Associate Director, National Security Research Division (NSRD)

Job Type:

RAND Overview

The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND’s research and analysis address issues that impact people everywhere, including security, health, education, sustainability, growth, and development. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, RAND has approximately 1,775 people from approximately 55 countries working in offices in North America, Europe and Australia, with annual revenues of $356.2 million.

RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. Our research is sponsored by government agencies, international organizations, and foundations. We rely on philanthropic support to pursue visionary ideas; address critical problems that are under-researched; and devise innovative approaches for solving acute, complex, or provocative policy challenges. RAND values objectivity and integrity in both its research processes and internal interactions. We emphasize a collegial environment that respects the contributions and dignity of all staff.

Division Overview

The RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD) is building on RAND's foundation to solve humanity’s most pressing challenges and to help the United States and US allies navigate one of the most complex and turbulent periods in history. As an international pacesetter in defense and broader national security research and analysis, NSRD helps U.S. and allied leaders overcome seemingly intractable security challenges and manage complex defense institutions. To do so, NSRD builds teams who bring unique perspectives, extensive experience, and diverse skill sets. Our research is objective, fact-based, and data driven. Everything we produce stands up to the highest level of scrutiny, is carefully peer-reviewed, is technically sound, and provides useful, viable solutions.  

We support the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) as well as several non-DoD entities in the United States and abroad. NSRD operates the National Defense Research Institute (NDRI), a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) whose sponsors include the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the defense agencies, and the Department of the Navy. NSRD's research and analysis also supports the governments of a number of U.S. allies and partners, a variety of foundations, and several non-DoD entities, including the U.S. intelligence community and the U.S. Department of State.  

To cover the range of national security and defense issues faced by leaders around the globe, our research is divided into four topic-driven portfolios:  

• International Security and Defense Policy  

• Acquisition and Technology Policy 

• Personnel, Readiness, and Health Forces and Resources Policy 

• Navy and Marine Forces 

NSRD includes 400 active analytical projects at any given time, which generate annual revenue of approximately $70-75 million and involves approximately 500 full- and part-time researchers, and another 40- adjunct staff.

Position Description

The Associate Director of RAND NSRD serves as the Deputy Director for the RAND Vice President and Director of NSRD, including helping to guide the division’s research agenda, expanding its business base in the United States and internationally, developing and executing a 3-year business plan, and ensuring the division’s work meets RAND quality standards and supports sponsors’ needs, in a manner consistent with RAND’s mission to improve policy and decision-making through objective research and analysis.   

Approximately 80% of this position will involve duties related to the management and oversight of the research division. The remaining 20% of the time will involve individual research pursuits. This is a five-year term position, with an option to extend subject to management approval. 

 The Associate Director, reporting to the Vice President and Director of NSRD, will be responsible for:  

• Helping to oversee a complex enterprise featuring numerous distinct workstreams including oversight of multi-disciplinary analyses

• Helping to oversee the allocation of the division’s discretionary accounts for concept development and exploratory research on horizon topics, to build capabilities ahead of sponsor requirements, and extend the reach of NSRD analyses

• Providing intellectual leadership for division research  

• Having a proven track record in business development  

• Having national or international recognition as a national security policy expert in their field  

• Helping to ensure th