Location: Nashville, TN

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Supports: Organization-wide projects with an emphasis on commercialization and capital

Apply now.

Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN) is a 501c3 nonprofit partnership building an ecosystem of support for every startup and investor in Tennessee. As a public-private partnership, we are uniquely positioned to provide direct investment while also supporting collaboration among founders, investors, researchers, private-sector institutions, and government. We foster entrepreneurship, technology advancement, and workforce development by providing capital access, commercialization support, and connections.

Our Core Values:

• Go further through collaboration.

• Be driven to serve.

• Be accessible and inclusive always.

• Put people first in everything we do.

• Life is too short not to love what you do.

• We make it happen.

Position Overview:

Launch Tennessee is seeking a strategic and data-driven Research and Policy Associate to evaluate and advance the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. In this role, you will analyze state and national startup data and metrics, benchmark and conceptualize Tennessee’s innovation policies, and use data-based findings to drive outcomes and support advocacy. By translating complex data into actionable insights, you will help inform state- and federal-level policy recommendations and support grant proposals that directly address barriers faced by technology-based startups and regional innovators. Your findings will be compiled into compelling data visualizations, including but not limited to reports, graphs, and interactive dashboards, to be used by policymakers, funding agencies, and economic development stakeholders to help make Tennessee the most startup-friendly state in the nation.

We are looking for an ambitious, intellectually curious, and organized professional with strong verbal and written communication skills who can work independently with minimal supervision.

Key Responsibilities

Policy & Advocacy Support

• Translate complex economic data into concise policy briefs, legislative memos, and executive summaries to support Launch Tennessee’s state and federal advocacy efforts (ex, synthesizing and disseminating potential impact and opportunity of quantum EO for TN)
• Keep leadership updated on national entrepreneurship support models, capital access policies, and commercialization trends. including responding to RFIs, tracking agency announcements, and federal policy changes
• Be able to clearly and concisely articulate opportunities for Tennessee founders that are based on data-driven knowledge.

Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement

• Draft high-visibility public reports, impact statements, and presentations that communicate the health and ROI of Tennessee’s innovation initiatives. – Specifically, LaunchTN initiatives, including InvestTN, SBIR, and TTAC.

• Deliver insights clearly and visually to diverse audiences, including state legislators, economic development agencies, university partners, and the board of directors.
• Support data and evaluation efforts and requests with strategic partners (TNECD) and vendors alike (RTI)

Analysis & Ecosystem Tracking

• Evaluate competitive landscapes and state-level policy incentives across the United States to ensure Tennessee remains a highly attractive environment for founders.

• In collaboration with the Data & Compliance Manager, use LaunchTN collected metrics to support data analysis and narrative. Support refinement and continuous improvement of data collected, review, and advise on metrics collected across existing and new surveys administered by LaunchTN.

• • In collaboration with the Marketing and Communications Department, own the portfolio of LaunchTN advocacy materials, including program-specific collateral, one-pagers, flyers, and handouts, including the maintenance and maintain and audit materials to ensure they are up to date.

About You/Qualifications:

• A degree in economics, public policy, statistics, business, or a similar field is preferred.
• Familiarity with economic development, particularly technology-driven economic development.
• Writing/data visualization
• Ability to confidently & concisely communicate in front of large groups
• Experience leading collaborative research projects.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to confidently engage with entrepreneurs, policy makers, academics, etc.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort managing multiple concurrent programs, deadlines, and stakeholder relationships.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in aligning partner interests, developing mutually beneficial relationships, and constructing compelling cases for support utilizing data-driven narratives
• Passion for entrepreneurship, tech-based economic development, and/or policy advocacy.
• Familiarity with Airtable or similar program management/CRM tools.

What Success Looks Like:

In the First 3 Months

• Have a clear understanding of LaunchTN’s internal departments and can articulate how the organization supports Tennessee founders and innovators.
• Integrate into the ecosystem and develop a working understanding of LaunchTN’s stakeholders and have a baseline for communication with each group.
• In collaboration with the Technology Advancement Director and CEO, develop a strategic plan and annual calendar for research and policy priorities.
• Drafted first policy briefs.
• Supported the CEO in stakeholder presentations.
• Supported the LaunchTN team in presentations, grant applications, or other organization opportunities.

In the First 6 Months

• Draft and publish your first high-visibility public report or impact statement illustrating the ROI of a specific LaunchTN initiative.
• Conceptualize and draft a preliminary package of state-level policy recommendations or legislative memos aimed at reducing barriers for Tennessee tech startups ahead of the upcoming legislative session.
• Actively contribute data-driven narratives and competitive landscape analyses to support at least one major federal or state grant proposal.

By the End of Year 1

• Successfully deliver data-backed insights to the CEO to share with state legislators, the board of directors, and funding agencies, resulting in measurable support or traction for LaunchTN’s policy recommendations.
• Develop and execute a self-directed, annual research calendar that anticipates policy shifts and proactive data needs for the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• In collaboration with the Data & Compliance Manager, streamline the annual data collection-to-reporting pipeline, reducing the turnaround time for public impact statements.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position, and hours of work and days are generally Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. LaunchTN values work-life balance. Evening and weekend work may be required for occasional organization-wide events.

Compensation, Benefits & Perks:

• Healthcare: LaunchTN pays 80% of individual/partner/family health, dental, and vision insurance. Plans are offered through the State of Tennessee.
• 401(K) Retirement: LaunchTN offers a safe harbor nonelective contribution of 8%
• Disability Insurance: LaunchTN covers 100% short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance: LaunchTN covers 100% of basic life and AD&D insurance
• Paid Time Off: 4 weeks PTO + federal holiday schedule + office closed Christmas Eve through New Year + day off for your birthday
• Other items: $90/month cell phone stipend
• Pet-friendly office

Apply now.