The YPFP Fellowship is a personal and professional leadership development accelerator for emerging talent in foreign policy.

Six YPFP Fellows will have a unique opportunity to develop, construct, and implement a strategy and execution for an organization that has significant impact for thousands of young professionals around the world.

The six fellows will serve as YPFP’s Senior Leadership Team and provide leadership and direction to YPFP’s volunteer staff. Fellows will receive a stipend for their leadership in the management of YPFP.

Fellowship Functional Areas

Each Fellow will be aligned to a specific operational component of YPFP, including:

  • Chief of Staff: Responsible for oversight of volunteer staff and programs, effective coordination, execution, and recruitment for the fellowship program, discussion group coordination, and relationship management with  YPFP Board of Directors and Globally staff.

  • Membership and Operations Fellow: Responsible for oversight of effective operations and membership cultivation with Globally staff, managing YPFP systems and recruiting and orienting YPFP members in yearly cycles.

  • Global Coordination Fellow: Responsible for oversight of global branch management, establishing and executing a global strategy in partnership with YPFP’s branch managing directors around the world and supporting all coordination of global activities by serving as their voice and key resource at YPFP HQ. 

  • Programs and Events Fellow: Responsible for oversight of all YPFP Programs volunteer event staff, coordination and scoping for DC area events, structuring new programs for the YPFP community, and supporting global event coordination. 

  • Publications Fellow: Responsible for oversight, recruitment, and strategy of YPFP publications and "amplification" programs for the YPFP community, including the YPFP Publishing Fellowship and Charged Affairs journal.

  • Communications Fellow: Responsible for oversight, strategic direction, and design of all YPFP Communications volunteer staff, communications products, and global communications strategy, including YPFP’s website and social media channels.

 

Candidate Eligibility

YPFP seeks to engage rising leaders in the fields of foreign policy, international affairs, national security, and/or and nonprofit management. To qualify, candidates must:

  • Demonstrate exceptional professional, communication, and organizational skills

  • Demonstrate proven leadership abilities and a strong desire to leave a lasting impact on YPFP

  • Be committed to actively participating in and contributing to the YPFP community for the full 18-month duration of the Fellowship

  • Model and uphold YPFP’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

  • Possess a passion for public service and social change

  • Have 3-5 years of experience and the demonstrated schedule flexibility to commit 10+ hours each week to the YPFP Fellowship

  • Be located in one of YPFP branch cities (Washington, DC for Chief of Staff and Programs and Events Fellows

  • Be between the ages of 22-32

Fellowship Experience

YPFP’s 2023 Fellowship launches May 6, 2023 and lasts for a duration of eighteen months, serving around 10 hours per week. Fellows can expect to take part in personal leadership development opportunities, to include:

  • Routine weekly/quarterly meetings

  • Monthly leadership coaching

  • Workshops on managing teams and strategic planning

  • Community-building Events

Fellowship Timeline

  • Phase 1: Planning (June – October)

    In Phase 1 of the fellowship, the cohort works to define roles, build their YPFP knowledge base, and learn organizational operations, developing a functional strategic plan for presentation to the YPFP Board and working with legacy fellows to plan and execute the YPFP Gala.

    Leadership Development Curriculum: Leading Self

  • Phase 2: Operationalizing (November - March)

    In Phase 2 of the fellowship, the cohort takes the reins fully from the legacy fellows, operationalizing the strategic plan to run the organization and execute goals laid out in Phase 1 with an eye towards the future fellows class.

    Leadership Development Curriculum: Leading Others

  • Phase 3: Transitioning (April – September)

    Phase 3 has two sections:

    Phase 3.1: Cohort builds and executes the recruiting process for the next cohort. Using experience gained in the last year, the cohort crafts a succession plan building on achievements and challenges.

    Phase 3.2: Cohort trains and advises the incoming cohort, fully transitioning responsibilities.

    Leadership Development Curriculum: Leading Teams

In 2021, YPFP launched Globally, a parent organization purpose-built to oversee the operations of communities that support the development of emerging leaders who are solving global challenges. With the launch of Globally, YPFP has opened an exciting new chapter in its leadership model – a structured fellowship that gives members a unique and hands-on opportunity to run and operate the organization. As the community continues to grow and evolve, we are building a team of YPFP Fellows to oversee the core mission of YPFP.

The YPFP Fellowship works to lead the Young Professionals in Foreign Policy community — driven to build the leaders tomorrow needs.