Roger L. Hale Fellowship at Ploughshares

“The world needs new people committed to the vision of a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons.” – Roger Hale, Chair Emeritus, Ploughshares

Ploughshares’ mission is to reduce and eventually eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons. We do critical work to drive collaborative action within the nuclear field and provide funding to experts and organizations focused on mitigating the threat. Ploughshares is publicly-supported and the largest US foundation singularly focused on reducing this danger.

Ploughshares invites qualified applicants to apply for the Roger L. Hale Fellow for nuclear security and nonproliferation. This is a one year fellowship with the possibility of extension for a second year.

Description of the Fellowship

In honor of Chair Emeritus Roger Hale’s unwavering commitment to Ploughshares and its vision to reduce and eventually eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons, Ploughshares seeks applicants for a competitive, one-year paid position as a Roger L. Hale Fellow. The Roger L. Hale Fellowship will provide an exemplary individual with an outstanding opportunity to develop professional skills by working at a leading peace and security institution that has been at the forefront of nuclear nonproliferation policy, advocacy and grantmaking for more than four decades. Ploughshares’ backbone role for the nuclear threat reduction field will place the Fellow in a unique position to gain practical day-to-day experience as well as engage with a wide variety of nuclear weapons policy issues and leaders. This year, the Fellow will be based in Ploughshares’ Washington, DC office and will support the organization’s field building and programmatic efforts.

Fellowship Responsibilities

The Fellow will work directly with the Field Building and Program teams. These teams will create an enriching experience based upon the skills, knowledge, and interests of the Fellow in service of Ploughshares’ overarching field building strategy and grantmaking role. Specific duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Develop extensive knowledge of the peace and security space and explore key intersections between nuclear weapons and other peace and security issues;


• Gain practical knowledge of grantmaking, including proposal processes, vetting procedures, and the funding landscape for the nuclear threat reduction field;


• Ensure grantmaking activities align with field building goals to support the foundation’s overarching strategy; and


• Strategize with partners to understand the nuclear field’s dynamics to assist with efforts that bolster collaboration and alignment in the field.

The successful applicant will contribute to core aspects of the organization’s position as a backbone for the nuclear threat reduction field. They will have ample opportunity to engage with the organization’s president and executive director, as well as other leaders within Ploughshares and across the nuclear field.

We seek candidates who have demonstrated a strong interest in community building, nuclear weapons issues, and a career in the peace and security field.

Required Skills and Experience:

• A master’s degree or doctorate in international relations, public policy, security studies, conflict resolution or related fields;


• General knowledge of current domestic and international nuclear policy issues; 


• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint);


• Ability to be proactive, take direction, and work independently as well as part of a team;


• Adaptability to changing circumstances, including emergent events and new information; and


• Ability to communicate through writing, as well as speaking or signing, in a way that is clear, concise, compelling and accurate, as well as tonally appropriate for and easily understood by internal and external audiences.

• Strong writing, research, and project management skills, including attention to detail, accuracy and timelines;

In addition, we require all of our staff to have the following skills, drawn from our organizational values of collaboration, adaptability, understanding and our commitment to Equity Rises:

• Generate new ideas with other staff members by cultivating curiosity;


• Build trust by forgiving others’ mistakes and taking responsibility for their own;


• Communicate needs around tasks, priorities and deadlines clearly to colleagues;


• Adjust their workflow (pace, topic, relationships) to respond to immediate challenges;


• Learn from and respond to others through active listening;


• Ensure their own work derives from the organization’s mission and goals (for example, in strategies and workplans);


• Reflect on and address power (personal and organizational) when communicating and making decisions; and


• Help set and achieve departmental and organizational DEIA goals.

Physical requirements:

• Ability to work at a computer for the majority of the day.


• Some travel may be required.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual stipend for the fellowship is $55,000. Ploughshares offers a full range of benefits including health, dental and vision insurance, a retirement matching plan, paid sick leave and paid vacation time. Ploughshares is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

FLSA Designation: Exempt

This is a one year, full-time fellowship position, based in Washington, DC, with the possibility of extending to a second year. Ploughshares allows for some remote work flexibility regarding both location and scheduling. For example, in person meetings may be required for collaboration and onboarding, with remote flexibility allowed for independent project work. 

To Apply

Please submit the following documents:

• Resume


• Cover letter that highlights how you meet the required skills and experience noted above


• Two writing samples: one research/policy paper of no more than 3 pages and an article of between 500 and 1000 words

Applications that do not contain all documents requested cannot be considered.

Applications are due by 11:59 PM June 10, 2025. Please do not contact us by phone. To learn more about Ploughshares, please visit ploughshares.org.