Fellow/Senior Fellow, Market Shaping Accelerator
About The Position
The Center for Global Development’s Market Shaping Accelerator (MSA) is hiring a Fellow or Senior Fellow to lead research and policy work on market-shaping mechanisms that align private incentives with social value and accelerate innovation for global public goods. The role is based in Washington, D.C., and the level will depend on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience. Applicants may be economists finishing a PhD or candidates with several years of post-PhD experience. The Fellow/Senior Fellow will develop and implement a research agenda, potentially designing and evaluating advance market commitments, prizes, milestone payments, and other outcome-based funding models. Areas of focus may include global health, pandemic preparedness, climate, AI risk and safety, drug repurposing, and other high-value innovation priorities. The work involves domestic and international policy design and combines economic modeling, quantitative analysis, institutional knowledge, and practical policy development. The role sits on the MSA team and includes leading this work, contributing to CGD’s wider group of fellows, engaging external audiences, and supervising research assistants and associate staff. The position also involves helping mobilize funding, representing MSA publicly, publishing research and policy outputs, and supporting colleagues’ research. The organization works in a hybrid environment, with staff required to work in the office at least three days per week. CGD is registered to employ staff whose primary residence is in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia. CGD will sponsor U.S. work authorization, subject to successful visa petition and approval.
Requirements
- A PhD in economics, completed or expected before the start date, with training in economic theory, industrial organization, market design, innovation economics, or a related subfield.
- Strong interest in policy impact and demonstrated ability to take a policy project from ideation through execution.
- Strong analytical training, including facility with microeconomic theory, applied modeling, and quantitative analysis, and ability to build simple, transparent models that translate technical economic ideas into policy recommendations.
- Judgment in identifying high-impact policy and economic questions, commitment to translating research into concrete policy outcomes, and a pragmatic understanding of policymakers’ objectives and constraints.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex findings for diverse audiences, and high-level organizational skills.
- Ability to work independently in a small, closely-knit organization and contribute to developing new institutions.
- For the Senior Fellow level: at least five years of relevant experience beyond the PhD and a distinguished body of work in the program area.
- For the Senior Fellow level: prominence in market shaping or innovation policy and strong professional relationships across relevant research, policy, and funding communities.
- For the Senior Fellow level: a track record of generating external financial support for research programs.
- For the Senior Fellow level: experience managing complex research and policy projects and supervising or mentoring junior colleagues.
- Candidates must be able to declare a primary residence in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia.
Responsibilities
- Design and lead a research agenda combining economic modeling, quantitative analysis, institutional knowledge, and practical policy design to inform market-shaping mechanisms and produce actionable recommendations.
- Help mobilize funding for MSA’s work on market shaping and innovation policy.
- Represent MSA through speaking engagements, blogging, and public and private convenings, and engage with donor, policymaker, and technical or domain expert communities.
- Publish reports, papers, policy briefs, and timely commentary incorporating quantitative findings for policymakers, philanthropic funders, the development community, and CGD’s public audience.
- Provide analytical support to colleagues’ research.
- Supervise and mentor associate staff and research assistants on discrete tasks.
Benefits
- CGD offers a benefits package; specific benefits are not detailed in the posting.
- U.S. work authorization sponsorship is available, subject to CGD and the candidate successfully securing the necessary work visa(s).
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
