The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is seeking to hire a Research Assistant or Research Associate (RA) to work with a team of highly skilled national policy analysts on a range of spending, tax, and low-income policy issues.  

The Center is a think tank with a national reputation for rigorous analysis of fiscal policies and an ability to influence policy debates. It has a particular focus on how policies affect lower-income families and individuals, and examines the fiscal implications of policy proposals, how their benefits would be distributed across different income groups, and the extent to which they are likely to achieve their stated objectives. The RA will be part of the Federal Fiscal team and work on a range of federal tax and budget policies alongside other RAs, supporting all of the team’s senior experts.   

Responsibilities   

• Analyze data, including using Excel and software packages/programming languages, to assess policy proposals, including their cost and distribution.   

• Develop written analyses and graphic presentations of findings and evaluate pending legislative proposals and policy options.  

• Help prepare reports and analyses that pertain both to current policy debates and to longer-term challenges facing the U.S. economy.

Qualifications  

• Research Assistant: Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, statistics, or any field that requires strong quantitative skills.   

• Research Associate: Advanced degree in economics, public policy, statistics, or any field that requires strong quantitative skills.  

• Strong quantitative and writing skills, and the ability to work on multiple tasks both independently and as part of a highly collaborative team, often on a time-sensitive basis.

• Familiarity with one or more software packages or programming languages used for data analysis (such as STATA, R, Python) is highly desired.  

• Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to accuracy.   

• Prior experience with fiscal or low-income issues and/or coursework related to these issues preferred but not required.  

• A commitment to the Center’s mission to improve the well-being of low- and moderate-income people.  

• A commitment to advancing multiple dimensions of equity and inclusion, including racial and gender equity, in policy analysis and advocacy as well as the Center’s internal and external relationships.  

This position reports to the Senior Director of Economic Policy. 

Terms of Employment: Full-time; exempt. This is a two-year term position. Position starts in June 2021. 

Bargaining Unit Status: This is a bargaining unit position. 

Compensation   

Salary and title commensurate with experience; excellent benefits, including three health insurance options, dental and vision care, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement, and generous vacation leave, sick leave, and holiday schedules.  

Career Development   

This position is an exceptional foundational role for people seeking to build a career in public policy. The RA will work closely with senior staff and other RAs on our research work. Most of the RA’s work will be highly relevant to current legislative developments, so the role offers a unique insight into federal policymaking processes and an opportunity to help influence major policy decisions. Center analyses and experts are quoted frequently in the press and relied upon heavily by policymakers. 

Former Federal Fiscal team RAs have gone on to a wide range of analysis and policy roles. Examples include working at the Council of Economic Advisers, the Office of Management and Budget, the National Economic Council in the White House, the Senate Finance Committee, and non-partisan national and state research organizations. In addition, RAs have gone from the Center to top graduate programs in economics, law, public policy, and statistics.  

Please upload a cover letter, resume, short writing sample, and transcripts. In your cover letter, please include a discussion of what draws you to the mission of the Center.  

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and welcomes diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages all qualified persons to apply regardless of race, color, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, credit information, pregnancy or parental status, family responsibilities, personal appearance, creed, military or veteran status, religion, ancestry or national origin, union activities, disability, or other status protected by applicable law.