Associate Director Policy Analysis KAUST Policy Institute

About KAUST and The Policy Institute

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a distinguished graduate research university located in Thuwal, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The university focuses on scientific and technological education and research. The Policy Institute at KAUST serves as a key function within the university, dedicated to policy analysis that informs public-sector decision-making.

Role Overview: Associate Director, Policy Analysis

The Associate Director for Policy Analysis leads the policy analysis function within The Policy Institute at KAUST. This full-time role requires 5-10 years of experience and involves providing senior intellectual and managerial leadership. The primary objective is to ensure that all policy analysis projects are analytically rigorous, methodologically sound, and directly relevant to public-sector decision-making within Saudi Arabia. The Associate Director oversees a portfolio of policy analysis projects and collaborates with KAUST leadership and researchers to translate scientific and technical research into clear, decision-focused policy products. A strong understanding of the Saudi policymaking and government context, coupled with expertise in applied policy analysis tools and methods, is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the Institute’s policy analysis portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, sponsor requirements, and delivery timelines.
• Provide intellectual leadership on policy analysis projects, including problem formulation, structuring decision contexts, developing policy options, and assessing trade-offs, risks, and uncertainties.
• Oversee, mentor, and develop experiential learners, including secondees from ministries and other public-sector institutions, to strengthen capacity in applied policy analysis methods, analytical writing, and decision-oriented communication.
• Establish and maintain analytical standards and quality-assurance processes for policy briefs, analytical reports, and presentations.
• Review and provide substantive analytical and editorial guidance to ensure outputs are clear, credible, and useful to senior decision-makers.
• Coordinate policy analysis work across multiple projects and thematic areas, ensuring consistency in methods, assumptions, and framing.
• Collaborate with KAUST researchers to integrate scientific and technical evidence into policy-relevant analytical frameworks.
• Support the development of new policy analysis concepts, proposals, and scopes of work in collaboration with Institute leadership and external partners.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to inform analysis and ensure relevance to government policy processes.
• Monitor developments in Saudi public policy, governance, and policy analysis methods to continuously strengthen the Institute’s analytical capability.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education: A Master’s degree in Policy Analysis, Public Policy, Economics, Political Science, International Relations, Public Health, or a related field from an accredited and internationally recognized university is required. A PhD in Policy Analysis or a closely related field is strongly preferred, with advanced doctoral candidacy considered highly desirable.
• Experience: 5-10 years of experience in applied policy analysis, with demonstrated expertise in relevant tools and methods.

Required Skills and Knowledge

• Strong understanding of the Saudi policymaking and government context.
• Demonstrated expertise in applied policy analysis tools and methods.
• Ability to provide intellectual and managerial leadership for complex policy projects.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and decision-oriented communication skills.
• Capacity to mentor and develop junior analysts and secondees.

Application Process

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply for this full-time position. Salary details will be disclosed during the recruitment process.