Chief Economist - Washington Center for Equitable Growth

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is actively committed to promoting and maintaining the importance of diversity to its work. We encourage everyone across the spectrums of race, ethnicity, nationality, ability, age, gender identity and expression, educational background, sexual orientation, and religion to apply. 

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is a nonprofit research and grantmaking organization dedicated to advancing evidence-backed ideas and policies that promote strong, stable, and broad-based economic growth. Equitable Growth engages with academics and policymakers to better understand economic inequality in the United States and its impact on economic growth. Important elements of Equitable Growth's mission include grantmaking to academic economists and other social scientists to support new research on inequality, mobility, growth, and related issues, as well as work to apply the best available academic evidence to the policy world. Building a stronger bridge between academics and the policy community and elevating researchers and their work with the news media are both key to our work, with the goal of making new research relevant, accessible, and informative to the policymaking process.  

Summary

Equitable Growth has an immediate opening for a chief economist who is skilled at applying academic evidence to policy debates. The chief economist at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth is a spokesperson for the organization on economic issues and policy debates.

The chief economist is expected to be able to speak broadly about organizational issue areas and to stay aware of economic policy discussions in the public sphere. The chief economist may be deployed on the president and CEO's behalf to speak to the media, government officials, and advocacy organizations.

Responsibilities

Spokesperson: The chief economist will be the economic spokesperson for the organization, as determined by the Communications & Marketing team and/or the president and CEO. The chief economist will be called upon to provide an organizational voice to address an issue or when an interview covers multiple policy issues.

Content development: The chief economist will support strategic content discussions and Equitable Growth's annual competitive grant program and commissioned research.

Fundraising: Participate in funder conversations in which a chief economist perspective would be helpful.

Content review: Support peer review of content developed by other policy leaders within the organization as determined by the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy. Work across departments to ensure communications and messages accurately reflect economic trends and developments.

Education

• Advanced degree in economics or related field; Ph.D. highly preferred.

Requirements

• 10 years of relevant experience.
• Wide breadth of knowledge about economic issues. While the individual expertise of the person can vary, we have a special preference for the ability to speak to macroeconomics or tie other issues to macroeconomic performance.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Media relations awareness.
• Networks in the economic policy community strongly preferred.
• Ability to provide nuanced analysis quickly on advanced economic topics.

For consideration, please include a cover letter.

EEO: The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.