Director, Policy-to-Project Development
Center on Economics & Foreign Affairs · United States
full timehybridDirector
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Converts CEFA research and policy recommendations into project concepts, implementation plans, partnerships, funding strategies, and measurable development initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Identify research findings and policy priorities that can be translated into practical programs or project concepts. - Define the public problem, target beneficiaries, implementation pathway, delivery partners, resource needs, and measurable outcomes. - Test concepts with government, industry, finance, research, and community stakeholders before recommending advancement. - Develop implementation briefs, partnership frameworks, funding strategies, and stage-gate materials. - Create feedback loops so project evidence improves CEFA's research and policy recommendations. Reporting & working relationships Reports to a strategy, programs, or project-development leader. Works across research, government partnerships, finance, project teams, fellows, external experts, and intended beneficiaries. Authority & limits May lead assigned programs, staff, outreach, negotiations, and approved expenditures within written delegation. Final contracts, capital commitments, securities activity, public positions, and material partnership terms require authorized approval.
Required qualifications
- Experience spanning policy analysis and implementation, economic development, program design, consulting, government, or project development. - Strong analytical writing and an ability to translate complex recommendations into sequenced, owned actions. - Skilled facilitator able to work across public, private, academic, and community perspectives.
Preferred qualifications
What success looks like: - Policy work connected to credible implementation pathways and named partners. - Project concepts with documented mission fit, beneficiary logic, risks, and resource requirements. - Faster movement from research findings to pilots, programs, or development initiatives. - Evidence from implementation incorporated into future CEFA analysis.
Benefits
Employment classification: Paid senior staff position. Status: Full-time. Term: Ongoing employment, subject to applicable law and CEFA policies. Compensation: Salary and benefits commensurate with experience and CEFA's approved compensation framework. Performance cycle: Annual objectives with regular check-ins and a formal performance review. Work arrangement: Location, travel, schedule, and exempt/nonexempt status determined for the final role and jurisdiction.
Equal opportunity
CEFA is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration without regard to any legally protected characteristic.
About Center on Economics & Foreign Affairs
CEFA is a mission-driven nonprofit institution connecting research, policy, capital, and public- and private-sector partners to advance economic development and foreign-affairs priorities at national scale.