Capita is seeking a Senior Fellow in its Family Policy Lab to lead an independent, self-directed research project exploring the intersection of families and the future of work. We are offering up to $75,000 in project funding, including compensation and research support, as well as the full power of Capita’s platform to produce and amplify your work. Senior Fellows at Capita have wide latitude to shape their own agenda, define their research questions and choose methods, while benefiting from Capita’s collaborative environment, editorial support and public platforms to produce and amplify meaningful outputs.
We are issuing this call for proposals for projects that specifically address the following future leading questions for the future of work:
Core question: How will the future of work impact families, and how might work be reimagined to align with healthy family life?
Potential sub-questions:
- How does job quality impact the stability and quality of family life across all of society? What policies are needed to ensure that working conditions promote and do not undermine the health of families? What structural reforms are most urgent?
- How will the disruptions of AI to middle-income work, particularly professions in which women are historically well represented, affect the security and stability of middle-income families? How might these disruptions challenge the dominant political narratives around work, value, and productivity?
- Given how parents are currently distributed across the labor force, what risks and opportunities does that distribution suggest when viewed alongside future demographic trends, projected job growth, and shifting caregiving demands?
This is a project based contract position that may be based anywhere in the world, with a preference for fellows based in the United States or with significant experience in U.S. policy, economic or labor context. The Senior Fellow will work closely with Capita’s Family Policy Lab Leadership, the CEO and other fellows, contractors and partners based in the US and globally.
What Capita Offers
In addition to up to $75,000 in project funding for research activities and compensation, Senior Fellows at Capita benefit from the full infrastructure of our organization, designed to help transform compelling research into public impact. Capita’s communications and operations teams provide support across the entire lifecycle of a project, including editorial guidance, design and layout for publications, event planning for convenings or briefings, media and digital strategy to amplify key findings, and coordination with partners and stakeholders. Fellows receive access to Capita’s distribution channels, platform audiences, and organizational relationships, ensuring their work reaches policymakers, practitioners, journalists, and the broader public. Our goal is to create the conditions that allow Senior Fellows to focus on generating powerful ideas, while Capita supports the visibility, clarity, and impact of their work.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and execute a self-directed research project that examines families and the future of work, including the identification of core questions, analytic approaches, and intended outputs. This project should include a component of direct engagement with the experiences and perspectives of families with minor children, either through original qualitative or quantitative research or by leveraging existing sources.
- Provide thought leadership on emerging trends—economic, technological, demographic, environmental—that are reshaping work and family life.
- Produce high-quality, public-facing materials, including reports, briefs, essays, op-eds, presentations, or other formats suited to the project and Capita’s audiences. Capita’s preference is to undertake projects that release several smaller outputs throughout the course of a project vs. one big research report at the end.
- Give priority in conducting research and engaging with partners, as appropriate, to the Family Policy Lab member states (as of 12/5/25, Michigan, North Carolina, and New Jersey)
- Engage Capita’s communication platforms (including in-person and online convenings, publications, and other communication channels)) to share learnings and spark public dialogue.
- Collaborate with Capita colleagues and partners, to incorporate interdisciplinary perspectives throughout all our work, and conduct engagements in a professional manner that reflects well on Capita.
- Support Capita’s community-building efforts, cultivating Capita Forward or Leadership Circle members as appropriate to the project.
- Participate in Capita meetings and convenings, including occasional U.S. travel (1–2 trips per year).
Qualifications & Attributes
- Deep understanding of labor policy, economic trends, workforce systems, or related fields.
- Experience conducting original analyses using major U.S. datasets (e.g., ACS, CPS, SIPP) and relevant statistical software, or comparable qualitative/modeling/forecasting expertise.
- Demonstrated experience in futures thinking, forecasting, or multidisciplinary trend analysis.
- Audience-focused writing and analytical skills, with experience publishing or presenting work publicly.
- A collaborative mindset and willingness to refine ideas through conversation and peer-reviews.
- A belief in the inherent dignity of all people and in the role of family policy in supporting flourishing communities.
- An established public platform profile (e.g., strong social media following, relationships with publication editors) preferred but not required.
Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Belonging at Capita
Capita calls for a society that provides the foundational requirements of human flourishing to all people. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation throughout the application and contracting process. Please contact us to request accommodation.
Application Instructions
Deadline for submission: January 12th, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
Required submission materials:
- Project Proposal: Please submit a written project proposal, no longer than 4 pages in length outlining the project you plan to lead during your fellowship. The proposal should include the following:
- Title
- 150 word summary
- The core question you wish to address
- Why this matters
- Approach and methods
- Suggested outputs/deliverables in list form. As appropriate, include expected outputs not reflected in your project budget that could amplify your work. Capita is uniquely positioned to produce supporting products such as online events, convenings, multimedia content including video and audio productions, and more.
- 12 month timeline
- Project budget, include line items for your compensation & research support needed (datasets/tools, surveys, focus groups/roundtables,etc.), not to exceed $75,000.
- Payment schedule
- Work samples: Please include links to 2-3 published pieces online that demonstrate your ability to communicate clearly. Examples must include a variety of formats, which can include long-form reports, essays or other forms of short-form content, links to presentations, videos, or online talks.
- CV
- Short-answer questions (Max 200 words each):
- What motivates your interest in the future of work and families?
- What does future orientated research mean to you?
- How will you incorporate deep hospitality into your project?
- Optional: Short video – applicants may submit a short 2 min video overview of their project
Evaluation Criteria
- Strength, originality, and feasibility of the proposed project
- Relevance to families and the future of work
- Ability to produce public-facing, influential work
- Evidence of interdisciplinary thinking and/or forecasting
- Demonstrated writing and analytic skill
- Collaborative disposition and alignment with Capita’s mission & values
Selection Process & Timeline
- Applications Due Jan 12, 2026
- Jan 12 – Jan 23: Application review by Capita staff
- Jan 30: Finalists notified and invited to interviews
- Feb 2-13: Finalist interviews (via Zoom)
- Feb 13 – 27: Selection & contracting
- March 1: Project Start
Instructions to Submit
Send a link to a Google Drive Folder containing all application materials to [email protected] by January 12th, 2026.