Research Director Jobs in Virginia
Research Director jobs in Virginia concentrate in federal and defense research, life sciences, higher education, and public policy, with demand at senior and executive levels across the state's most active hiring markets. The Washington, D.C. metro corridor, Richmond, and Northern Virginia anchor most of the hiring, where organizations like MITRE Corporation, Leidos, and the University of Virginia maintain lasting research director presences. Clinical research, national security research, and health policy are among the most in-demand specialties. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 13+ Research Director jobs
At Freddie Mac, our mission of Making Home Possible is what motivates us, and it’s at the core of everything we do. Since our charter in 1970, we have made home possible for more than 90 million families across the country. Join an organization where your work contributes to a greater purpose.
Position Overview:
Freddie Mac’s Multifamily Modeling team within Multifamily Portfolio and Risk Management is seeking a Quantitative Analytics Senior Director to lead the Model Research function. This leader will oversee research and development of quantitative models supporting multifamily loan acquisition, credit risk management, and property valuation.
The role will lead a team responsible for tackling the most challenging modeling and research topics in the model development area, including designing the next generation of Multifamily
credit risk model and developing challenger approach to current models. The team will also be responsible for providing technical guidance on addressing regulatory issues and internal model validation findings.
This position requires a strong quantitative and strategic leader with rigorous foundation in statistical modeling background and deep understanding of mortgage and credit risk business.
Our Impact:
Our team develops models to support the overall portfolio risk management activities for Freddie Mac’s Multifamily business. Our models serve the business purposes of credit decisioning at loan origination, credit loss forecasting, and enterprise stress testing and other risk measurement activities. The team also manages model risk for Multifamily business, including both regulatory issues and internal model validation challenges.
Your Impact:
In this role, you will:
- Lead a team to perform research and develop improved modeling frameworks and methodologies for quantitative models.
- Lead a team to develop challenger models to existing credit risk models.
- Provide technical and theoretical guidance on advanced model development practices and quantitative modeling approaches.
- Partner closely with Credit, Underwriting, Portfolio Management, Enterprise Risk, Capital Markets, Servicing, and Model Validation teams.
- Support model governance, validation, audit, and regulatory activities.
- Drive innovation in modeling methodologies, portfolio surveillance analytics, and AI-enabled model development workflows.
Qualifications:
- 15+ years of relevant experience in quantitative modeling, mortgage credit risk, commercial real estate analytics, financial risk management, or related fields.
- 8+ years of people leadership or team management experience.
- Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Economics, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, or related field preferred; substantial relevant industry experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.
- Strong experience developing or overseeing commercial real estate, mortgage credit risk, default, prepayment, transition, loan acquisition, or portfolio surveillance models.
- Strong understanding of multifamily underwriting, commercial real estate fundamentals, mortgage credit behavior, default risk drivers, and portfolio risk management concepts.
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including experience with econometric modeling, survival analysis, transition modeling, statistical modeling, or large-scale data analysis.
- Experience leveraging AI-enabled analytical or model development tools to improve modeling productivity, research workflows, testing, documentation, or analytical insight generation.
- Familiarity with modern model development operations, including reproducibility, workflow management, testing automation, implementation collaboration, or scalable analytical infrastructure.
- Excellent execution skills with experience in delivering complex projects
- Experience working with regulatory, governance, model validation, and audit stakeholders in a model risk management environment.
- Strong programming and analytical tool experience, including Python, R, SQL, SAS, or similar technologies.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to present complex analytical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
Keys to Success in this Role:
- Rigorous statistical modeling knowledge and a problem-solving mindset to deliver model development projects with measurable business impacts
- Strong multifamily credit and property performance intuition
- Strong quantitative judgment and modeling intuition
- Ability to connect market conditions with multifamily loan and property performance dynamics
- Strong people leadership and talent development skills
- Collaborative and execution-oriented leadership style
- Curiosity, innovation mindset, and willingness to challenge the status quo
Current Freddie Mac employees please apply through the internal career site.
We consider all applicants for all positions without regard to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, physical and mental disability, pregnancy, ethnicity, genetic information or any other protected categories under applicable federal, state or local laws. We will ensure that individuals are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
A safe and secure environment is critical to Freddie Mac’s business. This includes employee commitment to our acceptable use policy, applying a vigilance-first approach to work, supporting regulatory mandates, and using best practices to protect Freddie Mac from potential threats and risk. Employees exercise this responsibility by executing against policies and procedures and adhering to privacy & security obligations as required via training programs.
CA Applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
Notice to External Search Firms: Freddie Mac partners with BountyJobs for contingency search business through outside firms. Resumes received outside the BountyJobs system will be considered unsolicited and Freddie Mac will not be obligated to pay a placement fee. If interested in learning more, please visit www.BountyJobs.com and register with our referral code: MAC.
Time-type:Full time FLSA Status:ExemptFreddie Mac offers a comprehensive total rewards package to include competitive compensation and market-leading benefit programs. Information on these benefit programs is available on our Careers site.
This position has an annualized market-based salary range of $243,000 - $365,000 and is eligible to participate in the annual incentive program. The final salary offered will generally fall within this range and is dependent on various factors including but not limited to the responsibilities of the position, experience, skill set, internal pay equity and other relevant qualifications of the applicant.At Freddie Mac, our mission of Making Home Possible is what motivates us, and it’s at the core of everything we do. Since our charter in 1970, we have made home possible for more than 90 million families across the country. Join an organization where your work contributes to a greater purpose.
Position Overview:
Freddie Mac’s Multifamily Modeling team within Multifamily Portfolio and Risk Management is seeking a Quantitative Analytics Senior Director to lead the Model Research function. This leader will oversee research and development of quantitative models supporting multifamily loan acquisition, credit risk management, and property valuation.
The role will lead a team responsible for tackling the most challenging modeling and research topics in the model development area, including designing the next generation of Multifamily
credit risk model and developing challenger approach to current models. The team will also be responsible for providing technical guidance on addressing regulatory issues and internal model validation findings.
This position requires a strong quantitative and strategic leader with rigorous foundation in statistical modeling background and deep understanding of mortgage and credit risk business.
Our Impact:
Our team develops models to support the overall portfolio risk management activities for Freddie Mac’s Multifamily business. Our models serve the business purposes of credit decisioning at loan origination, credit loss forecasting, and enterprise stress testing and other risk measurement activities. The team also manages model risk for Multifamily business, including both regulatory issues and internal model validation challenges.
Your Impact:
In this role, you will:
- Lead a team to perform research and develop improved modeling frameworks and methodologies for quantitative models.
- Lead a team to develop challenger models to existing credit risk models.
- Provide technical and theoretical guidance on advanced model development practices and quantitative modeling approaches.
- Partner closely with Credit, Underwriting, Portfolio Management, Enterprise Risk, Capital Markets, Servicing, and Model Validation teams.
- Support model governance, validation, audit, and regulatory activities.
- Drive innovation in modeling methodologies, portfolio surveillance analytics, and AI-enabled model development workflows.
Qualifications:
- 15+ years of relevant experience in quantitative modeling, mortgage credit risk, commercial real estate analytics, financial risk management, or related fields.
- 8+ years of people leadership or team management experience.
- Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Economics, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, or related field preferred; substantial relevant industry experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.
- Strong experience developing or overseeing commercial real estate, mortgage credit risk, default, prepayment, transition, loan acquisition, or portfolio surveillance models.
- Strong understanding of multifamily underwriting, commercial real estate fundamentals, mortgage credit behavior, default risk drivers, and portfolio risk management concepts.
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including experience with econometric modeling, survival analysis, transition modeling, statistical modeling, or large-scale data analysis.
- Experience leveraging AI-enabled analytical or model development tools to improve modeling productivity, research workflows, testing, documentation, or analytical insight generation.
- Familiarity with modern model development operations, including reproducibility, workflow management, testing automation, implementation collaboration, or scalable analytical infrastructure.
- Excellent execution skills with experience in delivering complex projects
- Experience working with regulatory, governance, model validation, and audit stakeholders in a model risk management environment.
- Strong programming and analytical tool experience, including Python, R, SQL, SAS, or similar technologies.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to present complex analytical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
Keys to Success in this Role:
- Rigorous statistical modeling knowledge and a problem-solving mindset to deliver model development projects with measurable business impacts
- Strong multifamily credit and property performance intuition
- Strong quantitative judgment and modeling intuition
- Ability to connect market conditions with multifamily loan and property performance dynamics
- Strong people leadership and talent development skills
- Collaborative and execution-oriented leadership style
- Curiosity, innovation mindset, and willingness to challenge the status quo
Current Freddie Mac employees please apply through the internal career site.
We consider all applicants for all positions without regard to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, physical and mental disability, pregnancy, ethnicity, genetic information or any other protected categories under applicable federal, state or local laws. We will ensure that individuals are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
A safe and secure environment is critical to Freddie Mac’s business. This includes employee commitment to our acceptable use policy, applying a vigilance-first approach to work, supporting regulatory mandates, and using best practices to protect Freddie Mac from potential threats and risk. Employees exercise this responsibility by executing against policies and procedures and adhering to privacy & security obligations as required via training programs.
CA Applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
Notice to External Search Firms: Freddie Mac partners with BountyJobs for contingency search business through outside firms. Resumes received outside the BountyJobs system will be considered unsolicited and Freddie Mac will not be obligated to pay a placement fee. If interested in learning more, please visit www.BountyJobs.com and register with our referral code: MAC.
Time-type:Full time FLSA Status:ExemptFreddie Mac offers a comprehensive total rewards package to include competitive compensation and market-leading benefit programs. Information on these benefit programs is available on our Careers site.
This position has an annualized market-based salary range of $243,000 - $365,000 and is eligible to participate in the annual incentive program. The final salary offered will generally fall within this range and is dependent on various factors including but not limited to the responsibilities of the position, experience, skill set, internal pay equity and other relevant qualifications of the applicant.See All 13 Research Director Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Research Director JobsResearch Director Jobs by City in Virginia
Where Virginia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Research Director Job Market in Virginia
A snapshot from current Virginia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
- Agriculture & Farming
What Virginia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in research director jobs across Virginia.
- Doctoral degree in a relevant field such as public health, social sciences, or engineering
- Minimum of eight to ten years of progressively responsible research experience
- Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor multidisciplinary research teams
- Experience securing and managing federal grants, contracts, or sponsored research funding
- Strong record of peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, or policy research outputs
- Proficiency with research compliance standards including IRB protocols and federal regulations
Research Director Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a research director in Virginia?
Most research director roles in Virginia require a doctoral degree in a relevant discipline, such as public health, engineering, the social sciences, or a natural science, combined with substantial experience leading funded research programs. Virginia does not issue a state license specific to research directors, but roles within clinical or healthcare research settings often require alignment with IRB-governed compliance standards. Many hiring institutions in Virginia, including federal contractors and universities, also expect demonstrated grant management experience.
How much do research directors make in Virginia?
Research directors in Virginia earn a median of about $150,570 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $84,080 for the lowest 10% to over $212,620 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire research directors in Virginia?
Companies currently hiring research directors in Virginia include Virginia Tech, James Madison University, and Virginia Commonwealth University, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Virginia's concentration of federal agencies, defense contractors, and research universities creates particularly consistent demand for research directors with backgrounds in national security, health policy, and applied sciences.
Which Virginia cities have the most research director jobs?
McLean, Blacksburg, and Harrisonburg have the most research director openings in Virginia. The Northern Virginia and greater Washington, D.C. corridor drives the largest share of demand through its dense cluster of federal agencies, defense contractors, and think tanks, while Richmond draws openings from state government, Virginia Commonwealth University, and life sciences employers anchored in the region.
Are there remote research director jobs in Virginia?
Yes, and more than many senior leadership roles, because research directors in analytical, policy, and social science fields can manage teams and deliverables remotely. About 100% of research director openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the high proportion of desk-based and federally contracted research in the state. Lab-based, clinical, or site-dependent research director roles remain predominantly on-site.
How can I get hired as a research director in Virginia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is building toward the role through a senior researcher or research manager position, which large Virginia employers like MITRE, Leidos, and Virginia Commonwealth University use as a structured pipeline into director-level leadership. Completing a postdoctoral fellowship at a Virginia research university or gaining experience managing a federally sponsored project, even at a coordinator level, builds the credentials that Virginia hiring managers look for. An active publication record or a demonstrated role in winning grant funding accelerates the transition significantly.
Where can I find and apply to research director jobs in Virginia?
You can find and apply to research director jobs in Virginia on Migrate Mate, which lists current Virginia openings updated regularly. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 13 Research Director Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Research Director Jobs