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The Principal Economist leads Lightcast ’s research agenda at the intersection of higher education, labor market outcomes, skills, and the transition from education to work. This role is for a highly credible researcher who understands the challenges facing colleges and universities, from demonstrating the value of education and improving graduate outcomes to aligning programs with changing employer demand and responding to AI's impact on skills and careers.
The Principal Economist will develop influential research, publish original insights using Lightcast data, and serve as a trusted external voice with university presidents, provosts, researchers, policymakers, foundations, and other leaders shaping the future of higher education and work. The ideal candidate combines academic rigor, a strong publication record, deep knowledge of higher education, and an established network across the academic and research community. They should be equally comfortable developing a rigorous research methodology, presenting findings at an academic conference, and discussing the implications with a room of university presidents.
Major Responsibilities:
External Thought Leadership
Develop and execute groundbreaking thought leadership that advances Lightcast ’s mission across global audiences, with an emphasis on education, skills, careers, and labor market outcomes.
Lead creative, rigorous, and high-impact research and data analysis that supports Lightcast ’s strategic goals and priorities.
Translate Lightcast data into compelling messages, research publications, and broader communications and marketing campaigns.
Serve as an external-facing labor market expert through media interviews, research papers, blog posts, social media, podcasts, and other public channels.
Represent Lightcast at conferences, expert groups, advisory committees, and other influential forums.
Build a visible personal brand in coordination with the Lightcast brand.
Research Agenda Ownership
Define and own Lightcast ’s education, workforce, and future-of-work research agenda around higher education and education-to-work outcomes.
Identify high-impact research questions and emerging trends that inform institutional strategy, workforce policy, and economic development.
Establish a multi-year research roadmap focused on labor market change, talent pipelines, workforce development, skills evolution, and the impact of AI on learning and work.
Lead cross-functional collaboration with product, data, and go-to-market teams to ensure research supports strategy, market positioning, and stakeholder engagement.
Maintain rigorous methodological standards while balancing innovation, timeliness, and relevance.
Leverage Lightcast ’s labor market and skills data to generate actionable insights that improve alignment between education, workforce systems, employers, and labor market demand.
Ecosystem Influence and Partnerships
Build and strengthen relationships with universities, government agencies, think tanks, foundations, workforce organizations, and industry associations.
Establish Lightcast as a trusted partner within workforce, education, economic development, and policy ecosystems.
Develop strategic partnerships and collaborative research initiatives that expand Lightcast ’s reach, credibility, and influence.
Advise policymakers, institutional leaders, and partner organizations on labor market trends and workforce strategy.
Participate in advisory councils, task forces, and expert networks that shape workforce, education, and economic policy.
Business Development
Create opportunities to engage prospective clients, partners, policymakers, and other stakeholders through thought leadership and executive-level conversations.
Support business development through strategic presentations, executive briefings, proposals, and client-facing research.
Advise go-to-market teams on complex customer opportunities, strategic relationships, and high-profile engagements.
Generate and influence pipeline through research visibility, speaking engagements, executive networking, and ecosystem relationships.
Lead or support opportunity strategy, solution framing, and stakeholder engagement for select high-value opportunities.
Education and Experience:
Advanced degree in economics, labor economics, public policy, workforce development, education, or a related field preferred.
Significant experience leading research related to higher education, education-to-work transitions, graduate outcomes, the economic value of education, skills, career pathways, or the relationship between education and labor market demand.
Experience with a university, institutional research organization, university-based research center, academic research institution, or higher-education policy organization strongly preferred.
Demonstrated track record of publishing influential research and translating complex data into clear, actionable insights.
Strong relationships across government, education, workforce, research, policy, or economic development ecosystems.
Experience advising policymakers, institutional leaders, executives, or partner organizations.
Proven ability to develop strategic partnerships and collaborative research initiatives across sectors.
Experience supporting business development, executive engagement, client strategy, or commercially relevant research preferred.
Background in a leading research institution, university, think tank, government agency, workforce organization, economic mobility organization, or labor market data organization strongly preferred.
Experience as a current or former fellow, scholar, senior researcher, policy leader, or practitioner focused on workforce development, labor economics, skills, education, or future-of-work issues preferred.
Former White House, federal agency, state workforce policy, or similar public-sector leadership experience is highly valued.
Strong written, verbal, presentation, executive communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to balance methodological rigor, public influence, relationship building, and commercial impact.
Ability to travel approximately once per month, with additional travel for major research launches, speaking engagements, and strategic initiatives.
Preference for candidates located in or near Washington, DC, due to the role’s policy, government, and ecosystem engagement responsibilities.
Lightcast is a global leader in labor market insights, with headquarters in Moscow, ID (US) and offices in the United Kingdom, Europe, and India. We work with partners across six continents to help drive economic prosperity and mobility by providing the insights needed to build and develop our people, our institutions and companies, and our communities.
Lightcast is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and does not discriminate on the basis of federally protected statuses. Lightcast has always been, and always will be, committed to diversity of thought and unique perspectives. We seek dynamic professionals from all backgrounds to join our teams, and we encourage our employees to bring their authentic, original, and best selves to work.