Senior Research Coordinator – Defence & Foreign Policy (Oman)

About the role

GDII is seeking a senior research coordinator on a part‑time consultancy basis to manage the external review process for a new Middle‑East focused security and defence journal. The role involves liaising with senior Omani defence, government, academic and policy figures to obtain informed feedback on submitted papers.

Key responsibilities

• Review selected academic papers and identify the most relevant Omani stakeholders.
• Approach senior decision‑makers, defence leaders, academics and subject‑matter experts.
• Explain complex arguments clearly in Arabic or English.
• Gather structured feedback on accuracy, relevance, sensitivity and policy implications.
• Prepare concise written summaries of feedback for the editorial team.
• Flag factual, cultural, political or security sensitivities for editorial consideration.
• Track each paper through the consultation process and meet agreed deadlines.
• Help develop relationships with Omani universities, research institutions, military academies and relevant government bodies.
• Contribute to building a network of potential authors, reviewers and strategic advisers.

Required profile

• Extensive knowledge of Oman’s defence, security and academic environments.
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement and liaison roles.
• High level of discretion, credibility and professionalism.
• Fluent in both Arabic and English, with strong written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently with a flexible schedule aligned to the journal’s review timeline.

Required skills

• Stakeholder engagement and relationship building.
• Academic review coordination.
• Arabic language proficiency.
• English language proficiency.
• Report writing and summarisation.