Vice President - Economic Security & Technology Department
At CSIS we actively seek to employ a diverse group of people who embody our organizational values. We welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization established in 1962 to provide strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision-makers concerned with global security and prosperity. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest organizations of its kind, with a staff of some 200 employees, including more than 120 analysts working to address the changing dynamics of international security across the globe.
A key pillar of CSIS, the Economic Security and Technology Department (EST) serves as a center of excellence for strategic insights and policy solutions for the United States and its partners to sustain economic and technological advantages essential to their long-term prosperity, security, and resilience in the face of global threats. The Department and its nearly dozen programs, projects and initiatives focus on areas shaping global technology and commercial competition and their role in national security—economic policies related to trade, investment, intellectual property, and innovation; advanced and strategic technologies such as AI, semiconductors, digital, quantum, and cybersecurity; energy security and climate, as well as economic relations with China and with partners.
EST seeks a Vice President to help position the newly formed Economic Security & Technology (EST) Department as a global center of excellence on to advance nonpartisan and practical policy solutions at the intersection of economic security and technology leadership. The Vice President reports to and works directly with the Department President in helping to implement the EST strategic vision, generate influence, and deliver tangible policy impact.
To that end, the Vice President must have a strong grasp of key policy issues related to economic security and technology, a sophisticated understanding of political realities, and extensive network across senior policymakers (including on Capitol Hill), in the media and the private sector. The VP must also have a track-record with institutional building and organization development as well as an ability to mobilize resources at scale and cultivate a diverse consortium of donors. The VP must also exhibit strong leadership and management skills with the ability to guide the strengthening of research methods, data, and analytics; foster collaboration among scholars and their teams; conduct high-level outreach; and collaborate with other CSIS departments.
The salary band for this role is $190,000 -$250,000, commensurate with experience.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Strategy and Vision : Work closely with the Department President to implement the EST strategic plan; builds influence across business, government, and the research community; and delivers policy impact by moving EST-wide policy priorities. Help the Department ensure that the implementation, influence, and impact priorities align with donor interests and team capability. Develop outreach and engagement plans to communicate EST’s strategic insights to target audiences across government, business, and the research community, while building a long-term base of support for EST.
• Institution Building : Help lead the ongoing institutionalization of the Department within the new CSIS operating model. Provide direction and inspiration to the EST leadership team, the EST Chief of Staff and front office team, and broader department to ensure their effectiveness, programmatic success, policy impact and influence. Enable and empower EST scholars and affiliates to drive innovative research proposals, publications, events, videos, and various public and private engagement opportunities. Foster a culture of collaboration within the EST department and across other CSIS departments to deliver impact and influence.
• Thought Leadership and Innovation : Lead the Department’s new initiatives around data and data visualization and its renewed focus on tracking and assessing policy impact. Additionally, serve as an active leader in the domestic and foreign policy community on one or more topics related to economic security and technology, to include that data and / or impact initiatives. Lead collaborative research projects that advance critical issues in the field of economic security and technology. Leverage CSIS’s platform and convening power to foster new policy ideas, influence U.S. government leadership, and produce public goods that advance the EST agenda.
• Fundraising and Donor Management : Help quarterback the Department’s strategic resource mobilization efforts to ensure longer term and more predictable resourcing of EST’s ambitious research agenda. Work closely with the President and other EST scholars to develop signature project proposals to support programming costs. Shape EST’s fundraising strategy, write proposals for new opportunities, maintain relationships with donors, and foster new partnerships in line with the broader EST agenda.
KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION, AND EXPERIENCE:
• A senior leader with at least 15 years professional experience in the Federal government and / or the private sector, with a demonstrated track-record in driving policy and legislation, change management, and institutional building.
• Substantial bipartisan network with connectivity to U.S. policy officials (U.S. agencies, executive branch, congressional members/staff) and decisionmakers in the economic and technology policy and international business communities.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and analytical skills to produce and guide publications from start to finish, along with a strong interest in using innovative data and data visualization techniques to communicate policy insights.
• Confident and persuasive with strong influencing skills and the ability to effectively present technical information. Proven collaboration and consensus building with relationship development skills across boundaries. Adept at building strong, trust-based relationships with a range of internal and external constituents, including the ability to interpret the needs of diverse stakeholders.
• Have an entrepreneurial energy with the interest and ability to secure and shepherd funding. Bold thinker with appetite for risk and innovation, able to lead creative research projects as well as craft successful fundraising strategies.
• Proven success in creating an energizing and positive work environment and aligning individual goals with overall objectives. Effective performance management and leadership of teams and developing and mentoring talent.
• A transparent leader who operates with the highest level of integrity and ethics, instilling a strong sense of accountability within a team.
Physical requirements and work conditions
This position will be based out of our Washington DC headquarters and is expected to be in-office. The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee working in an office environment. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
How to apply
Interested applicants should submit:
• A 1-2 page cover letter followed by a 1-2 page resume in a single PDF document. Please title the document “[Your name] cover letter and resume.” The cover letter should clearly demonstrate why you are interested in this position and what distinguishes your background from other applicants.
• A writing sample (up to 5 pages; may be an excerpt from a longer piece) on a relevant topic. Please title the document “[Your name] writing sample”
Applications should be submitted via careers.csis.org. Please do not submit additional materials (references, transcripts) etc. These will be requested if needed during the interview process.
To submit an application for this position, click the “Apply” button below, and you will be redirected to our secure recruitment portal.
Required Skills
Required Experience