Policy Fellow - Market Shaping Accelerator

Center for Global Development; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Office in DC area

Job summary

The Center for Global Development (CGD) is an independent, non-partisan policy research organization in Washington, DC. CGD seeks a Policy Fellow with a strong microeconomics foundation to design pull mechanisms like Advance Market Commitments and drive adoption by governments and multilateral institutions.

The Fellow will translate economic reasoning into practical policy proposals, test ideas for feasibility, and build relationships with policymakers and researchers to advance actionable

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in economics, public policy, or a related field with strong microeconomic theory.
• 12 or more years of relevant experience.
• Excellent analytical economics writing and communication skills for nonacademic audiences.
• Ability to apply economic reasoning to real policy choices and engage with economists on incentives, market failures, and policy designs.
• Substantial policy practice or applied research experience engaging policymakers or institutions.
• Track record of independently leading complex work with limited supervision.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and credibility with senior policy counterparts.
• Interest in using market shaping to address global health, pandemic preparedness, climate change, or development.

Responsibilities

• Lead policy workstreams from idea development through engagement and follow-through, in topic areas including at-risk financing.
• Develop strategies for policy adoption: identify relevant decision-makers and potential champions, understand institutional priorities and decision processes, and recommend 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 clear, persuasive policy memos, briefing materials, blogs and proposals that translate economic reasoning and evidence into actionable recommendations.
• Review MSA proposals and outputs for their 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 opportunities for market shaping, and contribute policy judgment across MSA projects.

Skills

Analytical writing

Policy analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Economic reasoning

Independent leadership

Policy design

Independent project leadership

Education

Master’s degree in economics, public policy, or related field

Job description

The Center for Global Development (CGD) is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit policy research organization in Washington, DC, and London, UK that focuses on the issues and institutions that are critical to inclusive development. Through rigorous empirical research and active engagement with the global policy community, CGD focuses on the intersections between the policy and financial priorities of low- and middle-income countries and the governments, institutions, and corporations that can be partners in delivering greater progress.

Founded by Rachel Glennerster, Michael Kremer and Christopher Snyder, the Market Shaping Accelerator (MSA), housed at CGD, aims to catalyze the development of advance market commitments and other market shaping mechanisms to incentivize innovations addressing pressing global challenges including in the areas of global health, pandemic preparedness, climate, AI safety, and drug repurposing. Information on MSA’s current projects can be found on our focus areas webpage. We focus on driving innovation in areas of large social value but incommensurate commercial return in both low- and high-income country settings by identifying promising opportunities, developing high-impact proposals, and engaging with policymakers and funders.

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 drive their adoption by governments, multilateral institutions, and philanthropies. These market shaping tools can help accelerate and scale the innovations society needs to tackle urgent global challenges including biosecurity and climate change. The Policy Fellow will be a thought partner to the MSA directors, bringing practical judgment about institutional constraints, stakeholder incentives, and what it takes to move an idea into implementation.

The successful candidate will be adept at communicating and collaborating with industrial organization economic theorists and policymakers. This person will not be writing economic theory papers but must be in a position to comment on them and help turn them into practical policy proposals. This person will test the logic and feasibility of policy proposals, identifying promising routes to adoption, and building relationships with the people who can help make them happen. The role requires someone who can help set priorities and move work forward independently, with strategic guidance from MSA leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead policy workstreams from idea development through engagement and follow-through, in topic areas including at-risk financing.
• Develop strategies for policy adoption: identify relevant decision-makers and potential champions, understand institutional priorities and decision processes, and recommend 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 clear, persuasive policy memos, briefing materials, blogs and proposals that translate economic reasoning and evidence into actionable recommendations.
• Review MSA proposals and outputs for their 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 opportunities for market shaping, and contribute policy judgment across MSA projects.

Required qualifications

• A 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.
• 12 or more 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, with demonstrated experience engaging policymakers or institutions to develop, shape, or advance policy proposals.
• A 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 the 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.

Desirable 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.
• Contributing to policy adoption or implementation, including navigating institutional barriers and building support among stakeholders.
• Managing more junior staff supporting the analytics of policy design.

Closing date

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The position will close December 1st, 2026, at 11:59 ET.

Salary range

Fellow: $130,000 - $150,000 per annum. Pay commensurate with education, skillset, and experience.

The organization is working in a hybrid environment with all staff required to be in the office at least three days per week. CGD is registered to employ staff living in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Candidates must be able to declare a primary residence in one of these 3 locations.

In compliance with United States federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document upon hire. CGD will sponsor United States work authorization for this position. Any offer of employment requiring sponsored work authorization is contingent on CGD and the candidate’s ability to successfully petition for and secure the necessary work visa(s).

CGD/E is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and celebrates fostering a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive work environment. All persons will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, parental status, veteran status, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age or sexual orientation.