Director of Research

fdd; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care coverage

Job summary

FDD is seeking a full-time Director of Research in the Washington, DC area to lead the Research Department, supervise analysts, and publish widely in a chosen area of expertise. The role blends leadership with rigorous scholarship and coordination with the communications team.

The director will advance AI-enabled research, manage high-volume workflows, and ensure publications meet the highest standards of quality and impact on policy and national security.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. preferred or equivalent research training.
• 8–15 years of professional research experience; 2+ years in policy-facing roles in the federal government are a plus.
• Broad expertise in foreign affairs and national security.
• Advanced editing and professional writing skills.
• Ability to manage high-volume editorial workflows with multiple authors.
• Familiarity with AI tools for research and analytical rigor.
• Strong public speaking and media interview abilities.
• Leadership, empathy, and collaborative workplace values.

Responsibilities

• Lead the FDD editorial team and ensure quality across publications.
• Manage editorial workflow for short- and long-form works.
• Supervise and develop FDD's research analysts and writers.
• Facilitate adoption of AI tools for original research with rigor.
• Coordinate with the communications team to publicize research via media.
• Conduct and publish research in a chosen area of expertise.
• Produce research with tangible impact on U.S. foreign policy and national security.
• Balance concurrent appointment as Research Fellow or Senior Fellow.
• Develop deep expertise aligned with FDD's mission; no single required specialization.

Skills

Editorial leadership

Academic research

Policy analysis

Public speaking

Editing skills

AI in research

Team leadership

Communication skills

Education

Ph.D. preferred or equivalent training

Comparable research background

Tools

Agentic AI tools

Job description

Director of Research

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.