Principal Researcher - Macro & Geopolitical Perspective

Principal Researcher - Macro & Geopolitical Perspective

Remote Freelance Competitive Retainer

About SMCO

Straits Meridian Capital Office (SMCO) is a research-driven capital platform. We operate at the intersection of capital, systems, and long-horizon structural change. We do not follow market narratives. We read the structures beneath them.

What that means in practice: We are not a trading desk. We do not chase short-term volatility. Our decisions are informed by deep, structural research across geopolitics, macroeconomics, and industrial systems. Your analysis will directly inform investment decisions - not sit on a shelf.

We are a lean team. No bureaucracy. No revenue targets driving your work. Just research, rigour, and conviction.

The Role

We are looking for an analyst with a deep understanding of how geopolitical developments, macroeconomic transitions, and industrial policy intersect to shape capital flows and investment risk - with primary coverage across East Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe. Your work will inform internal capital allocation decisions across industrial systems, infrastructure, and technology-adjacent domains.

This is a remote, freelance engagement with a competitive monthly retainer and long-term potential. You will work directly with our research team, producing analysis that shapes capital allocation decisions across multiple sectors.

What You'll Do - Day to Day

Your typical week might include:

• Geopolitical monitoring: Tracking developments affecting global capital flows, trade relationships, and industrial positioning across your coverage regions
• Regional security analysis: Assessing security dynamics, policy shifts, and regulatory changes across East Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe
• Decision-grade analysis: Providing structured analysis on sanctions, trade controls, supply chain resilience, strategic competition, and economic statecraft
• Cross-domain integration: Connecting geopolitical and macroeconomic developments to specific industrial and infrastructure sectors - translating broad trends into investment implications
• Report writing: Producing structured, decision-grade analytical reports - typically 2-4 per month - that translate complex political and economic developments into clear investment implications

The work is independent but not isolated. You will have access to our research team for discussion, review, and debate. You will be expected to bring your own hypotheses, defend them with evidence, and revise them when the facts change.

Who You Are - Core Competencies

We are looking for someone who brings:

• Exceptional analytical and research skills - you can deconstruct complex geopolitical and policy issues and deliver nuanced, actionable insights
• Excellent written English - you have a proven ability to write structured, precise, professional reports for senior decision-makers
• Deep subject matter expertise in one or more of: regional security (East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, North America), great-power competition, defense policy, economic statecraft, sanctions, trade policy, or supply chain resilience
• Strong project execution - you can independently deliver high-quality work under tight deadlines
• Network leverage - you can effectively leverage professional networks to validate findings and provide contextual insight

Experience required: 2+ years in a relevant analytical or research role. Exceptions may be made for exceptional candidates with strong institutional backgrounds.

Preferred Backgrounds

We are particularly interested in candidates whose professional experience has been shaped by one or more of the following environments:

• Government service - foreign affairs, defense-related policy, trade or development agencies
• Policy analysis roles at top-tier research institutions
• International organisations - UN, EU, World Bank, IMF - in policy or analytical functions
• Defense industry, corporate security, or political risk analysis
• Investigative or international journalism covering conflict, political risk, or economic warfare

Institutional affinity: We are especially interested in candidates whose work has been shaped by settings such as Chatham House, IISS, Carnegie Endowment, Council on Foreign Relations, Stimson Center, or equivalent geopolitical research institutions.

Why SMCO

Here is what you can expect from working with us:

• Your analysis directly informs capital deployment - not quarterly earnings reports, not marketing materials, not internal presentations that go nowhere
• Lean, research-driven culture with no revenue targets - you are evaluated on analytical rigour, not sales performance
• Fully remote, flexible working arrangement - work from wherever you are most productive
• Competitive monthly retainer with long-term engagement potential for the right candidate
• No micromanagement - we trust you to deliver, and we evaluate you on output, not hours

How You'll Be Evaluated

We measure performance on three criteria:

1. Analytical rigour - are your arguments well-supported? Do you consider counterarguments? Can you distinguish signal from noise?
2. Writing quality - is your analysis clear, structured, and decision-ready? Can a busy reader grasp your core argument in 30 seconds?
3. Timeliness - do you deliver on schedule? When deadlines are tight, do you prioritise effectively?

How to Apply

Please submit your CV. While not required, we welcome examples of past analytical work - reports, briefings, or assessments - if you have them. Relevant professional insights can also be discussed during the interview process.

We will only consider candidates who meet the core competency requirements. If you are unsure whether you qualify, please read the requirements carefully before applying.

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