graphics, digital/analog photographs, 2D/3D modeling, animation, and video. The specialist could be requested to work up design ideas in collaboration with PRB and partner staff, and collaborate with other multimedia specialists, animators, and programmers.
Additional responsibilities will include using software to arrange files in a single presentation (to enable interactivity and navigation through the product content); testing and adjusting the product to deal with technical problems; and producing documentation describing the creation, content, and processes of each file. Depending on the complexity of the product, the authoring of files into a single presentation may require using HTML, CSS, Java, or C++.
Skills and Qualifications. Clean design style, intuitive user interfaces, innovative concepts; experience with interactive/flash-based sites; top-notch Flash & ActionScript/Illustrator/Photoshop/Dreamweaver/After Effects skills; strong skills in Macromedia Director/Authorware; programming a plus; familiarity with DevInfo and other commercial or noncommercial multimedia software desirable; technical expertise balanced by creative thinking; proven ability to learn quickly and work collaboratively as well as independently; ability to meet deadlines; and attention to detail.
Salary. Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Applications. Please send resume and cover letter (noting this position: Multimedia Specialist) and salary requirements to HR Specialist, Population Reference Bureau, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 520, Washington, DC 20009; fax: 202-328-3937; or e-mail jjackson@prb.org. All applicants must have authorization to work in the United States.
The Population Reference Bureau is an equal opportunity employer.