Andrew S. Erickson

Great new job opportunity at the helm of the Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI)! Apply now to lead a leading team that publishes cutting-edge research to inform the Navy, advise national security decision-makers, and engage the Nation and its allies and partners—in a time of maximum consequence and potential to make a difference!

Faculty Position Vacancy (Director, China Maritime Studies Institute)

• Job announcement number: VA#NWC-23-07
• Department: Center for Naval Warfare Studies/Strategic and Operational Research Department/China Maritime Studies Institute
• Location: U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI
• PP-Series-GR: AD-1701-07
• Open Period: Wednesday, March 15, 2023, through Thursday, April 20, 2023

Position: Director, China Maritime Studies Institute

• Security Clearance: Position requires eligibility for a TOP SECRET/SCI clearance
• Who may apply: This position is open only to U.S. citizens

Applications will be accepted through 11:59 pm (EDT), 20 April 2023. Applications must be submitted by e-mail to: NWC-23-07@usnwc.edu and must reference VA#NWC-23-07.  Application package must include: (1) cover letter, (2) curriculum vitae, and (3) names and contact information for three references.

Questions about this position should be directed via email to Dr. Andrew Erickson, andrew.erickson@usnwc.edu.

U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE SEEKS

Director, China Maritime Studies Institute

Strategic and Operational Research Department

Center for Naval Warfare Studies

AD-1701-07 

The U.S. Naval War College. The Naval War College (NWC) is a Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) institution serving the nation, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Navy. U.S. and selected international graduates earn Master of Arts degrees in National Security & Strategic Studies or Defense & Strategic Studies accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The College educates and develops future leaders through the development of strategic perspective, critical thinking, and cultural awareness, as well as enhancing the capability to advise and eventually serve as senior leaders and policy makers. The College also helps to define the future Navy and its roles and missions; supports combat readiness; strengthens global maritime partnerships; and promotes ethics and leadership throughout the force. We are actively seeking candidates with diverse academic, demographic, and professional backgrounds. More information on the college can be found at www.usnwc.edu.

Strategic and Operational Research Department (SORD). The SORD produces innovative research and analysis for the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Interagency, and the broader national security community. It also generates new scholarship in security studies and actively participates in the broader academic community. The SORD is home to a number of specialized centers, institutes, and advanced research groups that foster deeper levels of research, analysis, and teaching on subjects of critical interest for the Navy: the China Maritime Studies Institute, the Cyber & Innovation Policy Institute, the Russia Maritime Studies Institute, and the Halsey and Brodie groups. The SORD’s faculty employ varied and multi-disciplinary approaches to national security issues, generating new knowledge for the Navy and the Department of Defense.

China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI). CMSI scholars perform academic research using Chinese-language sources to develop deeper insight into key aspects of China’s growing maritime power. Research is published to inform the Navy and engage the nation; CMSI faculty also advise senior military leaders and civilian policymakers while educating the Navy’s next generation of strategic warfighters. CMSI faculty consist of a core group of full-time researchers and a larger body of affiliated members from the range of departments across the College. CMSI combines significant linguistic and technological resources with a close proximity to many of the United States’ leading academic institutions, creating relationships with unrivaled intellectual synergies. In seeking to more fully understand the complexities and implications of China’s emerging Indo-Pacific role, CMSI collaborates with government research centers, civilian academic institutions, and other relevant organizations. These partnerships facilitate research on China’s development as a maritime power. 

Responsibilities. The Director, working under the supervision of the Chair of the Strategic and Operational Research Department and managing the Institute’s Deputy Director, provides leadership for the Institute’s operations, including: sets research priorities; undertakes analytic and academic engagement with, and outreach to Navy, Joint, DoD, and USG leadership; manages joint research projects and translations undertaken by the Institute; publishes a monograph series and other Institute products; maintains a library of more than 120 Chinese-language journals, plus additional books, newspapers, and electronic resources; organizes and hosts conferences, workshops, lectures, and other academic events; fosters active engagement with CMSI-affiliated scholars, officials, military officers, and other counterparts; mentors junior faculty and provides direction for student research; supports other China-related research and teaching activities at the College; manages the time and activities of the Institute’s Deputy Director, Military Fellow, Research Associate, and any interns or visiting scholars; and sets the future direction of the Institute.

The Director also maintains and advances a research portfolio and teaching/curricular schedule of his/her own. The Director works closely with the Center and College’s leadership to foster and maintain cooperative relationships with other departments, institutes, centers, and programs, and encourages integration across College departments.

Qualifications and Competencies. Qualified candidates must have an advanced degree from an accredited university. A master’s degree is required; a research-oriented Ph.D. is beneficial. Candidates without a Ph.D. must demonstrate knowledge of research design and methods. Highly desirable candidates will have significant experience researching and/or working on Chinese security issues; experience in developing innovative approaches to research and analysis; an existing research agenda and publication record focusing on China strategy, policy, military, maritime, and/or deterrence issues; extensive familiarity with naval and military operations; academic experience; and Mandarin Chinese familiarity. The successful candidate must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience and strong team-building skills in leading and managing different types of faculty or other professionals.

Candidates must be U.S. citizens and capable of obtaining a Department of Defense TOP SECRET/SCI security clearance. The selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment drug screening test and to random drug testing thereafter. 

Salary Considerations. Salary is competitive and is accompanied by a generous federal benefit package that includes health insurance and retirement saving plans (with employer matching contributions), paid vacation and sick leave, and other benefits. Rank and salary are commensurate with experience and credentials in accordance with Department of the Navy Faculty Pay Schedule. Career track determination (tenure, non-tenure) commensurate with experience and credentials.

Applications. Applicants must reference VA#NWC-23-07 and submit their application package to: nwc-23-07@usnwc.edu. The application package must include: (1) cover letter, (2) curriculum vitae, and (3) names and contact information for three references. Applications will be accepted through 11:59 pm (EST) 20 April 2023.

Questions about this position should be directed via email to Professor Andrew Erickson at andrew.erickson@usnwc.edu.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement Safer Federal Workforce Task Force 2 pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply.

NOTICE OF VETERANS PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans’ preference eligibility a positive factor for hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans’ preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214, “Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”) to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim 10-Point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, “Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference,” and supporting documents required for specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-Point Preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.)

Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.

The Naval War College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.