Sovereign Debt Forum Fellow

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Requirements

Job Overview

The Institute of International Economic Law (IIEL) at Georgetown Law is seeking a Fellow for the Sovereign Debt Forum, to help lead the research, training, strategy, and program content functions of the Sovereign Debt Forum (SDF) and its leading initiative, #PublicDebtIsPublic (#PDIP). SDF was established in 2019 as a hub for interdisciplinary research in government debt, supporting capacity building, policy development, and research dissemination. It is a collaboration between IIEL and the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL or Queen Mary), co-directed by Prof. Anna Gelpern at Georgetown Law and Prof. Rosa M. Lastra at Queen Mary, with affiliated scholars at universities around the world. Since 2019, SDF and its research affiliates have organized academic and capacity building programs with universities, multilateral institutions, governments, and civil society organizations, including its flagship Sovereign Debt Research and Management Conference (DebtCon), now in its ninth cycle.

#PDIP began in 2025 as a cross-campus project to build a platform that collects and displays searchable full-text government debt documentation for countries around the world, working with Georgetown’s Computer Science Department and the Massive Data Institute (MDI) at the McCourt School of Public Policy, supported by a $382,000 pilot grant from the Gates foundation for the Law Center. It has grown rapidly into a multi-institutional, multi-funder program. The prototype was launched at DebtCon8 in October 2025. With proof of concept, SDF secured approximately $350 in additional interim funding from the Netherlands and UK governments in Q42025 and Q12026, and has since secured an additional grant of approximately $600,000 from the Gates foundation. By invitation, SDF has applied for an additional $400,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation, expected in the current fiscal year, and is actively pursuing new funding opportunities with existing and new donors.

The #PublicDebtIsPublic platform now hosts more than 1000 documents for more than 60 borrowing countries, together with a growing bank of analytical and capacity building resources. A major new grant-funded component of the platform, the Legal Framework Hub, is under development, scheduled for launch at DebtCon9 in May of 2027. #PDIP has been featured in official and academic programs with African, Asian, European, and Latin American governments, multilateral and civil society institutions. The #PDIP team has trained more than a dozen Georgetown Law researchers in public debt and advanced financial contract analysis. A new practicum on public debt accountability has been approved and is open for enrollment at Georgetown Law for the Fall term of 2026, co-taught by Georgetown and grant-funded outside faculty. 
 

Work Interactions

This position will report directly to the SDF Co-Director, Head of Research at the Law Center, and will work in close coordination with the MDI and the staff at QMUL, as well as the Advisory Group and other SDF stakeholders and associates. The SDF Fellow will lead a team of 2-5 student research assistants implementing project management of the PDIP initiative. The SDF Fellow will engage with other parts of the Law Center and the University, as needed to implement the Project. The SDF Fellow will be one of the principal points of contact for PDIP with outside stakeholders, including sovereign debt experts and practitioners, government officials, civil society organizations, and market participants.

Work Mode Designation

This position has been designated as Hybrid 2 Days. Please note that work mode designations are regularly reviewed in order to meet the evolving needs of the University.  Such review may necessitate a change to a position’s mode of work designation. Complete details about Georgetown University’s mode of work designations for staff and AAP positions can be found on the Department of Human Resources website: https://hr.georgetown.edu/mode-of-work-designation.

Requirements and Qualifications

A JD and a Bachelor’s degree in economics, political science, and/or related social science discipline required; graduate training in economics and/or political science, law practice, and management experience strongly preferred. The position requires outstanding analytical, written and verbal communication, and organizational skills; a collaborative attitude, and an ability to adapt to the challenges of an ambitious start-up. It calls for exceptional judgment and discretion suited to working with law students, external funders, civil society activists, market participants, and senior international officials alike.

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EEO Statement:

GU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, and will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, citizenship, color, disability, family responsibilities, gender identity and expression, genetic information, marital status, matriculation, national origin, race, religion, personal appearance, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits:

Georgetown University offers a comprehensive and competitive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, retirement savings, tuition assistance, work-life balance benefits, employee discounts and an array of voluntary insurance options. You can learn more about benefits and eligibility on the Department of Human Resources website.