SINCLAIR STAFFORD
Alexandria,VA
Summary
Policy and strategy professional with over a decade of experience supporting complex, high-stakes decision-making at the intersection of technology, governance, and risk. Experienced in analytical synthesis, institutional coordination, and executive-level communication, with a track record of translating ambiguous policy, technical, and regulatory inputs into clear, decision-oriented analysis. Motivated by mission-driven work focused on long-term risk reduction, responsible technology governance, and institutional integrity.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Program Analyst, IT Enterprise Governance, Compliance, Risk and Remediation (GS-11 → GS-13)
Department of Veterans Affairs — Office of Information & Technology
03.2023 - Current
- Synthesize inputs from multiple enterprise governance bodies to identify risk, surface tradeoffs, and support senior decision-making across complex, interdependent IT and data systems.
- Draft decision memoranda, read-ahead materials, and SOPs that reduce ambiguity, improve decision hygiene, and enable timely, well-calibrated leadership action.
- Coordinate across VA and interagency stakeholders to manage dependencies, reduce decision latency, and mitigate downstream implementation and compliance risk.
- Track and escalate governance actions, performance metrics, and unresolved risks to maintain enterprise-level situational awareness and prevent issue drift.
- Promoted to GS-12 (Mar 2024) and GS-13 (Mar 2025); awarded a Quality Step Increase in recognition of sustained analytical judgment and performance in high-visibility governance forums.
Functional Analyst
GovCIO
07.2022 - 03.2023
- Supported federal technology governance and investment oversight under FITARA and OMB A-130.
- Conducted qualitative and quantitative analysis to identify compliance gaps, portfolio risk, and governance weaknesses affecting senior-level investment decisions.
- Produced executive briefings, governance charters, SOPs, and performance documentation for decision boards.
Program Analyst
GovCIO
10.2020 - 07.2022
- Supported cross-agency governance processes and senior-leader decision-making through structured analysis and reporting.
- Coordinated with technical teams, government stakeholders, and leadership to support informed, timely decisions.
Program Manager, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Division & Global Podcast Co-Host
International Republican Institute (IRI)
08.2017 - 09.2019
- Managed multi-million-dollar international democracy and governance programs in politically complex environments.
- Conducted risk analysis, scenario planning, and program evaluation to inform strategy and mitigate operational and political risk.
- Synthesized political, social, and security information into analytical reports and donor briefings.
- Researched and interviewed subject-matter experts for a global affairs podcast with approximately 55,000 total streams.
Program Officer, MENA Division
IRI
02.2016 - 07.2017
- Designed, implemented, and evaluated governance and civic engagement programs in Tunisia.
- Briefed U.S. government and international stakeholders on program findings, risks, and strategic implications.
Assistant Program Officer, MENA Division
IRI
05.2014 - 02.2016
- Supported program design, monitoring, and reporting for international democracy and governance initiatives.
Program Assistant, MENA Division
IRI
10.2012 - 05.2014
- Provided analytical, logistical, and reporting support for international election observation and governance programs.
Education
Master of International Policy -
Texas A&M University, Bush School of Government and Public Service
05.2023
Bachelor of Arts - International Relations
Tufts University, School of Arts and Sciences
05.2012
Skills
- Analytical synthesis and structured judgment under uncertainty
- Technology governance, compliance, and risk analysis
- Cross-functional and multi-stakeholder coordination
- Executive briefings, decision memoranda, and written analysis
- Program evaluation, metrics, and accountability frameworks
- Systems thinking and institutional strategy
- Clear communication across technical and non-technical audiences
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Selected professional development in technology governance and systems risk, including graduate-level coursework in cyber policy (2023), GSA-provided AI Leadership & Policy training (2024), and Information Security Awareness training.
Timeline
Program Analyst, IT Enterprise Governance, Compliance, Risk and Remediation (GS-11 → GS-13)
Department of Veterans Affairs — Office of Information & Technology
03.2023 - Current
Functional Analyst
GovCIO
07.2022 - 03.2023
Program Analyst
GovCIO
10.2020 - 07.2022
Program Manager, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Division & Global Podcast Co-Host
International Republican Institute (IRI)
08.2017 - 09.2019
Program Officer, MENA Division
IRI
02.2016 - 07.2017
Assistant Program Officer, MENA Division
IRI
05.2014 - 02.2016
Program Assistant, MENA Division
IRI
10.2012 - 05.2014
Bachelor of Arts - International Relations
Tufts University, School of Arts and Sciences
Master of International Policy -
Texas A&M University, Bush School of Government and Public Service