Senior Research Fellow, Center for Housing Research and Innovative Solutions

The Senior Research Fellow will serve as a senior applied researcher and strategic thought partner to the Executive Director during CHRIS’s startup and growth. The fellow will help shape CHRIS’s research agenda, identify emerging policy and market questions, develop partnerships and funding opportunities, and directly lead and execute policy-relevant research on housing production, affordability, and access, and translating findings into practical tools and recommendations for policymakers, industry leaders, and practitioners.

Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Senior Policy Fellow will lead applied research on sponsored, grant-funded projects; play a central role in developing new research and funding opportunities for CHRIS; and build CHRIS’s capacity to produce both long-term rigorous research and timely analysis responsive to urgent market and policy questions.

Initially, the Fellow will support CHRIS’s sponsored research, grant development, market analysis, policy evaluation, external engagement, and other emerging priorities. As CHRIS adds staff and its research portfolio develops, the Fellow is expected to provide leadership in housing market analysis, development feasibility and financing, and policy simulation and application.

This is a one-year, fixed-term position with the expectation that this position can be extended based on program needs and funding. This position is suited to a senior researcher with substantial experience applying economic analysis and rigorous quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method research to housing policy and practice.

Length of position is dependent on gift/grand funding availability.

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Development: Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director and contribute to the development of CHRIS’s research agenda, partnerships, strategy, and organizational development; bring knowledge of Colorado’s housing markets, policies, processes, and stakeholder landscape to inform CHRIS’s strategy and development.

Applied Housing Economics and Policy Research: Serve as a senior researcher on CHRISs sponsored research portfolio, including federal, state, and philanthropic grants. Lead rigorous, applied, and policy-relevant research on housing supply, affordability, access, and the regulatory, economic, demographic, and financial factors that shape housing markets, using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches appropriate to the research question, intended audience, available data and decision timeline; translate economic, demographic, administrative, financial and market data into practical tools, financing mechanisms, and evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, industry leaders and practitioners.

Housing Market Analysis: Lead and support research and analysis examining housing supply and demand, rents and prices, household formation, vacancy rates, construction and permitting activity, financing conditions, and the distributional effects of housing scarcity; support development of recurring reports, dashboards, datasets, and other regional data infrastructure to improve housing market analysis and decision-making across Colorado and the region.

Development Feasibility, Finance, and Policy Simulation: Lead development feasibility, pro-forma, financing, and scenario analysis examining how market conditions, land use regulations, building codes, permitting processes, taxes, fees, subsidies and financing structures affect housing production and affordability; work with developers, lenders, investors, public agencies, and other practitioners to ensure that model assumptions and research findings reflect current development and market conditions.

Grant Development and Fundraising: Play an active role in developing grant proposals and funding pitches; and help cultivate and maintain relationships with funders and research partners to grow CHRISs grant-funded research pipeline.

Collaboration: Partner with the CHRIS Housing Economist, future Research Director, and affiliated faculty and researchers across the University of Denver and partner institutions to design and execute interdisciplinary housing research projects.

Engagement: Represent CHRIS in public forums, industry and academic conferences, policy discussions, and media; author research reports, policy briefs, white papers, and other publications; and translate CHRISs research for policymakers, industry leaders and practitioners.

Secondary Functions

Mentorship: Provide project-specific mentorship and guidance to CHRISs graduate research assistants and junior research staff.

Teaching & Presentations: Opportunities to guest lecture or co-teach in the Executive Certificate in Affordable Housing or other CHRIS-affiliated programs, at extra compensation at DU adjunct rates.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to translate complex economic analysis for policymakers, practitioners, and general audiences.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including experience with economic, demographic, and administrative data.
• Strong grounding in rigorous research methods, including quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed-method approaches.
• Demonstrated experience applying research to inform policy and industry practice, including policy tools, financing mechanisms, or development strategy.
• High standard of research integrity, professional judgment, and dependability.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple funded projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Track record of building relationships with government agencies, industry leaders, funders, and cross-sector partners.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision while collaborating effectively across an interdisciplinary team
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and standard analytical/statistical software.

• PhD in economics, public policy, or a related field; or an advanced professional degree (JD, MBA, or related master’s degree) combined with substantial senior-level research and policy experience.
• 10 or more years of progressively responsible experience in applied housing policy research, economics, or related fields, including senior-level roles in government, consulting, or research settings.
• Demonstrated track record of rigorous, applied research using quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed method approaches.
• Experience translating research and data analysis into practical tools, policy recommendations, or financing mechanisms for policymakers, industry leaders and practitioners.
• Experience supporting grant-funded research and/or fundraising for research or policy initiatives.

• Deep knowledge of Colorados housing market and policy landscape.
• Experience in land use, zoning, property taxation, or housing finance policy.
• Working proficiency in econometric, statistical, or qualitative analysis software (e.g., Python, R, Stata, NVivo, EViews) and/or GIS and data visualization tools.
• Experience with development feasibility analysis, pro-forma modeling, or capital stack and financing structure design for housing development.
• Experience presenting research findings to policymakers and industry groups, and in legislative and regulatory settings.
• Experience managing or contributing to public-sector economic forecasting or fiscal analysis.

Advertised: September 21, 2026
Applications close: September 24, 2026

• Standard office environment.
• Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
• Noise level is quiet to moderate.

• Ability to work in front of a computer for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus.