Ms. Faraj is a career member of the Senior Executive Service with decades of experience in diplomacy, foreign policy, and national security. She currently serves as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense for Global Partnerships in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. She has policy responsibility for security cooperation strategic planning, resource allocation, and oversight, foreign disaster relief, and international humanitarian policy. Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Ms. Faraj served as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Planning, Learning and Resource Management where she led the Agency’s strategic planning and program design processes. She also served as the Chief of Operations for USAID’s COVID-19 Task Force, where she oversaw the operations, administration, and budget for the Agency’s overall COVID response.

Previously, Ms. Faraj was Director of the Office of Development Cooperation, overseeing USAID's engagement with bilateral and multilateral partners and representing the United States in intergovernmental negotiations. She also played a lead role in the U.S. Government’s Syria response, including establishing and serving as the U.S. Representative on the Management Committee of the Syria Recovery Trust Fund, a multi-donor financing mechanism focused on essential services inside Syria.

Prior to joining USAID, Ms. Faraj managed the development and implementation of anti- trafficking programs at the Department of State and oversaw program and policy development for refugees, trafficking victims, and unaccompanied migrant children at the Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Faraj began her career as a mental health practitioner in the non-profit sector. As a trained clinician, she holds a Master and Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Georgia. Shereen is also a graduate of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Internal Coach Training Program.