Program Co-Director, Head of Research, Sovereign Debt Forum

Georgetown University•Washington, DC

1d•$66,783 - $126,720•Hybrid

About The Position

The Institute of International Economic Law at Georgetown Law seeks a Co-Director, Head of Research, to lead research, training, strategy, and program content for the Sovereign Debt Forum (SDF) and its #PublicDebtIsPublic (#PDIP) initiative. SDF is an interdisciplinary government-debt research hub established in 2019 in collaboration with Queen Mary University of London. #PDIP is a growing, multi-institutional program that builds a searchable platform of government debt documents and related analytical and capacity-building resources. The role provides intellectual vision and research direction for SDF and #PDIP, helping expand the platform and strengthen its policy impact while advancing interdisciplinary research in government debt. Reporting to Georgetown Law’s SDF Academic Co-Director, Professor Anna Gelpern, the Head of Research works alongside the Head of Operations and in close coordination with Georgetown’s Massive Data Institute, SDF fellows, student research assistants, academic affiliates, government partners, and civil society stakeholders. The position oversees research methodologies and the development of the #PDIP Documentation Bank and Legal Framework Hub, and leads a team of 2–15 researchers across related workstreams. The role leads SDF research and writing programs, develops the research agenda, guides scholarly and policy publications, and directs the collection, coding, and analysis of public debt documentation. It also recruits, trains, and supervises researchers; collaborates with academic and policy partners; and serves as a research and policy liaison with stakeholders and funders. The Head of Research contributes to Law Center research and teaching, including the debt accountability practicum; supports SDF programming such as DebtCon; backs up the Head of Operations on administrative and logistical matters; and shares responsibility for the SDF multimedia resource library and public outreach.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
JD and/or other graduate training, with demonstrated experience in legal and policy research and writing, strongly preferred.
Outstanding analytical, research, written, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to produce original, publication-quality scholarship and translate complex legal and financial material for academic, policy, and technical audiences.
Strong organizational and project-management skills.
Collaborative attitude and ability to adapt to the challenges of an ambitious start-up.
Exceptional judgment and discretion when working with students, academic collaborators, external funders, civil society activists, market participants, and senior international officials.
2–4 years of work experience in analytical research and written and verbal communication.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including working English proficiency.
Experience corresponding with stakeholders from nongovernment, corporate, and international organizations.

Nice To Haves

Interest or background in international economic law, development, and/or sovereign debt.
Other language skills in addition to working English proficiency.
Experience in international or multicultural settings.
Knowledge of Georgetown University or higher-education policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

Provide intellectual vision and research direction for the Sovereign Debt Forum and #PublicDebtIsPublic.
Oversee research methodologies and expansion of the #PDIP Documentation Bank and Legal Framework Hub.
Lead the design and implementation of SDF research and writing programs and develop the research agenda.
Produce and guide articles, commentaries, policy briefs, and original scholarship based on #PDIP legal materials.
Direct the collection, coding, and analysis of public debt documentation for #PDIP.
Recruit, train, and supervise the #PDIP and SDF research team, including fellows and student research assistants.
Collaborate with academic and policy partners on joint research and publications.
Serve as a principal research and policy liaison to stakeholders, foundation officers, SDF affiliates, and Advisory and Official Consultative Group members.
Develop the #PDIP work program in coordination with the SDF Academic Co-Directors.
Contribute to Law Center research and teaching, including the debt accountability practicum.
Support SDF programming, including DebtCon, and provide backup to the Head of Operations on administrative and logistical matters.
Share responsibility with the Head of Operations for the SDF multimedia resource library and coordinate public outreach and engagement.
Coordinate with the MDI technical team and affiliated workstreams, including the Framework Hub and capacity-building programming.
Help manage partnerships with academic and policy institutions, governments, civil society organizations, funders, and international organizations.