Engaging Practitioners Event with Samantha Job

CSS hosted Samantha Job, foreign and security policy counsellor at the British Embassy, for the second Engaging Practitioners event of the semester on October 31. An expert on nuclear nonproliferation, international security, and intelligence, Job discussed the negotiation, implementation, and current status of the Iran nuclear deal.

In a roundtable discussion with Fletcher MALD and PhD students, Job opened up about her personal experience working with the Obama and Trump administrations on the construction of the deal, and the recent U.S. withdrawal. Citing the challenges of presenting the United Kingdom’s perspective on Capitol Hill, Job acknowledged that the agreement was not a “catch all” for addressing Iran’s missile program, human rights violations, and “bad behavior” in the region. Instead, it was a cap on an imminent threat—one much closer to the United Kingdom than the United States—and one of the best deals that could have been reached given the circumstances.

When asked what will happen as Washington begins re-imposing sanctions, Job acknowledged that the EU still values both the nuclear deal and its relations with the United States, and is looking for ways to balance the challenge of keeping Iran inside the JCPOA with the potential consequences from U.S. sanctions, particularly for the banking industry and the international SWIFT payments system.

Reflecting on her many years of experience working on nuclear nonproliferation, Job told the room, “if, when you leave your job, they are still that number of years away [from developing a functional weapon], that is a win.” While there is a great deal of uncertainty about the next steps, Job was optimistic that an agreement is still possible and the United Kingdom and the United States are working harder than ever to find a lasting solution.

A career professional, Job joined the UK foreign service in 1992, and since then has faced a number of personal challenges balancing her family and work commitments. Students were particularly moved by her discussion of the various ways she has tried to achieve a work-life balance. As a mother of two young children, she has had to make tough choices on foreign travel, time commitments, and her overall career trajectory. Her time management strategies, particularly using hard deadlines for separating family time from work time, are outstanding career advice for women and men going into civil service and diplomacy.

CSS thanks Samantha Job for participating in our Engaging Practitioners lectures at The Fletcher School. We look forward to witnessing the next steps in Job’s career and hope to welcome her back to Tufts University someday soon. The Engaging Practitioners Series will resume next semester. Look out for announcements and coverage on the CSS website and social media.