Lincoln Group

Update: The military announced that The Lincoln Group has lost their funding for this PR project! Read all about here.

STRATEGIC CONSULTANTS

Lincoln Group has an opening for a number of strategic consultants to support Coalition efforts in Iraq. Strategic Consultants will provide advice to senior military and government decision makers and their staff. Consultants will provide advice on Iraqi political, economic and cultural issues; the development of Information Operations programs; as well as other non-kinetic operations designed to reduce the power and influence of insurgents and other adversaries in Iraq. Consultants must be able to analyze and provide advice on such issues as political legitimacy, nationalism, public confidence in the emerging government, and other strategic issues. Consultants will be expected to provide advice on countering the propaganda and messages deployed by insurgents, Anti-Iraqi Forces, Anti-Coalition Forces and other adversary elements. Strategic consultants should have a strong background in one or more of the following disciplines:


Social Sciences - ideally with a focus on the study of Iraq and the Middle East. This assignment will include the collection and analysis of social science data on the political, economic, cultural, social, security and information environments in Iraq. It will also include developing recommendations for military planners, flag rank officers and others.


Advertising, Marketing, and/or Public Relations. This assignment would include the provision of advice on the development and execution of strategic communications, public outreach and awareness campaigns and the measurement of the effectiveness thereof.
Information Operations and Psychological Warfare/Strategic Communication. This assignment would include the provision of advice on all aspects of the planning, execution and evaluation of information operations in Iraq and elsewhere.


Minimum Educational Requirements:

Social Scientists -Masters Degree in Political Science, Anthropology, International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, Sociology, Strategic Studies or related field.

Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations – Bachelor’s degree and/or extensive industry experience in strategic communications planning and effectiveness measuring, with proven success in international markets.

Information Operations/PSYOP/Strategic Communication – Extensive real world and exercise experience as an IO/PSYOP/ SC/ planner. The qualified candidate must be familiar with staff battle rhythm and military planning so as to seamlessly integrate analytical and creative products with Coalition operations.

Required Skills:

Strong basis in social science analytical methodologies.

Ø Extensive skills in the development of strategic communications campaigns or elements thereof to include marketing, advertising, public relations

Ø Understanding of quantitative research methodologies

Ø Ability to use analysis to provide strategic recommendations to military planners and leaders.

Ø Ability to work in a fast paced, stressful environment.

Desired Skills:

Ø Military experience and/or experience working in post-conflict reconstruction environments

Ø Arabic language skills.

Ø An understanding of stability operations, counterinsurgency and the process of constructing a state in the wake of a conflict

Ø Ability to conduct detailed interviews with people from other cultures in order to collect information on politics, economics, society and culture.

Ø Strong computer skills. Ability to quickly learn statistical programs, text string searches and other packages that would assist in quantitative and qualitative research.

Ø Project/Program Management Skills.

Location:

All positions will be based inside a secure US military facility in Iraq.

Security Clearance required: clearable to Secret, ideally up to Top Secret SCI. Must be US Citizen.

Salary Range & Benefits:

§ $150-$180k (commensurate with experience)

§ Corporate benefits including health insurance, 401k match, educational assistance and bonus programs

Someone offered to share a parody of this ad, I should have taken them up on the offer!

But the Lincoln Group reference still bothered me. So, I googled and dug a bit. Ho-ho! Yes, the Lincoln Group with (surprise, surprise weak media connection but strong links to Republican fundraisers) who got part of $300 million grant in 2003 for "media work" that ended up as part of the whole "planting fake news" scandel! Remember that, remember when we were worried about fake news and proproganda?! Yes, the good old days.

Here's a single comprehensive place to look at claims about Lincoln Group: SourceWatch a project of The Center for Media and Democracy.

And here's what our new best friend Billmon (who is this guy, anyway?) had to say about them way back in November 2005, and (clever man) in June 2005.