Senior Advisor
Nesrine
Schüßler (née Jamoud)
Government Relations · Market Entry · Security · Stabilisation · Intercultural Advisory · Conflict Prevention | Arab World · Europe · West Africa
Request a Mandate →My work centres on high-stakes political transitions across the Middle East and North Africa, with a growing focus on the Gulf, in environments where analytical errors have real consequences. I am a native speaker of German and Arabic and have worked in fragile contexts, not only analysed them.
I have translated political complexity into implementable strategy and earned the trust of government counterparts through cultural credibility and consistent delivery under pressure. For companies and their partners in the region, this means cooperation grounded in a shared understanding of priorities, language and institutional culture.
WHERE POLICY MEETS THE GROUND
My career spans the German Ministry of Defence, the German Armed Forces and GIZ as well as EU and UN programmes, with assignments across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Baltic States.
In the field, my work has ranged from advising the Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister during the anti-IS campaign to supporting the Office of the National Security Adviser in Nigeria during the Boko Haram insurgency — around seven years of direct operational work in conflict-affected environments.
I engage officials directly in their own language and read political dynamics in context.
-
2025 –
present Independent Consultant — Jamoud Consulting, Berlin- Strategic advisory on security policy, stabilisation, government relations and intercultural engagement.
-
2024 –
2025 Senior Analyst -
2023 –
2024 Senior Government Advisor — Women, Peace and Security- Political steering of MoD-funded UN projects and programme management with a focus on Women, Peace and Security.
-
2020 –
2023 Senior Government Advisor- Political steering of capacity-building projects across North Africa, the Middle East, Ukraine and the Baltic States.
- Responsible for project design and financial management of large capacity development programmes.
- Designed and coordinated assistance projects for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- Led negotiations among BMVg, partner organisations and the defence industry, and coordinated memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between stakeholders and implementing companies.
- Expert exchange with the Federal Foreign Office and NATO on conflict mitigation in North Africa and the Middle East.
-
2018 –
2020 Programme Manager — Migration for Development- Identification and management of development-oriented migration projects in Afghanistan and Pakistan; technical leadership for national GIZ staff.
-
2015 –
2018 Stabilisation Advisor / Programme Manager- On behalf of the Federal Foreign Office: advisory services to the Iraqi central government (Office of the Prime Minister, National Operations Centre) and other governmental institutions, with a focus on stabilising areas liberated from the so-called 'Islamic State'.
- Coordination and advisory support to the German Federal Government on the strategic approach of German stabilisation measures in Iraq — spanning development cooperation, security and counterterrorism.
- Design of quick-impact initiatives in liberated areas.
- Represented GIZ within the Stabilisation Task Force of the international donor community (Anti-IS Coalition).
- Technical leadership for national GIZ staff in Baghdad; recruited Iraqi experts and established a German satellite office in Baghdad.
-
2012 –
2015 Conflict Prevention Consultant / Deputy Team Leader / Head of Component 'Counter-Radicalisation'- Project design lead for the EU (DEVCO)-funded project European Union Technical Assistance to Nigeria's National Security (EUTANS), with a focus on counterterrorism (Boko Haram and IS-affiliated groups) and prevention.
- Strategic advisory and actionable technical expertise in conflict prevention and counterterrorism.
- Responsible for confidence-building with political partners and coordination between CIVIPOL, the EU Delegation to Nigeria, the Nigerian Government (Office of the National Security Adviser) and the Nigerian security sector.
- Evaluation of counterterrorism and peacebuilding measures; strategic advisory on potential EU interventions.
-
2009 –
2010 Project Coordinator / Project Assistant- Monitoring and evaluation of four European Commission-funded projects under the UN programme 'Joint Migration and Development Initiative' (JMDI).
- Supported M&E of seven JMDI projects; organised regular meetings with the JMDI National Committee.
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel / George Mason University, Fairfax, USA · 2010 – 2012
Research focus: Islamist terrorism and the counter-radicalisation of youth in Nigeria; the role of faith-based organisations as conflict mediators
Freie Universität Berlin · Oct. 2005 – Nov. 2009
Thesis: "Religion, Nationalism and Reform in Morocco"
Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco · Nov. 2008 – April 2009
Leiden University, The Netherlands · Jan. 2007 – June 2007
Institute for Arabic Studies, Damascus, Syria · Jan. 2006 – April 2006
Freie Universität Berlin · Sept. 2002 – April 2005
Thesis: "Elements of Classical Islamic Jurisprudence (fiqh) in the Iranian Penal Code"
Mercator Foundation / Federal Foreign Office · Sept. 2009 – Sept. 2010
Bundeswehr Mayen · May 2013
- German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes)
- Mercator Foundation in cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office
- Heinrich-Böll-Foundation
- DAAD Scholarship (Rabat, Morocco)
- Research Grant, Foundation for Democracy and Science
- German Native
- Arabic (Moroccan) Native
- English Full professional
- Modern Standard Arabic Professional
- French Advanced
PRINCIPLES OF MY WORK
Clarity in complexity
Cutting through ambiguity to deliver decision-ready analysis and strategy that leadership can act on.
Discretion and reliability
A trusted partner for confidential mandates.
Government relations expertise
Experienced in negotiating with government and industry partners and in coordinating with multilateral bodies including NATO and the UN.
Intercultural intelligence
Long-standing relationships in the region, built on mutual respect.
Operational grounding
Experience on both sides: in ministries and in the field.
Areas of Expertise
Government Relations & Market Access
Direct engagement with ministries, national security institutions and senior officials across Europe, the Middle East and West Africa. Proven track record in managing sensitive government-to-government relations, building political coalitions and designing programmes in conflict prevention, counterterrorism and irregular migration. For companies, this includes support with market access and structured dialogue with government partners in these regions.
Security & Stabilisation
Strategic advice on counterterrorism, conflict prevention and post-crisis stabilisation in fragile and conflict-affected states.
Capability Delivery & Procurement
I steer tender and procurement processes in line with the technical requirements of clients and partners, and lead implementation through to full operational capability — ensuring your delivery is on schedule and fully accepted by the partner.
Strategic Communications
Developing clear political narratives and communication strategies for sensitive mandates and complex stakeholder environments.
Intercultural Advisory
Deep regional and cultural expertise across the Arab world and West Africa. Academic grounding in Islamic Studies, Arabic Studies and Political Science enables nuanced political interpretation at senior advisory level.
Policy Analysis & Research
In-depth political analysis and evidence-based policy papers for governments, companies, think tanks and international organisations.
IMPRESSIONS
RESEARCH & PUBLIC DISCOURSE (2007–2015)
Since 2015, my analytical work has been produced for internal government and institutional use and is not publicly available.
-
2015 Islamist Terrorism in Nigeria
Expert interview on the development of Islamist terrorist networks in West Africa.
-
2012 Islamism and Islamist Terrorism in West Africa
Scientific article on counter-radicalisation of Muslim youth in Nigeria and the role of faith-based organisations as mediators.
-
2008 “Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa”; “The Quran”; “The Quran in Europe”
Articles on Islam for German primary school textbooks.
-
2007 "Zieh fort aus deiner Heimat, dem Land deiner Väter" — Arabic Prose by Iraqi-Jewish Authors in Israel
Edited volume on Iraqi-Jewish literature in Israel after 1948.
GET IN TOUCH
Based in Berlin, working internationally.
Available for government relations, strategic advisory, stabilisation, security policy, conflict prevention and high-level international coordination.