Business & Planning Analyst

Akiva Ai•Arlington, VA

5d•Remote

About The Position

AKIVA is seeking a Junior Economist / Business Analyst to provide research, technical, and analytical support for a federal aviation revenue compliance program. You will identify and track state and local jurisdictions that assess and collect aviation fuel taxes, perform initial review of jurisdictional action plans and corrective action plans, and ensure data integrity across the program's compliance database through validation checks and standardized data entry protocols. The role suits an early-career economist or analyst who wants substantive exposure to federal revenue compliance, public finance, and data-driven policy work.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Economics, Finance, Accounting, Public Policy, Business Administration, Statistics, Data Analytics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field
2+ years of relevant experience in economic analysis, financial compliance, regulatory data analysis, public finance research, or quantitative public policy research
Demonstrated experience cleaning, validating, and analyzing data from disparate sources; ability to identify discrepancies and anomalies and recommend corrective actions
Experience drafting written analytical products (research memos, summary reports, policy briefs) for technical and non-technical audiences
Proficient in Microsoft Excel (formulas, pivot tables, lookups) and intermediate skills in at least one of SQL, Python, or R
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to engage directly with technical and policy stakeholders
High attention to detail and discretion handling sensitive program data
Ability to work effectively in a fully remote environment
Ability to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credential
Must be authorized to work in the United States

Nice To Haves

Master's coursework or completed Master's degree in a relevant quantitative or policy field
Up to 5 years of relevant experience
Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) or Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA)
Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), CFA Level I, or CPA candidate
Prior federal program support experience (FAA, DOT, GAO, CBO, OMB, Treasury, or comparable)
Familiarity with state and local tax structures, fuel-tax law, or airport revenue compliance
Experience working with Section 508 compliant publishing or document repositories
Experience with Tableau, Power BI, or comparable BI platforms
Familiarity with AI-assisted data-validation, anomaly-detection, and research-summarization tools

Responsibilities

Identify and track current and prospective state and local jurisdictions that assess and collect aviation fuel taxes, including methods of assessment, collection, and use of proceeds
Document tax-assessment enabling legislation, collection methods, amounts collected, and the use or allocation of revenues by each taxing jurisdiction
Perform initial review of jurisdictional action plans and corrective action plans for compliance with federal revenue use policy
Conduct data validation checks and apply standardized data entry protocols to ensure integrity of the program compliance database
Identify and document discrepancies or anomalies in reported data and recommend corrective actions
Support development and ongoing curation of a government collaboration site (such as a Knowledge Sharing Network) used as the program document repository; ensure all published content is Section 508 compliant
Use the program reporting and tracking repository to maintain compliance status for all relevant jurisdictions, action plans, and corresponding corrective actions
Develop quarterly and annual summary research products on revenue collection activities and findings
Support trend and risk analysis on revenue assessment, collection, and use, including potential legal, regulatory, or legislative changes
Draft research memos, summary reports, and policy briefs for technical and non-technical audiences
Coordinate with the Program Manager and the senior business analyst on cross-cutting analyses, data requests, and stakeholder responses