The Work

The Program Advisor serves as a trusted strategic and operational partner to government program leadership, providing expert advice, analytical support, and coordination necessary to plan, implement, and evaluate complex programs and initiatives. This role focuses on enhancing program performance, ensuring compliance with applicable federal regulations and agency policies, and enabling data-driven decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborates with officials at all levels to develop, coordinate, and refine policy recommendations and negotiation strategies on Holocaust-related issues, providing authoritative information and analysis to inform decisions on both current and long-term policies.
• Participates in and supports interagency working groups responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing policy on Holocaust-related initiatives.
• Designs, implements, and refines strategies to encourage European governments to restitute or compensate Holocaust victims and their heirs for communal, private, and heirless property expropriated during the Holocaust era; promotes transparent, fair, and streamlined procedures for resolving claims. This work includes initiatives to secure restitution of looted art; pursue compensation for profits earned by railways that transported Jews during the Holocaust; advance implementation of the 2021 Luxembourg agreement; and advise on new restitution frameworks in countries where further progress is needed, such as Croatia.
• Anticipates potential policy challenges and assesses likely impacts and reactions from legislative bodies, domestic constituencies, and foreign governments; reviews and helps develop organizational positions on pending legislation and conducts outreach and coordination with members of legislative bodies and their staff.
• Drafts and reviews policy memoranda, briefing materials, position papers, and talking points for use by senior officials in engagements with domestic and foreign counterparts at all levels, as well as with non-governmental organizations and private sector stakeholders concerned with Holocaust-related issues.
• Provides expert guidance, advice, and training to counterparts and stakeholders in other organizational units, as well as overseas offices and missions, on Holocaust-era assets, restitution, commemoration, and related policy topics.
• Helps secure interagency agreement on policy positions and build consensus on highly sensitive, complex, and often controversial Holocaust-related foreign policy proposals.
• Engages with leadership of relevant Holocaust-focused institutions to coordinate and align policy positions and messaging on Holocaust-related issues.
• Coordinates and communicates policy positions across organizational levels, builds key relationships, and shares subject-matter expertise to support participation in international Holocaust-related meetings and negotiations; advises and provides support in bilateral and multilateral fora, reconciling competing interests and ensuring coherent strategies with other agencies, legislative stakeholders, and non-governmental organizations to pursue realistic, balanced restitution and compensation agreements.
• Supports efforts to implement commitments made at the June 2009 Prague Holocaust Era Assets Conference and in the Terezin Declaration, including devising strategies to improve accurate Holocaust education and commemoration, combat antisemitism, and advance restitution of Holocaust-era assets.
• Helps define objectives and engagement strategies for international organizations and bilateral fora, including the Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) Foundation, the German Lost Art Foundation (DZK), and numerous organizations that teach and commemorate the Holocaust and promote awareness and training to counter antisemitism, intolerance, Holocaust denial, and distortion; coordinates work for high-level dialogues on Holocaust issues.
• Supports annual and periodic negotiations with relevant governments and the Claims Conference to increase funding for Holocaust survivor care, helping secure substantial material support for Holocaust survivors worldwide.
• Maintains close working relationships with offices and entities focused on combating antisemitism and advancing international religious freedom on cross-cutting issues, ensuring policy consistency and synergy across related portfolios.

Qualifications – Here’s What You Need

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Five (5) to seven (7) years of progressively responsible, directly relevant professional experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain an active Secret security clearance.
• Must be able to pass a background check. May require additional background checks as required by projects and/or clients at any time during employment.

Minimum Skills:

• Demonstrated strong analytical abilities and outstanding writing and presentation skills.
• Deep subject-matter expertise in European affairs and policy toward Europe.
• Proven ability to think strategically to shape and influence decision-makers and policy outcomes.
• Experience negotiating with foreign governments and international counterparts.
• High degree of flexibility and professionalism in executing a wide range of tasks within a small team environment.
• Capacity to rapidly learn new policy areas and quickly develop substantive expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize multiple, competing demands in a fast-paced environment and within tight deadlines.
• Diplomatic, with a proven track record of working effectively with leaders across government, the private sector, academia, and non-profit organizations.
• Ability to work independently and as a collaborative member of a team, with a strong sense of initiative and ownership.

Our Commitment to you / overview of benefits

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance; Wellness Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care, Commuter)
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability options
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance (Company Provided)
• Voluntary Life and AD&D options
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with matching after one year
• Paid Time Off

Reports to: Program Manager

Working Conditions

• Professional office environment, with the ability to work onsite in the main office.
• Must be physically and mentally able to perform duties extended periods of time.
• Ability to use a computer and other office productivity tools with sufficient speed to meet the demands of this position.
• Must be able to establish a productive and professional workspace.
• Must be able to sit for long periods of time looking at computer screen.

• May be asked to work a flexible schedule which may include holidays.
• May be asked to travel for business or professional development purposes.
• May be asked to work hours outside of normal business hours.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Cayuse is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  All employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, skills, and abilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment in accordance with any applicable federal, state, or local law.