Research Manager, Low Carbon Innovation Policy – Niskanen Center

The Niskanen Center, a nonpartisan think tank and advocacy organization, is seeking a Research Manager to execute a new initiative developing innovation policies for a low-carbon economy. This new initiative will examine policies that promote public and private investment in low-carbon technologies, while ensuring the transition to a low-carbon economy promotes inclusive regional economic development. 

The Research Manager will lead high-profile research projects in coordination with Niskanen staff and external collaborators, produce written material (blog posts, op-eds, white papers), and promote the results through governing networks in Washington, D.C. Niskanen Center policy research is regularly presented in Congressional testimony, cited by legislators and policy experts, and reported by media outlets. Therefore excellent writing and communication skills are essential, and an entrepreneurial outlook will be rewarded.

This is a term position (12-months), which we will seek to extend or make permanent (contingent on funding and project success). Expected salary range starts at $95,000 annual, but is negotiable commensurate with experience. The Niskanen Center offers a comprehensive package of employee benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance, federal holidays, and unlimited paid leave. For employee safety, the Niskanen Center plans to work  remotely until community transmission of COVID-19 is effectively suppressed, or vaccines/effective treatments are widely available.  

The Research Manager will be expected to:

  • Conceive, plan, and execute a research agenda focused on the interaction of federal policies and innovation in the use and manufacturing of clean energy technologies and business models. 
  • Develop a mapping of existing federal programs and policy levers, evaluate their potential use within a comprehensive decarbonization strategy, and identify gaps in the United States’ green industrial policy apparatus.
  • Identify the sector- and region-specific labor market impacts of the transition to a low-carbon economy, along with strategies to mitigate that impact.
  • Manage outside collaborators to produce timely, high-impact, research papers and policy proposals.
  • Promote Niskanen Center work through webinars, conferences, public writing, and engagement with policymakers and external experts.

A competitive candidate must have:

  • 5+ years of experience analyzing policy issues in climate, energy, industrial policy, or economic development or as a professional in one of those fields. 
  • Experience working within a federal agency or extensive knowledge of the interaction of federal agencies and the private sector for the commercialization of new technologies.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently, leverage resources, tackle new challenges, and think creatively.
  • An undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. public policy, economics, or engineering). Alternative career experience with demonstrated excellence can substitute for formal training. 

The ideal candidate will have:

  • 7+ years of experience. 
  • An advanced degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. public policy, economics, or engineering). 
  • Domain expertise in a relevant technology (e.g. energy storage or clean manufacturing), labor market policy, or regional economic development programs. 
  • Experience promoting research or advocating policy issues with think tanks, advocacy and industry groups, and policymakers and staff. 
  • Experience developing compelling materials for dissemination across different media (written, graphical, audio, and video).

Please send a resume and cover letter to jobs@niskanencenter.org. Applications received before 10/23 will receive full consideration.

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