National Security Economics Researcher

About the role

Job Type: Regular

Position Description

RAND's Economics, Sociology and Statistics (ESS) department is seeking a National Security Economics Researcher at all career stages to contribute to rigorous, policy-relevant research at the intersection of economics and national security. RAND researchers lead and contribute to projects that deliver objective, rigorous evidence to inform decisionmakers across the defense, intelligence, and foreign policy communities.

Researchers working on national security economics in ESS bring quantitative analytical skills to bear on a wide range of questions, including how U.S. commercial economic power (i.e. the capacity embedded in private firms, markets, and industries) can be identified, protected, and operationalized to advance national security while sustaining domestic prosperity.

Their work spans economic statecraft, sanctions, and export controls; supply chain and critical materials dependencies; the defense industrial base and manufacturing strategy; cost- and benefit-sharing between government and commercial actors; and the strategic implications of concentrated technical expertise in frontier technologies.

Responsibilities

National Security Economics Researchers at RAND apply their analytical and substantive expertise to:

• Design and conduct rigorous economic analyses of national security problems, including how commercial capabilities such as supply chains, financial networks, and technologies can be used to achieve strategic effects, and the secondary and tertiary consequences of doing so.
• Frame priority questions for and help convene small working groups of senior private-sector practitioners; translate government and RAND requirements into workable, unclassified formats; and distill practitioner judgment into objective, evidence-based findings.
• Produce short-form analytic products for U.S. government decisionmakers on timelines matched to the requirement alongside longer-form research on generational challenges such as cost- and benefit-sharing in national security, human capital as a strategic good, and manufacturing as a source of commercial economic power.
• Develop reusable analytic frameworks, models, and tools, including commercially informed tabletop exercises and AI-enabled capabilities for assessing economic leverage, exposure, resilience, and private-sector incentives.
• Communicate research results to national security policymakers and the public through written products and oral presentations.
• Contribute to business development efforts, including proposal writing and cultivating relationships with sponsors in the defense and national security community, as well as with private-sector partners and supporters.
• Mentor junior researchers and contribute to a collaborative, inclusive research environment.

Qualifications

All research positions at RAND require

• Demonstrated training in quantitative research methods
• Strong analytic skills and intellectual curiosity
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• The ability to work effectively as a member of inclusive, multidisciplinary teams
• A strong commitment to RAND's core values of quality and objectivity

Successful applicants will have demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following content areas:

• Economic statecraft, including sanctions, export controls, investment screening, and the national security uses of financial networks
• Industrial organization, supply chains, and the defense and broader industrial base, including manufacturing, critical minerals, energy, and logistics
• Public economics and mechanism design, including measuring and allocating private costs and benefits in public-private collaboration
• Economics of innovation and human capital in frontier technologies such as AI, semiconductors, and biotechnology
• International trade, finance, and macroeconomics as they bear on strategic competition

Experience

We welcome applications from candidates at all stages of their research careers, from recent PhD graduates to experienced senior researchers. Applicants should present evidence of research experience appropriate to their career stage, demonstrated through academic publications, conference presentations, or prior professional research products.

The ability to conceptualize research studies and contribute to business development, commensurate with career stage, is expected. Experience working with private-sector practitioners, for example in finance, energy, manufacturing, technology, or law, or translating market insight for government decisionmakers is highly desirable.

Education Requirements

• A PhD in economics, finance, policy analysis, or a closely related field; or a Master's degree with 10+ years of research experience.
• Economists (with a recent PhD in economics) should apply through Job Openings for Economists (JOE) to ensure application review aligns with the job market cycle.

Security Clearance

The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance is strongly preferred.

• Location
• Washington, DC
• Application Materials/Writing Sample

Additional information

A CV, cover letter, and at least one writing sample of 3 or more pages are required when applying. Applicants are encouraged to use recent research published in academic journals, conference proceedings, or research reports; policy memos or other short-form analytic products are also welcome. Applications should include documentation of academic and professional activities that meet the stated qualifications.

Note that applicants invited to interview will be required to present a seminar describing recent research.

Salary Range: $110,900 - $283,100

• Associate Researcher: $110,900 - $180,300
• Full Researcher: $126,400 - $211,700
• Senior Researcher: $171,800 - $283,100

Hiring ranges for Economists, Management Scientists and Physician Researchers are slightly higher than the ranges shown.

RAND considers a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including but not limited to, the specific role and associated responsibilities; a candidate's work experience, education/training, skills, expertise; and internal equity. Successful candidates will be offered employment as an Associate or Full Researcher, as determined by the candidate's education and experience.

The salary range includes base pay plus RAND's sabbatic pay (which provides additional compensation above base pay when vacation is taken). In addition, RAND provides strong benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, paid time-off and more

Application Deadline

This notice will be open until November 16, 2026.

Equal Opportunity Employer