Senior Vice President and Chief Research Officer (SVP & CRO)

Position description

The Senior Vice President and Chief Research Officer (SVP & CRO) reports directly to the President and CEO. This role oversees and directs all RAND research activities, including organizing and delivering RAND research to sponsors while ensuring that all completed research meets RAND’s standards for quality and objectivity. Key responsibilities of this role include both developing and implementing research strategies, leading teams of managers and researchers, overseeing all business division activities and the recruitment, hiring, and training of RAND’s research staff.

Position Description

The incumbent is responsible for overseeing seven research divisions, four of which are Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and two international subsidiaries. Additionally, the incumbent provides oversight of RAND’s research staff departments, which house all research staff, and research operations, which encompass quality assurance and the protection of human subjects. Equally critical to this role is fostering strong stakeholder engagement, building collaborative partnerships, and maintaining trusted relationships with external clients, donors, and grantors to advance RAND’s mission and impact.

Responsibilities include:

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop and implement the overall research strategy and agenda, aligning research initiatives with organizational goals and priorities.

• Define research vision and priorities. Develop RAND’s research plans in collaboration with research division leaders.

• Monitor trends and developments in key markets to identify emerging issues and research business opportunities.

• Develop and manage RAND’s independent research program.

• Develop policies and collaborate with the SVP for Finance and Operations to develop RAND business plans.

• Support Board of Trustees activities as directed by the CEO and provide direct support to the CEO.

Research Oversight and Team Management:

• Organize research business divisions, research staff departments, and research operations to deliver high-quality research results.

• Create efficient research processes to ensure timely delivery of research results while maintaining high-quality standards.

• Ensure the research organization adopts available technology to be an AI-ready force.

• Sustain individual research portfolio.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships:

• Build and maintain external relationships with clients.

• Maintain leadership relationships with other Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and prominent research organizations.

Resource Management:

• Manage the department’s budget, resources and processes to ensure the efficient delivery of high-quality work products on time and within budget.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in national security and social and economic policy.

• Direct experience working with senior U.S. government officials.

• Extensive experience in research design, program management, and policy analysis.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Proven executive experience in complex, matrix-managed organizational settings.

• Demonstrated general and technical management experience.

• Knowledge of Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) activities.

• Proven ability to engage with top U.S. government officials and international officials.

• Ability to travel to all RAND offices, research locations, and client locations approximately 20% of the time.

• Must refrain from all partisan political activity.

• Must maintain a daily office presence in a main RAND operating location.

Preferred Qualifications

• Established network within U.S. government and research organizations.

• Experience working in the U.S. executive branch.

• Familiarity with AI technologies and their Application in research.

Education Requirements

Master’s Degree or equivalent required in a relevant field (e.g., public policy, national security, economics); PhD preferred

Experience

• Minimum of 18 years in a non-profit research institute or university setting, or a for-profit entity that has significant government client relationships, or a government setting.

• Minimum 10 years of proven research leadership or related experience at the senior executive-level

Security Clearance

Eligibility to obtain and maintain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Fitness and Department of Defense (DoD) Top Secret security clearance is required. Please note that U.S. citizenship is required to obtain and maintain security clearances.

Location

Daily office presence at a RAND office in Santa Monica, CA; Pittsburgh, PA; or Arlington, VA. Fully remote or hybrid is not available for this role.

Application Review

Review of applications will begin on Monday, October 27, 2025.

Salary Range: $375,000 – $499,000

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on geopolist.com