Policy Fellow - Market Shaping Accelerator

Center for Global Development • Washington, DC

10d • $130,000 - $150,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Center for Global Development’s Market Shaping Accelerator (MSA) seeks an experienced, self-directed policy professional with a strong foundation in microeconomics to help design workable pull mechanisms, such as Advance Market Commitments, and support their adoption by governments, multilateral institutions, and philanthropies. MSA aims to incentivize innovations addressing global challenges including global health, pandemic preparedness, climate, AI safety, and drug repurposing. The role applies market-shaping tools to areas of high social value but limited commercial return, in low- and high-income country settings.

The Policy Fellow will serve as a thought partner to MSA directors, applying practical judgment about institutional constraints, stakeholder incentives, and the steps needed to move ideas into implementation. The successful candidate will communicate and collaborate with industrial organization economic theorists and policymakers, assess the logic and feasibility of policy proposals, identify routes to adoption, and build relationships with relevant stakeholders. The role works across projects with MSA team members, helps set priorities and advance work independently with strategic guidance from MSA leadership, and reports to the MSA Director.

CGD is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit policy research organization based in Washington, DC, and London. The role is in a hybrid environment, with staff required to be in the office at least three days per week. Candidates must be able to declare a primary residence in DC, Maryland, or Virginia. CGD will sponsor United States work authorization for this position, subject to the required visa petition and approval.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in economics, public policy, or a related field, with a strong foundation in microeconomic theory demonstrated through coursework or equivalent applied knowledge.
• At least 12 years of relevant experience.
• Excellent analytical economics writing and communication skills, including a record of producing clear, policy-relevant analysis for nonacademic audiences.
• Ability to apply economic reasoning to real policy choices and engage substantively with economists on incentives, market failures, and alternative policy designs.
• Substantial relevant experience in policy practice or applied research, including demonstrated experience engaging policymakers or institutions to develop, shape, or advance policy proposals.
• Record of independently leading complex work, exercising sound judgment under uncertainty, and translating broad objectives into concrete next steps with limited supervision.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and credibility to work effectively with senior policy counterparts and researchers.
• Interest in using market shaping to address global health, pandemic preparedness, climate change, or international development challenges.
• Must be able to declare a primary residence in Washington, DC, Maryland, or Virginia.
• Must verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment eligibility verification document upon hire.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with governments, the World Bank, other multilateral development banks, or international financial institutions, with an understanding of how their policy and financing decisions are made.
• Experience contributing to policy adoption or implementation, including navigating institutional barriers and building stakeholder support.
• Experience managing more junior staff supporting policy-design analytics.

Responsibilities

• Lead policy workstreams from idea development through engagement and follow-through, including in topic areas such as at-risk financing.
• Develop policy adoption strategies by identifying decision-makers and potential champions, understanding institutional priorities and decision processes, and recommending where and how MSA leadership should engage.
• Build and manage relationships with government officials, World Bank and other multilateral colleagues, philanthropies, researchers, and other stakeholders to advance concrete policy opportunities.
• Help policymakers assess when pull mechanisms are appropriate and select funding approaches suited to their objectives and constraints.
• Write policy memos, briefing materials, blogs, and proposals that translate economic reasoning and evidence into actionable recommendations.
• Review MSA proposals and outputs for economic logic and policy relevance, working with researchers and domain experts to strengthen recommendations.
• Contribute to policy debates related to the economics of market shaping and innovation.
• Identify and pursue new market-shaping opportunities and contribute policy judgment across MSA projects.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior