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 Research Analyst will quickly and effectively study various domains, global issues, and their related challenges. The Analyst will work with senior analysts on outlining the most appropriate research methodology for a given topic and will assist them in developing a research framework and plan and execute research efforts to deliver high quality products on time. The Analyst will also play a key role in the development and execution of an on-line community of experts and practitioners that will inform the project 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 a significant number of interviews with a variety of subject matter experts to gain key insights and elements related to the research. The Analyst will also figure prominently in the development and execution of labs and workshops and will contribute to the editing and drafting of project deliverables. 

Responsibilities

• Works under the direction of the lead Project Manager;
• Manages on-line community development on behalf of the project team and contributes regularly in online community discussions;
• Leads project activities by developing and/or modifying new project plans to organize and track project progress;
• Responsible for initiating calls and meetings by creating and reviewing meeting documents as well as agenda setting;
• Maintains a detailed understanding of project goals and clearly communicates progress and recommendations for improvement to the project team;
• Conducts research through the analysis of social, technological, economic, ecological, and political frameworks;
• Executes interview-based primary research with thought leaders, advisors, industry contacts and sponsors;
• Leads research tasks as necessary and as directed by lead Analyst;
• Works across departments to maximize resources and ensure that appropriate processes are followed;
• Plans events and workshops;
• Creates content based on research analysis including client-ready presentations and reports;
• Liaises with Marketing, IT and Communications teams to ensure alignment and to execute the on-time delivery of final products;
• May perform other duties as assigned.
• Travel for this role is expected to be minimal.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Public Policy, International Affairs, International Development, Global Health, MBA or related field preferred;
• 2-3 years of relevant experience;
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment with evolving needs and quickly changing priorities;
• Proven primary and secondary research skills;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Highly organized with the ability to multi-task;
• Excellent presentation skills;
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Comfortable working independently and as part of a team;
• Microsoft Office and Google Suite knowledge and expertise;
• Time-management skills. 

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.