Policy and Research Fellow

ECMC Group • Washington, DC

4d

About The Position

ECMC Foundation is a nationally focused foundation whose mission is to improve higher education for career success among underserved populations through evidence-based innovation. It is one of several affiliates under the ECMC Group enterprise based in Minneapolis. ECMC Foundation makes investments to remove barriers to postsecondary completion; build the capacity of organizations, institutions and systems; and transform the postsecondary ecosystem using a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to support both nonprofit and for-profit ventures. Job Summary The Fellow will play a vital role in advancing the Foundation’s North Star to eliminate gaps in postsecondary credential completion and expand economic and social mobility for underserved learners. This role is ideal for a policy-minded researcher or early-career professional interested in higher education systems, data-informed decision-making, and philanthropic impact. The Fellow will track state and federal policy developments, analyze education policy trends, design and execute research projects, and translate findings into actionable insights for internal teams and partners in the postsecondary education field. At their supervisors’ discretion, the Fellow will co-develop special, time-bound projects that align with these specified tasks. This position offers a unique opportunity to gain experience at the intersection of policy, research, and philanthropy, working collaboratively across teams to inform strategy and amplify the Foundation’s learning and impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree and actively pursuing a master’s degree or a doctorate in higher education, public policy, economics, sociology, or a related field.
• 2+ years of professional experience in policy research, education administration, or government/policy roles.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with demonstrated ability to collect, interpret, and visualize data.
• Experience working with data tools or analytic software (e.g., Excel, R, Stata, Tableau, ArcGIS, Dedoose, NVivo, Atlas.TI).
• Familiarity with federal and state policy processes (gained through higher education or another sector or focal issue, e.g., early childcare development, K12, healthcare, community development), postsecondary systems, and student success frameworks.
• Familiarity with scholarly research repositories.
• Demonstrated project management skills and ability to meet deadlines in a collaborative environment under competing priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate across teams and stakeholder groups.
• Exceptional writing and communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Support the Foundation’s implementation of a digital platform to track and integrate state and federal policy opportunities into the Foundation’s grantmaking strategy.
• Analyze and synthesize proposed and enacted policy changes to assess implications for students, institutions, systems, and ECMC Foundation’s grantmaking strategy.
• Design, conduct, and interpret qualitative and quantitative research aligned with the Foundation’s strategic framework.
• Work with large federal, state, and institutional datasets (e.g., IPEDS, NSC, Census, State Longitudinal Datasets) to support analysis of postsecondary access, persistence, and completion trends.
• Prepare data visualizations and write summaries that communicate findings clearly and persuasively to non-technical audiences.
• Support the design and facilitation of team meetings, learning sessions, and convenings, including producing invitations, pre-reads, briefings, and other materials that inform strategic discussions with internal and external stakeholders.
• Participate in Foundation-wide meetings by presenting, translating, and synthesizing learnings from Policy and Research team activities.
• Contribute to the effectuation of meeting follow-up items including pursuing additional insights regarding emergent questions and exploratory lines of research that might also inform strategic priorities.
• Translate complex research and policy findings into concise memos, reports, and presentations for diverse audiences.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Benefits

• ECMC Group also provides a comprehensive benefits package: Health & wellness benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance plan options, with a generous employer subsidy.
• Company paid life & disability insurance, pre-tax flexible spending accounts and robust wellness programs.
• Financial benefits: Generous 401(k) plan with a company match up to 6% and additional discretionary contribution potential, holiday time off, paid time off accrual starting at 20 days/year and commuter subsidy.
• Education benefits: Tuition reimbursement up to $10,500/year for approved programs and student loan payment reimbursement up to $4,800/year.
• Up to $5,250 of qualifying education benefits can be reimbursed pre-tax.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees