Director of Research

Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD); Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care coverage

Job summary

Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) seeks a full-time Director of Research in the Washington, DC area. The director will lead the Research Department, supervise analysts, and oversee high-quality publications while advancing AI-assisted, policy-relevant scholarship.

The role requires deep foreign affairs and national security expertise, strong editing and writing skills, and the ability to manage a high-volume editorial workflow.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. preferred. We will also consider candidates with comparable training and experience in a research capacity.

Responsibilities

• Lead the FDD editorial team and ensure quality of publications.
• Manage editorial workflow for short- and long-form publications.
• Supervise and develop FDD's research analysts and refine their skills.
• Facilitate adoption of AI tools to enhance original research while preserving rigor.

Skills

Editorial leadership

AI for research

Policy research

Public speaking

Team leadership

Interpersonal skills

Writing/editing

Education

Ph.D. preferred

Job description

FDD is seeking a full-time Director of Research. The director plays a key leadership and management role within the FDD Research Department in addition to conducting research and publishing widely in their chosen area of expertise. The director reports to the Vice President of Research.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the FDD editorial team, ensuring the overall quality of all FDD publications in terms of both their substance and fluidity of prose.
• Manage editorial workflow for short- and long-form publications.
• Supervise and ensure the professional development of FDD's research analysts. Help refine their research and writing skills and evaluate their output.
• Facilitate the adoption of AI tools to conduct original research while ensuring analytical rigor and integrity.
• Coordinate with the FDD communications team to help experts publicize their research via print, online, and broadcast media.
• Conduct research and publish widely in a chosen area of expertise.
• Fellows are expected to produce and publicize research that has a tangible impact on U.S. foreign policy and national security, helping the United States and its democratic allies to prevail over autocratic aggressors.
• The director will have a concurrent appointment as Research Fellow or Senior Fellow.
• For this position, there is no preferred regional or functional specialization, although the candidate should have deep expertise in at least one area that aligns with FDD's mission.

Skills & Qualifications

• Ph.D. preferred. We will also consider candidates with comparable training and experience in a research capacity.
• 8-15 years of professional experience in research, government, and policy-related roles.
  • FDD prefers candidates with 2 or more years of experience in policy-facing roles in the executive or legislative branch of the federal government.
• Broad expertise in foreign affairs and national security, enabling the candidate to oversee publications that address the full range of issues and regions in FDD's portfolio.
• Advanced professional editing skills, enabling the candidate to ensure the quality of numerous long- and short-form publications.
• Ability to manage high-volume editorial workflows with submissions coming from several dozen authors.
• Advanced professional writing skills
  • FDD fellows usually publish multiple policy briefs or op-eds per month along with one or more research memoranda or monographs per year.
• Substantive understanding of the strengths and limitations of AI for conducting original research.
  • Familiarity with the use of agentic AI for research is a plus.
• Public speaking and communication ability, suitable both for in-person presentations and interviews with broadcast media, to include television, radio, and podcasts.
• Strong interpersonal skills, leadership ability, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
  • FDD strongly values those who help build a collegial and collaborative workplace environment.

Application Requirements

• Résumé or CV
• Cover Letter
• Residence in or ability to relocate to the Washington, DC metropolitan area. This is an in-person position with an option of up to two days per week of telework.

FDD is an equal opportunity employer. If you require an accommodation in order to apply for this position, please contact Jean Thurman at [e-mail] or [phone].

This role has a projected salary band of $140,000-$180,000 per year, based on the candidate's experience and qualifications. Additional benefits are available, including health care coverage based on eligibility.

FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security. For more information, please visit FDD.org and follow FDD on X @FDD.