Senior Research Scholar

Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs seeks a Senior Research Scholar to work with the Sustainable Investing Research Initiative's (SIRI) Founding Director Caroline Flammer on the SIRI Blended Finance programming. SIRI aims to help advance the mobilization of capital towards sustainable development -- especially in lower-income countries -- through dialogue, education, and research. Under the directorship of Dr. Flammer, the candidate will co-lead and drive forward all aspects of the SIRI Blended Finance programming. Specifically, the candidate will lead the organization of SIRI's signature annual Blended Finance Conference and country-focused SIRI Blended Finance Roundtable Discussions, bringing together and fostering dialogue among key players from the public and private sectors, policymakers, and academia. The candidate will also write high-level reports summarizing the key insights and discussion points of each convening; develop case studies on blended finance; and help drive forward research activities in blended finance. Moreover, the candidate will lead efforts in expanding SIRI's Blended Finance programming (especially in lower-income countries), corporate partnerships and fundraising. This includes but is not limited to the launch of Blended Finance research labs. In addition, the candidate will drive forward the launch of SIRI's executive education programming in Blended Finance and, if interested, may teach in the executive education program. This is a unique opportunity for a seasoned expert in blended finance, development finance, or sustainable investing who combines thought leadership, applied research experience, strategic convening skills, and partnership building across public and private capital ecosystems. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable in academic and practitioner settings, able to translate rigorous research into actionable insight for diverse stakeholders.

The incumbent will co-direct the blended finance program at SIRI, overseeing its strategic direction and ensuring alignment with SIRI's broader mission; foster partnerships with academic institutions, private sector entities, and public agencies to advance blended finance research and practice; as well as develop and manage budgets for research projects and programs.

Furthermore, the incumbent will be expected to co-organize SIRI Blended Finance convenings and take the lead in writing high-level reports summarizing the key insights and discussion points; develop case studies; and conduct original research on blended finance mechanisms, focusing on their applications in addressing global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty and inequality; and collaborate with other researchers to develop and publish research in peer-reviewed journals.

The incumbent will contribute to the development of educational materials on blended finance for students and professionals; and may teach in executive education programs to enhance the capacity of current leaders in blended finance.

The ideal candidate has a PhD (or other relevant graduate degree) and is recognized as an expert in the field of blended finance with demonstrated leadership, applied research and publication experience, strategic convening skills, and partnership building experience across public and private capital ecosystems. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable in academic and practitioner settings, able to translate rigorous research into actionable insight for diverse stakeholders. PhD degree in a relevant field (economics, finance, political science, or sustainable development) is strongly preferred. Experience in cross-sector collaborations between finance, financial markets, and development finance is valued.

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.