Postdoctoral Fellow

Information about the organization:

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered, nonpartisan institution that was created by the US Congress to serve as America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and an educational institution dedicated to the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum seeks to educate Americans from all 50 states and all walks of life as well as international audiences. The Museum has three areas of expertise: Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust scholarship and education, and genocide prevention. 

In carrying out its important memorial and educational mission, the Museum is guided by its institutional values for our workplace: Honor the memory of the victims; carry out our work with dignity, humility, integrity and respect for others; and strive for excellence through teamwork, rigor, and a culture of continuous learning. Consistent respect for others is the foundation for trust, collegiality and inclusion.

Information about the role and office:

The Museum seeks a postdoctoral fellow, for a two-year fellowship with the possibility of a one-year extension (for a total of three years) to serve in the US Department of State in the Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues (SEHI). The incumbent will provide analytical and advisory support for the planning, development, and implementation of U.S. foreign policy and programs to advance restitution, promote Holocaust education and remembrance, and combat Holocaust distortion in assigned countries.

This position provides hands-on experience in the policy environment on critical issues related to the Holocaust, as well as allowing for significant time for research and writing in the chosen candidate’s area of specialization. The position combines professional experience with time to pursue independent scholarly research and interact with the community of fellows within the Museum’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Holocaust Studies (MCAHS).

The office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues (SEHI), established in 1999, develops and implements U.S. policy to return Holocaust-era assets to their rightful owners, secure compensation for Nazi-era wrongs, and ensure that the Holocaust is remembered and commemorated appropriately. The Special Envoy’s office supports the U.S. government’s interest in rule of law, democracy, pluralism, and human rights. It works to provide a measure of justice to Holocaust victims and their families and supports efforts to ensure that future generations will remember and commemorate the Holocaust in a historically accurate manner.

Seeking to bring closure to Holocaust-era issues left outstanding since the end of World War II, SEHI coordinates with partner governments, NGOs, Holocaust survivors, and other stakeholders in advocating for property restitution legislation; facilitates and participates in negotiations for compensation agreements; and provides support for the implementation of Holocaust-era claims Agreements.

Class action lawsuits in the United States in the 1990s set the stage for the negotiation of a settlement agreement with Swiss banks, as well as other U.S. government executive agreements with Germany, France, and Austria that dealt with claims arising from unpaid Holocaust-era insurance policies, the use of forced and slave labor, the illegal seizure of private and communal/religious property, and other issues. The U.S. Special Envoy leads advocacy on these issues and serves on the boards of several institutions and international organizations dedicated to Holocaust-era restitution and remembrance.

This is a full-time, donated position (non-Federal) paid with the Museum’s private funds. 

This position is located in Washington, DC, and is hybrid telework eligible, within the local commuting area of the Museum worksite.

Duties, and Responsibilities for the role:

• Advises and prepares staff and principals, including the SEHI, on Holocaust issues, for meetings with foreign and domestic interlocutors, both in Washington and abroad.
• Conducts advocacy and negotiations with foreign governments, engages with the U.S. interagency community, responds to congressional inquiries, and interacts with other stakeholders to coordinate and advance Holocaust issues.
• Monitors political and human rights developments related to Holocaust issues and analyzes their implications for U.S. policy.
• Develops, reviews, and implements strategies for implementation of previously negotiated agreements, such as the 2009 Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets and Related Issues, and the 1998 Washington Principles on Nazi Confiscated Art, and advances the development of restitution and compensation programs where none yet exist.
• Develops programming to counter Holocaust denial and distortion, promotes important commemorations of Holocaust-related events, and coordinates within the Bureau and Department, including with the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism and the Office of International Religious Freedom.
• Produces timely, persuasive briefing memos for senior officials to inform and further U.S, Government policies regarding Holocaust issues.
• Drafts, edits and reviews policy papers, speeches, talking points, press guidance, Congressional testimony, and other relevant documents in support of key U.S. foreign policy objectives.
• Reviews and edits the State Department’s annual international religious freedom and human rights reports.
• Pursues independent research using the Museum’s research resources and collections and creates conference presentations and peer-reviewed scholarship that advance the field of Holocaust studies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications for the role:

• PhD in Holocaust studies or a related field; extensive knowledge of the Holocaust and events leading to the Holocaust.
• Outstanding research and analytical skills, with experience preparing and presenting high-quality analysis.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a dynamic, collaborative team, and to work effectively and diplomatically with diverse stakeholders to reach consensus on policy issues.
• Ability to obtain a security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications for the role:

• Expert knowledge of the history of the Holocaust in a particular geographic region.
• Proficiency in one or more languages other than English, as applicable to the incumbent’s area of subject expertise.

Interested applicants must provide a Curriculum Vitae, Cover Letter, Project proposal for independent scholarship project (1,000 words or less) and a Subject matter related academic or professional writing sample.

Applications without these requirements will not be considered. 

The application deadline for this position is May 20, 2025.

Benefits Highlights:

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum values employee wellness, work-life balance and the diversity of what this means for individual employees in life and work. We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package for benefits-eligible employees that includes generous paid leave benefits, health, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, a health savings account with an employer contribution, 403(b) retirement plan with a generous employer match and contribution, group term and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, commuter subsidy, access to two employee assistance programs, as well as voluntary critical illness and accident insurance coverage, long-term care and pet insurance options. Our policies also support telework and other flexible schedule options based on the job, work and team collaboration requirements.