Director of Research
FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit research center focused on technology innovation, cybersecurity, AI-related threats, and U.S. national security.
Funding history
Investors
About FDD Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation
CCTI is an internal center of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. It combines research, experimentation, and interdisciplinary study to develop technology, governance, and policy responses to cyber and emerging-technology threats. Its stated initiatives include CSC 2.0, the Transformative Cyber Innovation Lab, and cyber-enabled economic warfare research.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will lead editorial operations for short- and long-form publications, ensure editorial quality, and manage high-volume workflows. You will supervise research analysts, support their development, refine their research and writing, and evaluate their output. You will facilitate the use of AI tools for original research while maintaining analytical rigor. You will coordinate research publicity with communications colleagues, conduct and publish research in your area of expertise, and serve concurrently as a Research Fellow or Senior Fellow.
Requirements
- Ph.D. preferred, or comparable training and research experience
- 8–15 years of professional experience in research, government, and policy-related roles
- Two or more years of policy-facing experience in the executive or legislative branch of the federal government preferred
- Broad expertise in foreign affairs and national security
- Advanced professional editing skills
- Ability to manage high-volume editorial workflows involving several dozen authors
- Advanced professional writing skills
- Understanding of the strengths and limitations of AI for original research
- Public speaking and communication ability for presentations and broadcast-media interviews
- Interpersonal skills, leadership ability, empathy, and emotional intelligence
- Residence in or ability to relocate to the Washington, DC metropolitan area
Responsibilities
- Lead the editorial team and ensure the quality of publications
- Manage editorial workflow for short- and long-form publications
- Supervise research analysts and support their professional development
- Refine analysts' research and writing skills and evaluate their output
- Facilitate the adoption of AI tools for original research while ensuring analytical rigor and integrity
- Coordinate with the communications team to publicize research through print, online, and broadcast media
- Conduct research and publish widely in an area of expertise
- Produce and publicize research with an impact on U.S. foreign policy and national security
- Serve concurrently as a Research Fellow or Senior Fellow
Benefits
- Health care coverage based on eligibility
- Up to two days per week of telework