Vanguard
Head of Behavioral Economics and Retirement Research
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Senior Research Lead – Behavioral Economics and Retirement (Europe)
Vanguard is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader to establish Vanguard globally as the authoritative voice on retail investor behaviour—by shaping industry thinking, influencing policy, and driving better financial outcomes.
About the Role
In this strategic leadership position, you will shape next-generation research in behavioural economics and retirement across Europe, ensuring our work translates into tangible business impact, influences public policy, and deepens client trust.
This multifaceted role combines thought leadership, team excellence, and business influence. Your leadership will define the research agenda, build a world-class team, and convert data and insights into scalable impact across Vanguard’s products, advice, and client experience.
What You Will Do
1) Set the Research Agenda & Drive Impact
- Define and execute a multi-year research strategy in behavioral economics and retirement, spotting high-impact questions at the frontier of:
- Retail investor behaviour and decision-making
- Retirement accumulation and decumulation
- Managerial/technological innovation in retirement products
- Leverage large-scale data (administrative, market, and survey) to produce cutting-edge insights
- Position Vanguard’s research at the pivotal intersection of data, policy, and investor outcomes
2) Lead a Best-in-Class Team
- Build and manage a multi-disciplinary research team (economists, data scientists, policy analysts)
- Foster a culture of intellectual rigor, storytelling, and collaborative innovation
- Mentor and develop future leaders, ensuring ** talent succession** and cross-regional (US, UK, Europe, AUS) alignment
- Promote ownership, excellence, and knowledge-sharing to accelerate global impact
3) Drive Business Impact from Research
- Partner with UK and Continental Europe’s Investment Strategy Group, Product, Marketing, and Policy teams, acting as a trusted advisor
- Translate research into practical recommendations that guide:
- Product design (e.g., workplace savings, retiree decumulation solutions)
- Advice frameworks and client experiences
- Business strategy and public positioning
- Ensure results directly improve measurable investor outcomes
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4) Amplify Vanguard’s Thought Leadership & Public Voice
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Serve as a senior spokesperson for Vanguard, engaging with:
- Financial media and press (e.g., FT, WSJ, Daily Telegraph)
- Policymakers (e.g., BoE, PensionRegulator, EU)
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Industry forums (e.g., PensionsBe's Women in Retirement, Savings Summit)
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Deliver plain-language narratives that reinforce Vanguard’s mission and establish credibility
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Advance Vanguard’s brand as the trusted global authority on retail investors
5) Influence Policy & Industry Direction
- Lead research informing critical debates on:
- Retirement systems and policy defaults (e.g., auto-enrolment, savings incentives)
- Investor protection and behavioural finance regulation
- Collaborate with internal/external stakeholders to ensure policy proposals are evidence-based and actionable
- Secure Vanguard’s clear, authoritative position in public discourse
What Success Looks Like (12–24 Months)
- Increased authority – Vanguard is globally recognized as the go-to expert on retirement and investor behaviour
- Practical impact – Research directly shapes 2+ major product, policy, or strategy decisions
- Thought leadership pipeline – 10+ highly visible contributions (press, conferences, policymaker engagements)
- Team excellence – A high-performing, engaged, and succession-ready team
- Client-facing integration – Research insights seamlessly embedded in Vanguard’s client strategies and creative assets
What It Takes: Key Qualifications
Experience
- 10+ years in academia, policy, industry, or research—in economics, behavioural science, finance, or public policy
- Proven track record of:
- Leading cross-functional research teams or complex projects
- Conducting rigorous, publication-worthy analysis using large datasets
- Engaging internally with senior leadership and externally with policymakers, media, and industry leaders
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Capabilities
- Strategic leadership – Ability to define long-term visions and align teams around those goals
- Research excellence – Advanced empirical, economic modelling, or analytical expertise
- Stakeholder navigation – Build strong relationships and influence decisions across senior business partners globally
- Storytelling/outreach – Translate complex findings into compelling, accessible communications
- Public credibility – Comfortable as a credible external voice in media, academic, and regulatory settings
Education
- Advanced degree (Ph.D. or Master’s) in economics, finance, public policy, behavioural science, or related field
Special Requirements
- European Designations (e.g., Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified, MiFID II, T&C) are preferred but not required
- This role will require hybrid attendance (3 days/week in-office, Tuesday–Thursday)
- No visa sponsorship is available
How We Work
At Vanguard, we embed hybrid work to deliver both flexibility and collaboration. Our fluid, mission-driven culture thrives on teamwork, fostering deep learning and client-centric solutions. We empower teams across 50+ countries, united by a relentless commitment to placing retail investor well-being at the heart of everything we do.
Our values: ✒ Workplace collaboration – Priority is shared learning and connection ✒ Personal growth – Opportunities to mentor and grow insights across teams ✒ Trust and autonomy – Success is woven into client and colleague impact
Erie, PA headquartered, but this position serves as hub for the EMEA behavioural economics and retirement research priorities.
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