MSA is hiring for a position based in Washington D.C. that may be filled at either the Fellow or Senior Fellow level, depending on the successful candidate's qualifications and experience. We welcome applications both from economists finishing a PhD and from those with several years of post-PhD experience. We are looking for candidates with expertise in economics and a strong interest in market shaping, pull incentives, and innovation policy. The successful candidate will have policy or research experience at the intersection of economic theory, industrial organization, market design, innovation policy, and/or related applied policy research. This position is a good fit for candidates with a strong desire to apply insights from their research to the design of real-world pull mechanisms and advance innovation policy more broadly.
The fellow/senior fellow will develop and implement a research agenda on how market shaping mechanisms can align private incentives with social value to accelerate innovation for global public goods. This work may include designing and evaluating pull mechanisms-such as advance market commitments, prizes, milestone payments, and other outcome-based funding models-in areas where commercial returns fall short of social benefits, including in global health, pandemic preparedness, climate, AI risk/safety, and other high-value innovation priorities. The work involves policy design both domestically and internationally.
The fellow/senior fellow will sit on the MSA team and lead this work. They will also be one of a wider group of CGD fellows they liaise with and contribute to, engaging external audiences and supervising research assistants on discrete tasks.
Responsibilities include:
- Design and lead a research agenda that combines economic modeling, quantitative analysis, institutional knowledge, and practical policy design to inform market-shaping mechanisms and generate actionable recommendations
- Help mobilize funding for MSA's work on market shaping and innovation policy
- Represent MSA externally through speaking engagements, blogging, and public and private convenings, and engage at a high level with key individuals and groups in the donor, policymaker, and technical/domain expert communities
- Publish reports, papers, policy briefs, and short, timely commentary that incorporate quantitative findings targeted to policymakers, philanthropic funders, the development community, and CGD's public audience
- Provide analytical support to colleagues' research, and supervise and mentor associate staff
All candidates should have the following qualifications and skills:
- A PhD in economics, completed or expected before the start date, with training in economic theory, industrial organization, market design, innovation economics, or a related subfield
- A Keen interest in policy impact and a demonstrated ability to take a policy project from ideation through to execution
- Strong analytical training, including facility with microeconomic theory, applied modeling, quantitative analysis, and the ability to build simple, transparent models that translate technical economic ideas into policy-related recommendations.
- Judgment in identifying high-impact policy and economic questions, a commitment to translating research into concrete policy outcomes, and a pragmatic understanding of the objectives and constraints policymakers operate under
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex findings for diverse audiences, as well as high-level organizational skills
- Ability to work independently within a small, closely-knit organization and to contribute to the development of new institutions
For the Senior Fellow position, we are looking for the following additional qualifications:
- At least five years of relevant experience beyond the PhD, with a distinguished body of work in the program area
- Prominence in the area of market shaping/innovation policy and strong professional relationships across the relevant research, policy, and funding communities
- A track record of generating external financial support for research programs
- Experience managing complex research and policy projects and supervising or mentoring junior colleagues
Closing date: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. However, candidates will be reviewed and invited for virtual interviews on two cycles:
the first review deadline is Nov 1, 2026, and the second review deadline is February 1, 2027. The position will close March 1st, 2027, at 11:59 ET.
Salary range:
Fellow: $130,000 - $150,000 per annum.
Senior Fellow: $170,000 - $190,000 per annum.
Pay commensurate with education, skillset, and experience.
Interested candidates should submit (1) a cover letter indicating which level you are applying for and describing your interest in joining the MSA team and your experience with market shaping, innovation policy, industrial organization, market design, or related economic-policy analysis, (2) a writing sample such as a research paper that demonstrates your analytical writing skills-either a published or working paper (an additional policy-facing piece of 500-1,000 words is also welcome) and (3) a CV.
We manually review applications; no AI or automated filters are used to screen candidates. 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.
Read about CGD's benefits package here.
