Research and Legislative Analyst

Municipal Association Of South Carolina•Columbia, SC

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Municipal Association of South Carolina is a nonprofit organization representing all of South Carolina’s 271 cities and towns. The Association is dedicated to offering services, programs, and products that will give municipal officials the knowledge, experience, and tools necessary to operate efficiently and effectively in local government. The staff works as a team to deliver top-notch customer service to thousands of municipal officials across the state, offering trainings, grants, risk management services, statewide legislative advocacy, resources, and other services that help municipal officials govern smarter and better. South Carolina hometowns, represented by the Municipal Association of South Carolina, bring value to our state as important building blocks in supporting economic growth and prosperity.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in political science, public administration, urban studies, city planning, statistics, information science, or other related field.
Minimum of three years of experience in research in local or state government operations and/or policy development.
Advanced experience in Microsoft Excel and database management is required.
Must possess a valid South Carolina driver’s license
Skilled in conducting research, collecting data, performing data analysis, and reporting research findings.
Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong interpersonal and analytical skills; and the ability to think strategically and work as a team player.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in public administration or political science preferred.

Responsibilities

Develops, coordinates, and promotes the Association’s research activities, including conducting studies, developing research reports, and responding to general requests for information.
Conducts quantitative and qualitative research and prepares reports on various topics related to municipal governance and operations and legislative issues affecting cities.
Selects appropriate software for the analysis of and presentation of data and information.
Develops, implements and manages polling activities in support of municipal issues. This includes, but is not limited to, solicitation and management of outside polling firms, development of poll questions and analysis and reporting of poll results to anyone with an interest in municipal government.
Develops, implements and manages special projects that are analytical by nature and related to municipal issues; uses software to build and maintain databases that gather and analyze data; draws conclusions from analyses and summarizes conclusions for use by legislators, municipal officials, Association staff and others with an interest in municipal government.
Plays a role in positioning the Municipal Association as the primary resource for accurate and timely information about municipal operations and services.
Analyzes state and federal legislation for impact on municipalities and provides updates for various parties as appropriate.
Analyzes and explains the impact of existing and proposed legislation to municipal officials and others as required.
Provides training to municipal staff and elected officials through the Association’s affiliate associations and institutes. Conducts training for municipal councils on specific topics upon request.
Maintains knowledge of current municipal issues; attends local, state and regional meetings; communicates with co-workers and professional peers to stay informed of municipal issues.
Assists with the development and implementation of Association workshops and regional meetings.
Receives and responds to inquiries, requests for assistance and concerns in areas of responsibility.
Attends meetings, technical or professional seminars, and conferences to enhance job knowledge and skills.
Travels periodically in state and infrequently out of state to perform the duties of this position.
Performs all other duties as assigned.