Associate Director, National Security Research Division (NSRD) 

Overview  

Creativity thrives where differences in viewpoints and experiences are welcome. At RAND, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusiveness enrich the content, accessibility, and practicality of our research and analysis. Multidisciplinary teams are a hallmark of RAND research, and we strive to create diverse teams to help ensure that our research incorporates many perspectives. RAND employees and Pardee RAND graduate students hail from 50 countries and speak 80 different languages. This is a particularly exciting time to work at the RAND Corporation, a research and analysis organization that was founded after World War II and played seminal roles in helping the United States navigate the Cold War and hundreds of other vexing challenges since then. RAND is building on that foundation to ramp up its efforts to solve humanity’s most pressing challenges and help the United States and US allies navigate one of the most complex and turbulent periods in history.  

Position 

The RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD) is leading the charge for RAND on these new efforts.  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 

• Forces and Resources Policy 

• Navy and Marine Forces 

The Associate Director of RAND NSRD reports to the Vice President, NSRD. 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.    

The NSRD Associate Director serves as the Deputy Director for the RAND Vice President and Director of NSRD, including guiding 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. 

Responsibilities 

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

• provide intellectual leadership for division research  

• have a proven track record in business development  

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

• be able to oversee a complex enterprise featuring dozens of distinct workstreams including oversight of multi-disciplinary analyses  

• oversee 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 

• ensure that briefings, written reports, and other products meet RAND standards for quality and objectivity  

• provide consistent and high-quality advice to the Vice President and Director of NSRD as part of the leadership team  

• assist in recruiting, onboarding, developing and mentoring RAND staff while supporting corporate and division diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives.  

Qualifications  

• An excellent track record in national security policy through deep experience in government, FFRDCs, academia, or related sectors. The record should demonstrate strong research and analysis capabilities, deep knowledge of national security policy, excellent leadership and organizational management capabilities, and the ability to build business and to maintain and manage a complex research program.  

• Exceptional abilities in interpersonal relations, maintaining staff and client relationships, and in written and oral communications. All staff at RAND must have a strong commitment to RAND’s core values of quality and objectivity. 

• Demonstrated leadership skills including commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion principles to include developing diverse teams and creating an inclusive work environment.  

Education

Advanced degree in a National Security discipline, Policy Analysis, Engineering, Economics, Operations Research, Information Science, or related field. Master’s Degree required; PhD is a plus.  

Experience  

• Experience equivalent to RAND senior-level researcher (a minimum of 8 years conducting or overseeing policy research and 10+ years of experience in the national security community is desired), including experience managing complex teams in a client-oriented environment.  

• Experience working directly with senior national security officials is required. 

 Security Clearance 

An active Secret clearance is required. Candidate must be eligible for a Top-Secret clearance. 

Location  

Washington, DC; Pittsburgh, PA; or Santa Monica, CA (strong preference for Washington or Pittsburgh)  

Application Review 

Review of applications will begin on the 28th of November 2022. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: race/color/religion/sex/sexual orientation/gender identity/national origin/disability/vet