Associate Director, Global and Emerging Risks Research Division (GER)

Job Type:

Overview

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. For over seven decades, RAND has used rigorous, fact-based research and analysis to help individuals, families, and communities throughout the world be safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. Our research spans the issues that matter most, such as technology policy, national security, education, health care, justice, climate and energy transitions, and inequity and inequality. As a nonpartisan organization, RAND is widely respected for operating independent of political and commercial pressures.

RAND Global and Emerging Risks division delivers rigorous and objective public policy research on the most consequential challenges to civilization and global security. The international security, public safety, and societal challenges these risks present exceeds the responsibility of any one nation, let alone government or department. The division serves as a crossroads for RAND research on global and emerging risks to maintain a concerted focus on these global security challenges, drawing on expertise across the organization.

Position Description

RAND is seeking candidates for the role of Associate Director, Global and Emerging Risks. This position reports to the Vice President and Director, Global and Emerging Risks.

The Associate Director, Global and Emerging Risks plays a central role in RAND’s pursuit of this vision by formulating and overseeing, in close collaboration with the Vice President and Director, Global and Emerging Risks, the division’s strategic plan and management. This includes overseeing the division’s research centers focused on catastrophic threats to humanity from emerging technologies, especially AI and synthetic biology given their rate of development and wide range of applications; understanding the People’s Republic of China to support competition without catastrophe; and extreme climate effects given the disruptive impact of climate on societies. It also includes oversight of RAND’s international chairs and fellows as well as RAND’s methods centers. In addition, the incumbent will work closely with the division director to oversee RAND’s Global and Emerging Risk advisory board, a philanthropic board organized to advise on research areas of global importance.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee, in collaboration with the division director, RAND cross-cutting research centers and initiatives, including: Technology and Security Policy Center; Meselson Center; China Research Center; and Center for Climate and Energy Futures

• Oversee, in collaboration with the division director, RAND international chairs and fellows, including: Tang Chair in China Policy Studies; Taiwan Policy Initiative; Russia and Eurasia Policy Chair; Korea Policy Chair; and Israel Policy Chair

• Oversee, in collaboration with the division director, RAND international chairs and fellows, including: Center for Applied Network Analysis; Center for Causal Inference; Center for Gaming; Center for Qualitative and Mixed Methods; Center for Scalable Computing and Analysis; RAND Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition; and RAND Forecasting Initiative

• Support the development and execution of the division’s strategic plan, including revenue and hiring targets  

• Collaborate with RAND’s U.S. research division leadership teams to enhance their business development, increase the global impact and profile of their work, and ensure a coordinated approach to government engagement and development efforts

• Represent RAND to senior officials, heads of state, and dignitaries around the world, as a shared responsibility with RAND’s President/CEO and other key senior leaders, to enhance RAND’s reputation and impact

• Support RAND’s development campaign by holding events and engaging directly with prospective donors and lead the RAND Global and Emerging Risk advisory board development and stewardship

• Encourage the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies in research processes to enhance methodological rigor and quality.

• Lead efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within the division, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are included in research and analysis.

This is a five-year term position, with an option to extend 1-2 years subject to management approval. Management responsibilities supporting RAND’s Global and Emerging Risks research division will cover half the incumbent’s time. The other half of the incumbent’s time will go towards conducting and/or leading RAND research projects.

Qualifications

• Exceptional executive mana