Policy Associate Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Playing an essential role in the U.S. economy, Fannie Mae is foundational to housing finance. Here, your expertise can help fuel purpose-driven innovation that expands access to homeownership and affordable rental housing across the country. Join Fannie Mae to grow your career and help people find a place to call home.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly analytical and strategic Lead Associate, Strategy & Insights to join Fannie Mae's Policy, Product & Guide organization within Single-Family.

As a valued colleague on our team, you will lead strategic analysis that helps shape product, policy, digital strategies and priorities. You will work across the organization to turn complex and often ambiguous business questions into structured analyses, actionable insights, and decision-quality recommendations.

The ideal candidate combines structured problem solving, strong quantitative and qualitative analysis, business judgment, and executive communication. You are comfortable starting without a predefined answer or workplan, determining the right analytical approach, working directly with data and research, and influencing stakeholders to move from insight to action. You strengthen team capabilities by improving methodologies and support team development through sharing knowledge, conducting thoughtful peer review, and coaching.

THE IMPACT YOU WILL MAKE

The Lead Associate, Strategy & Insights role will offer you the flexibility to make each day your own, while working alongside people who care so that you can deliver on the following responsibilities:

• Lead strategic analyses from problem definition through recommendation, translating ambiguous business questions into clear hypotheses, analytical approaches, workplans, and decision-ready conclusions. Analyses could pertain to: policies, products (mortgage, digital, etc), pilots, and other strategic priorities.

• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis, including market sizing, opportunity assessments, customer and lender behavior, product adoption and utilization, competitive intelligence, SWOT/right-to-win, market dynamics, and industry and technology trends. Where needed, consult internal stakeholders to inform the strategic recommendations and/or contribute their analyses.

• Synthesize analysis into actionable strategic recommendations, balancing desirability (market opportunity & strategic alignment); viability (value creation, competition, economics); and feasibility (path to execution, risks). Recommendations could inform: product direction, prioritization, and investment decisions

• Strengthen Strategy & Insights capabilities by improving methodologies, standard work, tools, and analytical approaches. Support team development through sharing knowledge, conducting thoughtful peer review, and providing coaching.

THE EXPERIENCE YOU BRING TO THE TEAM

Required Experience:

• At least 4 years of relevant experience in corporate strategy, management consulting, product strategy, business analytics, market intelligence, or a related field.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Analytics, Strategy, Public Policy, Engineering, or a relate field. MBA preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to independently structure and solve complex business problems, determine the analysis required, and own deliverables from initial problem framing through final recommendation.

• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, with experience in areas such as market sizing, segmentation, scenario analysis, business cases, competitive analysis, customer insights, or financial analysis.

• Strong business judgment and ability to connect analysis to economics, market impact, operational implications, risk, and strategic rationale.

• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex information, distinguish what matters most, and develop clear recommendations for senior leaders.

• Strong stakeholder-management skills and experience influencing cross-functional teams without direct authority.

• Strong written, verbal, and executive communication skills, including advanced proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel.

Desired Experience:

• Experience in mortgage lending, housing finance, banking, financial services, or fintech.

• Understanding of the mortgage origination and underwriting lifecycle and the operational considerations that influence lender adoption and execution.

• Familiarity with Fannie Mae or other investor/agency products, policies, underwriting tools, digital solutions, or Selling Guide requirements.

• Shows curiosity and adaptability in learning and responsibly applying new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to reimagine how we work.

WHAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL

We're looking for someone who:

• Creates clarity from ambiguity. Brings structure to complex topics, frames the right questions, and identifies what matters most.

• Demonstrates curiosity. Learns new topics quickly, challenges assumptions, and seeks diverse perspectives to strengthen recommendations.

• Exercises strategic judgment. Balances data, strategic alignment, stakeholder perspectives, and risk to distill insights and form recommendations.

• Communicates with impact. Turns complex analysis into the few insights that matter most and builds a concise, compelling recommendation for leaders.

• Acts with ownership and influence. Anticipates risks and dependencies and moves stakeholders toward outcomes in an environment where priorities evolve.

Core Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking & Structured Problem Solving

• Market Sizing & Opportunity Assessment

• Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis

• Competitive & Market Intelligence

• Digital Product Strategy development

• Business Case Development

• Executive Communication

• Stakeholder Management & Influence

• Cross-Functional Leadership

SF - Product Management - Lead Associate

Qualifications

Education:

The future is what you make it to be. Discover compelling opportunities at Fanniemae.com/careers.

For most roles, employees are expected to work onsite on a regular basis at their designated office location. In-office work cadence is determined by your manager. Proximity within a reasonable commute to your designated office location is preferred unless the job is noted as open to remote.

Fannie Mae is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, marital or parental status, or any other protected factor. Fannie Mae is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment, unless to do so would cause undue hardship to the company. If you need assistance using our online system and/or you need a reasonable accommodation related to the hiring/application process, please complete this form.

The hiring range for this role is set forth below. Final salaries will generally vary within that range based on factors that include but are not limited to, skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and other relevant qualifications. This position is eligible to participate in a Fannie Mae incentive program (subject to the terms of the program). As part of our comprehensive benefits package, Fannie Mae offers a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle, and other benefits and perks that enhance an employee's physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being. See more here.

Requisition compensation:

to