About XPRIZE

XPRIZE competitions change the world for the better by accelerating innovation life cycles, catalyzing markets, and energizing stakeholders.  

The XPRIZE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and incentivizing breakthroughs to the most critical challenges facing humanity. Since its beginning in 1994, the Foundation has been building and continues to build a vision of hope and abundance for humanity’s future by harnessing the power of innovators, technology, and resources.  

Through incentive prize competitions, XPRIZE enables people to create bold and transformative solutions that are scalable and drive real impact. XPRIZE competitions positively impact both the marketplace and humanity by addressing the market failures that have prevented significant breakthroughs across multiple sectors.  

An XPRIZE… 

sets an audacious but achievable goal that aims to overcome challenges deemed impossible. It tackles some of humanity's most pressing issues by redefining what is achievable and pushing the boundaries of human potential.  

defines and addresses a clear problem through extensive research, a design sprint, and a competition that catalyzes the development of the next breakthroughs to put humanity on the path toward a preferred future state for all. The desired outcome from an XPRIZE is clear and measurable, and the rules of the competition are transparent and easily understood.  

democratizes innovation by encouraging expert and nonexpert participation and multidisciplinary collaboration.  

catalyzes markets and revitalizes stagnant industries by increasing awareness of market failures and accelerating innovations to address them.  

is highly leveraged, with competing teams attracting and mobilizing investment capital, partner support, and new members in pursuit of the prize. Philanthropic dollars are thus magnified in support of a solution.  

Our first XPRIZE, the $10 million Ansari XPRIZE for private spaceflight, spurred an industry and created exponential breakthroughs. Since then we have provided over $140 million in incentives through these competitions. Each prize has created an industry-changing technology that brings us closer to a better, safer, more sustainable world.  

The use of incentive competitions, or prizes, to accelerate innovation goes back over 300 years, to when the British Admiralty launched the Longitude Prize in 1714 to find a better way to navigate our seas. In the years since, several well-known innovations have resulted from incentive competitions, including canning as a form of food preservation (a competition launched by Napoleon in 1795), modern plastics (the Billiard Ball Prize, 1863) and commercial aviation (the Orteig Prize, 1919).  

This is more than a job to us. When you work at XPRIZE, you’re making a positive impact on some of the biggest challenges facing our world. Whether you’re working in prize design or development, marketing and communications, stakeholder relations, business operations or any other department, you’re playing a critical role in turning the impossible into the possible.

Role Summary

The Impact & Design team’s Lead Research Analyst will quickly and effectively study various domains, global issues, and their related challenges. The Analyst will outline the most appropriate research methodology for a given topic, develop a research framework and plan and execute research efforts to deliver high quality products on time. The Analyst will also oversee the development and execution of an on-line community of experts and practitioners that will inform the team’s work through the application of various activities with the community and by collecting relevant data and feedback. The Analyst will also identify key experts and conduct interviews with a variety of subject matter experts to gain key insights and elements related to the research. The Lead Analyst will also delegate work to other team members, share key insights, lead the development and execution of labs and workshops, and take the lead in the editing and drafting of final project deliverables.

Responsibilities

Research

• Designs the research framework, including deciding the research scope, and the relevant approaches and methodologies needed to successfully execute the research;
• Plans the research process, its flow, activities, deliverables and dates;
• Determines resources needed to carry out the research within the project budget and parameters;
• Researches, identifies and incorporates, as necessary, the appropriate methodologies, tools, and standards for the type of research or product;
• Manages the research process, leads the research activities, carries out the research with the support of one other team member, and ensures the integrity, accuracy, and validity of the research findings;
• Competently and appropriately uses multidisciplinary research methodologies, including data collection methods, such as interviews with subject matter experts, and statistical methods, when needed;
• Researches and identifies subject matter experts, and schedules and executes interviews with them, with the assistance or following the lead of one other team member;
• Designs and executes surveys both on the online community and through email dissemination, and uses descriptive statistics to analyze the findings;
• Keeps up to date with topic or industry related news, events, and external opportunities throughout the lifecycle of the project, and uses them as needed to advance the goals of the research and content-related project goals;

Report

• Drafts the reports and major deliverables, with the assistance of one other team member;
• Ensures that the report and other outputs are delivered on time and meet the expected standards;
• Uses the appropriate writing style and standards, and communication style based on understanding of the audiences;

Content and Communication

• Reviews all content-related material, and provides feedback to the colleague assisting in drafting the material;
• Supports the development of the Jr Analysts by providing guidance and instruction, including through introducing new concepts, tools and practices;
• Ensures that feedback is received on time from subject matter experts, content and peer reviewers;
• Ensures the integrity of all outputs, including post-edit, proofread, and design;
• Demonstrates competency and grasp of the subject matter when communicating with experts and external stakeholders, both orally and in writing;

Other Responsibilities

• Determines the research strategy of the project, including how to use the online community, the lab, and other activities to best serve the purpose of the major project deliverable;
• Develops the content of the online community, including for activities, and participates in online community discussions and activities when possible;
• Designs and creates lab activity material, with the support of other team members and through supporting other team members when they take the lead;
• Captures lessons learned and templatizes core components of the research and drafting process;
• Puts in place and manages a system of storing data and research material, including documented feedback from external and internal stakeholders;
• Supports other team members with project-related tasks, as required;
• Drafts and produces other material, such as short reports and summary of lab or other activities, as requested by the Product Lead;
• Represents the project and XPRIZE to external stakeholders, and at external events and venues;
• Contributes to the development of the Impact and Design department, its infrastructure, repertoire of tools and methodologies, and marketing and communication material;
• Provides drafting, editorial and research support to other teams and projects within the Impact and Design department, as needed and when requested;
• Drafts, reviews, edits, and proofreads proposals, op-eds, press releases, and other communication material as requested by the Head of Research and the Chief Impact Officer;
• Works under and reports to the Head of Research.
• Travel for this role is expected to be minimal. 

Qualifications:

• PhD degree and/or equivalent experience (+10 years in analytic roles and/or academic research), and or market research
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment with evolving needs and priorities that may change rather quickly;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Demonstrates excellent judgment;
• Highly organized with the ability to multi-task;
• Critical thinker and problem-solving skills;
• Excellent research management skills;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Team player;
• Good time-management skills;
• Adept at utilizing search engines, web analytics, and other business research tools;
• Experience with and knowledge of a variety of data collection methods;
• Data and metrics mindset for decision making;
• Inquisitive, kind, resourceful, detailed, collaborative, and professional leader;
• Eligibility to work in the US a must;

Come change the world with us.

XPRIZE Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to having a truly inclusive workforce. We do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.