KAP 2024-2025 - Events Coordinator - Defense Priorities

The Koch Associate Program (KAP) is a career accelerator for early to mid-career professionals with a drive to tackle our country’s most pressing challenges in more effective, principled ways. KAP equips associates with the tools, mindsets, and community to succeed as social entrepreneurs—individuals excited to find new and better ways to break barriers and eliminate injustice. Associates spend one day each week engaging in experiential learning with Stand Together Fellowships and work at one of our many partner organizations the rest of the week. Our curriculum is designed to supercharge your development and equip you for long-term success as you seek to have an impact on the problems that prevent people from realizing their potential.  

Who we are

Defense Priorities (DEFP) is an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to informing citizens, thought leaders, and policymakers of the importance of a strong, dynamic military—used more judiciously to protect America's narrowly defined national interests. We promote a realistic grand strategy prioritizing restraint, diplomacy, and free trade to ensure U.S. security.

Opportunity

DEFP is seeking an Events Coordinator to join our growing team as part of a one-year Fellowship. The Events Coordinator will play a key role in advancing realism and restraint in U.S. global affairs by organizing and planning DEFP’s many events. This currently includes private online journalist salons, in-person public policy happy hours, online livestream events, and other large group projects. The number and variety of our events is likely to grow as our team continues to grow.

Responsibilities will include coordinating with other DEFP team members in developing the topic, agenda, and invitees for the events; contracting with DC venues; coordinating calendars; issuing invitations; responding to questions from external partners; and other event planning tasks. Other activities may include updating databases, recording outcomes, developing checklists, and learning new project management software tools.

The ideal Events Coordinator has a strong attention to detail, the ability to juggle multiple projects, strong organizational skills, and the ability to think systematically. Strong communication skills are also a must.

This position is an operations role, not a policy role. While a knowledge of U.S. foreign policy is helpful, it is not a requirement.

While this Fellowship lasts for one year, there is potential to renew for a second year. This position is based in Washington, DC, but is a hybrid role with no set requirement for days in the office.

• Organize and plan Defense Priorities’ events, including online journalist salons, in-person public policy happy hours, online livestreams, and other convenings
• Coordinate and support multiple departments, each pursuing multiple events operating on separate timelines
• Research appropriate event locations in the DC area, communicate with venues, and arrange contracts at host locations
• Survey event participants to identify optimal meeting times and coordinate availability
• Issue invitations to speakers and coordinate their participation in events
• Support the behind-the-scenes operations of Defense Priorities by drafting emails, researching information, updating databases, and doing other tasks as assigned
• Learn and apply best practices and advanced tactics for software tools such as Notion, Slack, Google Drive, and others in order to improve the team’s efficiency and effectiveness
• Help with special projects—like symposia, salons, and roundtables
• Participate in strategy and planning meetings to measure, assess, and refine programs and develop innovative ideas to elevate realism and restraint
• Assess the outcome of events and share information with the rest of the team

• Strong writing and communication skills
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Confidence to work independently—producing work on their own initiative—and collaboratively
• Past experience organizing and planning events is preferred
• Experience providing customer service
• High attention to detail

• DEFP is headquartered in Washington, DC, but we will consider applicants from other areas who are able to work remotely. The position offers comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits; a 401(k) retirement plan; and flexible PTO (paid time off).
• We look for the following qualities in candidates: Integrity, intelligence, innovative/creative thinking, flexibility/adaptability, curiosity, strong story-telling capability, strong work ethic, passion, and positive energy.

About Stand Together Fellowships 

Learn more about Stand Together Fellowships.

Stand Together Fellowships believes that diversity in experiences, perspectives, knowledge and ideas fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success. Our admissions office treats all program participants and applicants with honesty, dignity, respect and sensitivity. We welcome all qualified applicants regardless of color, race, religion, religious creed, sex, gender or gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (including medical needs which may arise from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), military and veteran status, genetic information, marital or familial status, political affiliation, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.