Matthew Parkes

With over eight years of experience designing and implementing U.S. government-funded peacebuilding and security initiatives, I am confident that my background and skills align well with a wide variety of roles.

During my time at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) within the Afghanistan & Central Asia program, I advanced from supporting field projects to designing and managing a broad portfolio of projects and campaigns, working in coordination with donors, regional governments, and academic institutions. I worked closely with the Program Director to identify and secure funding opportunities focused on reducing the risk factors of conflict and violent extremism. This experience required close monitoring of international political and security developments in a rapidly shifting environment. In my most recent role as Program Officer, I served as the lead coordinator for our interagency agreements with the State Department and USAID. This involved overseeing all components of project design and management, from the proposal stage through implementation. My responsibilities included identifying new funding opportunities, drafting proposals and work plans, financial management, program monitoring and evaluation, and donor reporting requirements. I also designed outreach and advocacy strategies to influence policy and inform the general public on USIP’s work.

In this capacity, I visited Central Asia three to four times annually to oversee project implementation, engage with local and regional officials, and participate in international conferences. In previous roles at USIP, I served as the primary focal point for external stakeholders, organizing dozens of high-level briefings, roundtables, and public events with senior U.S. and international officials.