The Tobin Project: Opportunities

Current Openings

Executive Director
The Tobin Project is currently accepting applications and nominations for the position of Executive Director. We are seeking a passionate, creative, strategic individual who cares deeply about ideas and their power to create meaningful change over the long term. The Tobin Project is at a critical inflection point given the strong team and foundation in place and the current political and economic climate, presenting a unique opportunity for the next Executive Director to spearhead initiatives that build and grow the organization to the next stage of influence and impact.

Click here for a link to the full position description and application instructions (PDF).

Additional Opportunities

Program Officers
Program Officers focus on one of the project’s core areas, and have primary in-house responsibility for developing the mechanisms for fostering important new research. They work closely with Tobin scholars in designing and implementing these efforts, which take the form of unique conferences, workshops, as well as academic and popular publications. They also have responsibility for involving policymakers and policy advocates in these projects—both as sources of vital research questions and as audiences for new research findings and frameworks. Program Officers will manage small teams of staff members and interns on program related projects.

Program Officers will be outstanding writers and researchers, ideally with relevant work experience and/or an advanced degree in a relevant related field. The ideal candidate will be comfortable managing teams and working in an entrepreneurial environment, and will have both outstanding people skills and a familiarity with the academic literature related to the specific program area. Compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Research Analysts: Full-time, Term-time, Summer
Research Analyst responsibilities will be especially stimulating and suitable for students considering future careers in academia or in the public policy arena. They will conduct graduate-level research, working both internally with other Tobin staff, and externally to support some of the nation’s top scholars. Research Analysts are given an opportunity to learn about, and grapple with, the nation’s most prominent policy issues, working with Program Officers to identify promising topics for research, plan and organize working group sessions, conferences, and additional opportunities to facilitate interaction between scholars and policymakers, and design other efforts for encouraging and disseminating new scholarly work.

We seek students with strong writing and interpersonal skills, previous research experience in the social sciences, and a passion for civic engagement, ideally with relevant work experience and a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a public policy related field. Research Analysts will need to have a familiarity with the landscape of academic research in their field, and be prepared to survey and assess relevant literature. Positions for Research Analysts in our various programs are open throughout the year, and recent graduates are encouraged to apply.

Development and Operations Assistants
Development and Operations Assistants provide administrative and operational support to the project’s Executive Director and Director of Development and External Affairs and provide support as needed to other Tobin staff. They have the opportunity to learn about all aspects of non-profit management and development, including conducting scheduling, maintaining records, and managing correspondence for the Executive Director and other senior staff; business accounting; human resources outreach and administration; and grantwriting and development research, all while working in a stimulating and intellectually-rigorous office environment. Ideal candidates will have spent at least six months in a rigorous office setting, possess superlative communication and organization skills, and have knowledge of or interest in philanthropic operations and non-profit organizations. The position will be especially suitable for individuals considering future careers in the non-profit and public policy arenas.

Research Fellowships
Graduating law students and doctoral students with outstanding research skills and interest in academic work are encouraged to apply for Tobin Project Research Fellowships, which offer a unique blend of support for scholarly work in one or more of the project’s core areas with the opportunity to gain practical experience shaping the Tobin Project’s programs and steering our research agenda. Candidates are encouraged to submit brief statements of purpose in addition to their resumes and writing sample.

Application Process
Applications should be sent via e-mail to opportunities@tobinproject.org. Applications are due January 15, 2010, but candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications should include a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, your resume or CV, and where you learned of the position.

All applications should also include a writing sample and any relevant academic transcripts (which can be unofficial). In order to expedite the internal sorting and reviewing process, please include your name and the desired position as the only content in the subject line of your e-mail.

The Tobin Project is an equal opportunity employer.

Tobin Project, Inc. is a non-partisan organization recognized as a public charity under Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.

“The project is named for Jim Tobin because he understood something both simple & powerful: that American universities can be an engine of progress in our democracy.”

– United States Representative Rosa DeLauro