Senior Expert - Tech & Innovation Thought Leadership job in Washington, D.C.

Position description

We are an organisation that exists to drive progress. That's the “red thread” that connects everyone at The Economist Group (TEG). Our businesses share a devotion to innovation, independence and rigour in their fields of expertise. We empower people to understand and tackle the critical challenges and changes facing the world. Our analytical rigour, global expertise and evidence-based insights enable individuals and organisations to make sense of these shifts and chart a course through them.

We deliver analysis and insights in many formats to subscribers and businesses in 170 countries through our three businesses, The Economist, Economist Enterprise and Economist Education, which uphold our global reputation for excellence and integrity.

Role overview

Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyse progress.

Economist Impact’s Policy & Insights team combines qualitative and quantitative research techniques to generate new insights to support the marketing and communications objectives of businesses, governments and international organisations.

The role of Senior Expert, Tech & Innovation plays a key role in the delivery of Economist Impact’s independent thought leadership research programmes, ensuring the highest standards of editorial quality. Senior Experts typically oversee multiple research projects and serve as key points of contact with our funders and clients. They lead and direct content leads and analysts to undertake research tasks and content production, providing critical direction, oversight and challenge to research, analysis and outputs.

Based in New York, with London also considered, this role will sit within the Global Head, Tech & Innovation team, reporting to the Global Head, Tech & Innovation, and will have a strong global mandate. The Senior Expert will play an important role in shaping and delivering Economist Impact’s Tech & Innovation research and thought leadership across regions, while also contributing to selected projects in other expertise areas where relevant.

The Senior Expert will help shape and deliver high-quality research and thought leadership on the technologies and innovation systems that are transforming economies, industries and societies. The role is primarily one of content and intellectual leadership: designing distinctive research programmes, ensuring analytical rigour, sharpening editorial quality and helping to develop compelling, policy-relevant insight for business, government and other senior audiences. The role will also support proposal development and broader business development efforts, though it does not carry direct commercial targets.

A successful Senior Expert will have demonstrated expertise in Tech & Innovation, strong editorial sensibilities, analytical and critical thinking skills, and superior written and oral communication skills. They will ensure that Economist Impact thought leadership research and content reflects The Economist Group’s core values of independence and integrity while delivering value to clients by appealing to key target audiences.

How you will contribute

Project execution

Serve as the Senior Expert for sponsored thought leadership programmes aligned with Tech & Innovation, with a particular focus on global themes in artificial intelligence, frontier technologies and innovation policy, while also contributing to selected regional and cross-practice projects as needed.
Contribute to programmes across other expertise areas, including trade and geopolitics, sustainability, health and economic competitiveness, as needed.
Be responsible for designing and developing programmes, in addition to overseeing the production of thought leadership content outputs, including reports, briefing papers, articles and infographics, ensuring they reflect the latest trends and context and offer genuinely new insight.
Design, direct and leverage Economist Impact research teams to produce original insight and analysis.
Provide strong content leadership across projects, setting the intellectual direction of programmes and ensuring outputs are analytically rigorous, editorially sharp and relevant to target audiences.
Write and communicate in clear, Economist-style, jargon-free prose.
Direct external contributors and edit content outputs to ensure they meet quality standards and deliver value to clients and target audiences.
Manage multiple research projects and client relationships simultaneously.
Leverage both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to deliver high-quality content.
Undertake qualitative interviews with experts in order to inform and support the production of high-quality insight and content.
Take initial responsibility for final results, quality of content outputs and overall client satisfaction, working closely with Impact Partnership Leads who hold ultimate accountability for programme outcomes, and at times serving as Partnership Leads directly.
Present interim and final project deliverables to clients.

Qualifications

Subject-matter expertise

Serve as an expertise lead for core thematic areas and initiatives within Tech & Innovation, staying on top of the latest global trends and developing ideas for research and flagship initiatives.
Help strengthen Economist Impact’s Tech & Innovation presence by identifying themes, debates and policy developments that can be translated into distinctive thought leadership and commercially relevant programme ideas.
Produce high-quality, compelling and insight-led editorial content in multiple formats, developing a clear editorial line and distinct Impact voice.
Moderate, present research and represent Economist Impact at external, high-profile events.
Contribute to the development of Economist Impact’s perspective on major technology and innovation issues, with a focus on practical, policy-relevant and commercially relevant insights for business and government audiences.
Support the development and articulation of Economist Impact’s house view on the most consequential technology questions facing business leaders, policymakers and wider society, in close collaboration with the Global Head, Tech & Innovation and other colleagues across The Economist Group.

Business development

Actively support business development activities through the generation of compelling ideas and proposals, particularly in relation to Tech & Innovation opportunities.
Partner effectively with commercial colleagues to shape client propositions, contribute to pitches and bring subject-matter authority to programme design.
Build and maintain relationships with key clients and external stakeholders to support the development and renewal of business.
Contribute to business development and proposal work as a senior content lead, without holding direct commercial or revenue targets.

Management / capacity building

Coach, train and mentor other team members in matters of career and personal development.
Work with other parts of The Economist Group to secure valuable input to Economist Impact research projects.
Manage Managers, Senior Analysts and Analysts, including planning and overseeing project resourcing and the career development of team member(s).
Provide day-to-day direction and quality assurance across projects, while escalating broader team or strategic decisions to the Global Head as appropriate.

Priority topic areas (indicative)

The successful candidate will help define and evolve coverage, but expected areas may include:

Artificial intelligence and the economy

AI and the labour market, including job creation and displacement, skills transitions, wage polarisation and workforce strategy
Productivity, growth and competitiveness, including firm-level adoption, diffusion and barriers to scaling
AI governance and steering towards good, including safety, accountability, transparency, auditability, standards and regulation
Geopolitics of AI, including industrial policy, chips and compute, supply chains and national competitiveness
Trust, information integrity and the social impacts of AI, including mis- and disinformation, public services and education

Frontier and exponential technologies

Quantum technologies, including computing, communications, sensing, sectoral implications and timelines
Biotechnology and bio-innovation, including health, synthetic biology, biomanufacturing, governance and ethics
Space and the commercial space economy, including satellites, launch, earth observation, infrastructure, security and sustainability
Advanced manufacturing and robotics, including automation, industrial AI, reshoring and resilience
Next-generation connectivity and infrastructure, including 5G/6G, edge/cloud and cybersecurity
Energy- and climate-adjacent innovation, including grid digitalisation, batteries and clean industrial technologies

Policy, business and innovation systems

Innovation policy and industrial strategy
Technology adoption and diffusion across sectors
Competitiveness, resilience and economic transformation
The intersection of technology, regulation, trade and economic security
Public-private collaboration to accelerate innovation and implementation

The desirable skills, experience and qualifications for this role include

Ten years or more of research, consulting or journalist experience, with at least two years in a managerial position.
Demonstrated subject-matter expertise in Tech & Innovation, including one or more of the following: artificial intelligence, digital policy, frontier technologies, innovation systems, industrial strategy, technology governance, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, productivity or competitiveness.
Strong knowledge of global policy, business and technology dynamics; experience working across regions, and particularly with US and international issues, would be an advantage.
External credibility as a subject-matter expert based on publications, public speaking, media appearances or related profile.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including demonstrated ability to translate complex research and analysis into clear and jargon-free prose highlighting key findings and policy implications.
Strong editorial sensibilities and demonstrated expertise on the relevant topic area, showing a clear understanding of target audience concerns and interest areas, key trends and the ability to identify unique insight that will resonate and stand out.
Strong data and policy analysis skills, with experience working with both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies; ability to resolve complex and unfamiliar problems in a timely manner.
Client management experience; comfort with client interaction and interest in building relationships.
Strong interpersonal skills to create effective working relationships with clients, partners and internal teams.
Proven ability to motivate and lead project teams and meet deadlines under pressure.
Experience contributing to proposal development and supporting business development activities.
Energy and desire to grow as part of a highly entrepreneurial team.

Application instructions

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