Sovereign Debt Forum Deputy Program Director

Georgetown University•Washington, DC

3d•$54,616 - $100,493•Hybrid

About The Position

The Institute of International Economic Law (IIEL) at Georgetown Law is seeking a Deputy Program Director to assist in research, strategy, program content functions, grant administration, and outreach for the Sovereign Debt Forum (SDF) and its leading initiative, #PublicDebtIsPublic (#PDIP), and to support other IIEL projects and programs. IIEL is dedicated to creating, refining, and building the ideas that will define the international economic order in the twenty-first century. At the heart of the Institute’s mission is a commitment to interdisciplinary, nonpartisan analysis and research into the most cutting-edge legal challenges facing practitioners and policymakers. As one of the world’s preeminent centers for international economic law and policy, located blocks from U.S. agencies and the U.S. Congress, IIEL serves as the locus of study for issues across the field, including international trade, investment, financial regulation and innovation, business, technology, tax, arbitration, development, sovereign debt, and economic security. SDF was established in 2019 as a hub for interdisciplinary research in government debt, supporting capacity building, policy development, and research dissemination. It is a collaboration between IIEL and the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL or Queen Mary), co-directed by Prof. Anna Gelpern at Georgetown Law and Prof. Rosa M. Lastra at Queen Mary, with affiliated scholars at universities around the world. Since 2019, SDF and its research affiliates have organized academic and capacity building programs with universities, multilateral institutions, governments, and civil society organizations, including its flagship Sovereign Debt Research and Management Conference (DebtCon), now in its ninth cycle. #PDIP began in 2025 as a cross-campus project to build a platform that collects and displays searchable full-text government debt documentation for countries around the world, working with Georgetown’s Computer Science Department and the Massive Data Institute (MDI) at the McCourt School of Public Policy, supported by a $382,000 pilot grant from the Gates foundation for the Law Center. It has grown rapidly into a multi-institutional, multi-funder program. The prototype was launched at DebtCon8 in October 2025. With proof of concept, SDF secured approximately $350 in additional interim funding from the Netherlands and UK governments in Q42025 and Q12026, and has since secured an additional grant of approximately $600,000 from the Gates foundation. By invitation, SDF has applied for an additional $400,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation, expected in the current fiscal year, and is actively pursuing new funding opportunities with existing and new donors. The #PublicDebtIsPublic platform now hosts more than 1000 documents for more than 60 borrowing countries, together with a growing bank of analytical and capacity building resources. A major new grant-funded component of the platform, the Legal Framework Hub, is under development, scheduled for launch at DebtCon9 in May of 2027. #PDIP has been featured in official and academic programs with African, Asian, European, and Latin American governments, multilateral and civil society institutions. The #PDIP team has trained more than a dozen Georgetown Law researchers in public debt and advanced financial contract analysis. A new practicum on public debt accountability has been approved and is open for enrollment at Georgetown Law for the Fall term of 2026, co-taught by Georgetown and grant-funded outside faculty. The rapid growth trajectory, from a proof-of-concept experiment to a globally recognized public debt accountability resource, gives rise to the need for dedicated senior leadership team capable of driving the platform’s expansion and maximizing its policy impact, while maintaining and bolstering the forum’s position at the forefront of interdisciplinary research in government debt. The Deputy Director will support the SDF Co-Program Directors and the SDF Fellow in advancing the project's research, funding, and outreach goals. The role spans three main areas of responsibility: research and project implementation, including assisting with project research and coordinating the research team's workflow; grants and funding administration, including proposal development and reporting; and events, outreach, and communications, including event logistics and the dissemination of project news. Working closely with staff across the Law Center, the University, and the Institute of International Economic Law, the Deputy Director helps ensure clear communication, smooth day-to-day operations, and timely progress toward the project's goals.

Requirements

BA in a related field required.
Strong organizational skills.
Ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and policy priorities inherent in a dynamic field and a start-up project.
Ability to work independently under minimal supervision.
Ability to collaborate effectively in teams and in cross-cultural settings.
Submission of a resume for each position of interest.

Nice To Haves

Graduate training preferred.
Interest and background in international economics, international economic law, development, and/or sovereign debt preferred.
3-5 years of work experience in communications, event planning, or administrative roles preferred.

Responsibilities

Assist in research, strategy, program content functions, grant administration, and outreach for the Sovereign Debt Forum (SDF) and its leading initiative, #PublicDebtIsPublic (#PDIP).
Support other IIEL projects and programs.
Assist with project research and coordinating the research team's workflow.
Manage grants and funding administration, including proposal development and reporting.
Handle events, outreach, and communications, including event logistics and the dissemination of project news.
Ensure clear communication, smooth day-to-day operations, and timely progress toward the project's goals.
Ensure smooth implementation of the Project, including all the associated events and convenings.
Collaborate with the SDF Fellow, IIEL staff, and the co-organizers of events at Georgetown University Law Center.
Engage with other parts of the Law Center and the University, as needed to implement the Project.