Senior Director of Policy and Research - Economic Security Project

The Economic Security Project (ESP) advocates for ideas that build economic power for all Americans by legitimizing bold concepts through cutting-edge research and the elevation of key champions. By winning concrete policy victories for communities in immediate need and provoking conventional wisdom, the organization actively shifts the boundaries of what is considered possible in the economic landscape.

About the role

ESP is seeking a Senior Director of Policy and Research to help lead its policy team. This senior leadership role partners closely with the Vice President of Policy and Research to manage the department, from setting strategy and priorities to overseeing the budget and developing program managers. The Senior Director will build a strong team and advance an ambitious policy and research agenda aimed at rebuilding economic security for working people.

Responsibilities

• Team Management (30%)
  • Oversee the workflows that create research and policy products and events and manage several program managers responsible for executing that work.
  • Set short-term and long-term priorities across the team’s portfolio toward the highest-impact work.
  • Coach, mentor, and develop program managers, including through regular feedback and support for their career growth.
  • Serve as a member of the Senior Team, working as a connector across the organization, including campaigns, communications, and development, to ensure alignment.
  • Build an inclusive, mission-driven team culture, modeling ESP’s core values in everyday work and approach to team-building.
• Policy Research Leadership and Strategy (50%)
  • Develop team strategy, aligning work for maximum impact in the short term while aiming toward longer-term change over three to five years.
  • Propose, plan, and execute projects to advance work at the federal and state level.
  • Oversee commissioned policy and research projects with external research partners.
  • Support ESP colleagues in producing and understanding research relevant to their work, including synthesizing external research for internal and external audiences, producing updated research, policy briefs, and factsheets.
  • Support the ESP team in writing or preparing for events or media opportunities related to research.
  • Work with ESP’s executive and development teams to support fundraising via writing and meeting with funders.
  • Ensure the methodological quality, analytical rigor, and strength of arguments in produced materials, drawing on diverse expertise and the experiences of affected communities.
• External Engagement and Ideas Advocacy (20%)
  • Develop and lead initiatives to advance new economic policy ideas, with a focus on building broader external support across partners for the agenda.
  • Build and sustain partnerships with academics, think tanks, advocacy organizations, community-based groups, and peer organizations to share work and build support.
  • Provide technical assistance to policymakers and partner groups on policy impacts and policy design.
  • Partner with the ESP events team to host workshops, convenings, and meetings that bring partners together around the agenda.

Requirements

• Solid track record in leading projects and developing colleagues, with readiness to manage a diverse team.
• Policy expertise in economic security, with familiarity with the economics and evidence on fixing broken markets (regulation, competition) and broken incomes (social insurance, taxes, wages).
• Careful editor and persuasive writer capable of distilling complex ideas for policy and public audiences.
• Proven track record of leadership and moving people on issues.
• Extensive experience liaising with policy experts, legislative staff, and government officials on economic policy issues.
• Familiarity with quantitative methods and experience working in a statistical programming language (e.g., R, Stata, Python).
• Awareness of current trends and debates on the economy.
• Strategist who enjoys seeking out new opportunities and is proactive in forming partnerships to advance goals; familiarity with the economic policy, think tank, and advocacy community in Washington, DC.
• Experience managing a departmental or project budget, with the ability to strategically allocate resources to maximize programmatic impact.
• Previous roles analyzing research, legislation, and white papers to identify key information and translate implications for different bodies of work.
• Collaborative team player who is strategic and solutions-oriented.
• Proactive self-starter who follows through, cares about outcomes and results, and approaches work with rigor.
• Comfort with public speaking and presentations on policy topics.

Benefits

ESP supports employee well-being through flexible remote work, regular office closures, and a five-year sabbatical program. The organization is committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring policies are informed by diverse lived experiences while investing heavily in professional development.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $160,000 – $195,000, depending on experience and location.

Schedule

This is a remote, full-time role with a virtual office and staff across the country.