Director of Analysis

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The Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University (CSET) is seeking applications for a Director of Analysis position. This leadership role combines organizational strategy, research oversight, and project & team management, will oversee CSET’s research agenda, manage a diverse team of 25+ researchers, and ensure high-quality, policy-relevant outputs. 

Ideal candidates are seasoned policy professionals with impeccable leadership, project and people management skills. They excel at identifying and prioritizing important policy questions, envisioning how CSET analyses might contribute to developing actionable recommendations, organizing people and resources to execute such analyses, and ensuring effective communication of the results to policymakers working at the nexus of technology and national security. They have a proven record of growing and developing junior researchers into effective policy analysts and analytic leaders.

CSET is a research organization focused on studying the security impacts of emerging technologies, supporting academic work in security and technology studies, and delivering nonpartisan analysis to technologists and policymakers. CSET currently focuses on artificial intelligence, advanced computing and biotechnology.

Responsibilities/Work Interactions

The Director of Analysis will report to the Center’s Executive Director and will be responsible for: 

Organizational Leadership:

  • Upholding CSET’s mission, values, and culture with unwavering commitment, inspiring others through personal conduct.
  • Collaborating with other members of leadership to help shape CSET’s organizational strategy and set key priorities.
  • Using an appropriate blend of bottom-up initiative and top-down resourcing to set CSET’s research priorities and agenda in-line with our mission, culture, and intended audience (US Policymakers, key decision makers, funders, etc).
  • Monitoring trends and developments in AI, ML, biotechnology, and national security policy; providing essential contextual insights to help inform research and organizational strategy.
  • Supporting CSET’s fundraising and development goals; ensuring alignment between CSET’s mission and opportunities for funding, liaising with relevant funders, and contributing to solicitations for funding.
  • Budget Oversight: Manage team resources within allocated budgets, ensuring alignment with CSET priorities; contributing to organizational financial planning.
  • Contributing to CSET’s organizational development, including internal working groups, seminars, and discussions; and supporting and mentoring colleagues.
  • Additional duties as assigned.

Research and Project Management:

  • Overseeing CSET’s lines of research (LORs); ensuring effective cross-matrix communication, collaboration, prioritization and project management within and across LORs, as well as across all of CSET to optimize resources and align projects with organizational goals. 
  • Research quality control: oversight of research content, ensuring quality control, managing the external review process, and verifying recommendations and outputs are analytically and methodologically sound.
  • Ensuring CSET’s analytic outputs are harmonious, rigorous, timely, digestible, and policy-relevant.
  • Collaboratively approving research projects, ensuring they’re prioritized and resourced effectively, aligned with budgets and internal processes, and further CSET’s mission and goals.
  • Coach and mentor researchers in general analytic, research and policy tradecraft.

Team Management: 

  • Selecting, coaching, training, mentoring, and managing a large (25+) team of entry to senior-level researchers and support staff from a variety of disciplines, including political science, public policy, security studies, law, military, economics, sciences, and engineering.
  • Coaching staff on how to effectively write, brief and present data-driven information to policymakers and other target audience(s); ensuring appropriate team and individual upskilling to advance mission and drive impact.
  • Providing tailored professional development to CSET researchers, preparing them for success in their role and beyond.
  • Supporting professional growth via robust performance evaluations, providing constructive feedback and guidance, and implementing positive incentive structures that encourage continuous improvement and create an environment of accountability.
  • Communicating analytic insights to internal and external audiences and identifying opportunities to partner with relevant stakeholders in support of our mission.

Policymaker and Stakeholder Engagement:

  • Engage policymakers on topics related to emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing with a focus on national security implications.
  • Promote and facilitate collaboration with outside experts and institutional partners, including representation in public panels, media engagement, and research opportunities on emerging technology policy.

Requirements and Qualifications

  • Graduate (Master’s, JD, PhD) degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
  • 10+ years of conducting analysis, writing for, briefing, and interacting with policymakers and/or other senior decision-makers, with an accessible portfolio of written products
  • 8+ years of experience managing and mentoring analytic and/or policy research teams 
  • Experience in leading the development of major policy or organizational documents that involve multiple authors
  • Clear, concise, and inclusive communication skills (both written and verbal)
  • Demonstrated success in briefing and building relationships with policy staff and decision-makers 
  • Proficiency with office productivity tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Office, etc.
  • Excellent problem-solving & critical decision-making skills
  • Holds a clear vision of research and policy agenda and goals that aligns with CSET’s mission and culture
  • High emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills 
  • Ability to work and lead successfully in a collaborative matrixed/multi-disciplinary environment
  • Motivated, enthusiastic, intellectually curious and self-driven 
  • Strong commitment to CSET’s mission, values and culture
  • Ability to work in the United States without employer sponsorship

In addition to the above, those with the following qualifications may be particularly positioned for success in this role:

  • Analytic experience in national security and/or technology policy
  • Prior experience at a think tank or university-affiliated research center
  • Graduate degree in public policy, political science, or a related field
  • Experience in senior government positions/roles

This position is based in the United States and offers no relocation assistance. This position is not eligible for a specialty-occupation sponsorship and, accordingly, this position requires that all applicants be legally eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship from Georgetown University.

This position is designated as hybrid, which means candidates will be expected to work from CSET’s D.C. office at least 2-3 days per week. 

The projected salary range for this position is $210,000- $235,000, which represents the full range of anticipated compensation for this position. Compensation is determined by a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s individual qualifications, experience, education, skills, and certifications, as well as the University’s business needs and external factors.

Application Instructions:
Please note that we only consider complete applications, which include:

  • Resume/CV
  • Cover Letter that addresses the following:
    • What experiences have equipped you to lead and influence research at CSET, and how do you envision translating those capabilities to this environment?
  • Writing sample: Ideally, this would be policy-oriented research and sole-authored, but any self-selected writing sample of at least two pages (e.g., class paper, prior project work, etc.) is acceptable.

If you have any questions with regard to completing and/or submitting your application, please email csetcareers@georgetown.edu.