Research Assistant

Economic Policy Institute•Dc, DC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) is a nonpartisan nonprofit that uses rigorous economic research and analysis to advance policies that promote a fair and just economy where workers thrive, power is shared equitably, and structural racism and gender inequities are dismantled. EPI’s research influences national, state, and local economic policy debates and is widely cited in the media. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the nation’s leading progressive economic think tank, is seeking a Research Assistant who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and has the ability to gather, understand, analyze, and compellingly present a wide variety of economic data. This position will be responsible for providing research and technical support to EPI professional staff, along with occasional administrative tasks. Besides competitive pay and excellent benefits, EPI RAs receive extensive training in data management, programming, and content management systems. EPI RAs regularly go on to attend competitive graduate programs in economics, political science, public policy, and law. In short, the EPI RA position is one of the best launching pads in the DC policymaking ecosystem to begin a career in economic policy research from a progressive perspective. Please note that EPI is a hybrid workplace with attendance in our Washington, DC, office required at least two days per week (currently Tuesday and Wednesday).

Requirements

Academic background in economics or other social sciences, with a working familiarity of statistics and basic data gathering and organizational techniques
Ability to work independently, to meet project deadlines, and complete tasks in a timely fashion
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Excellent time-management skills and the ability to communicate effectively with managers and co-workers about the status of projects
Word processing (Microsoft Word preferred)
Spreadsheets (Excel preferred)
Ability and desire to master more advanced statistical packages and content management software
Bachelor’s degree

Nice To Haves

A passion for economic justice issues
Deep interest in understanding the workings of the U.S. economy through data
Familiarity with more advanced statistical packages strongly preferred (R/Stata/Python)
Experience with advanced data visualization tools (tableau/D3js/ggplot2/datawrapper)
Previous experience of paid or unpaid work as a research assistant, or similar type of work

Responsibilities

Collect, organize, and analyze data from published sources and from the Internet: Requires extensive knowledge of official data sources (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census, Department of Commerce, etc.).
Complete monthly, quarterly, and annual updates of EPI’s databases.
Respond promptly to ad hoc data requests from researchers.
Analyze data to supplement research.
Conduct external outreach to clarify survey methodologies and appropriate applications of frequently used and new data sources.
Utilize statistical packages in the economic analysis of time series and cross-sectional data sets: Clean datasets and conduct statistical analysis in Stata, R, and/or Python using industry-standard programming practices.
Automate, improve, and document data collection, organization, and analysis processes to ensure replicability.
Contribute to the development of coding norms and guidelines to be used across the organization.
Prepare data visualizations, including charts, graphs, and presentation materials: Demonstrate mastery of WordPress functions and options to generate EPI web content and maintain existing online data repositories.
Incorporate charts and graphs into publications, presentations, and web content.
Develop and update interactive web features in coordination with the communications department.
Prepare background research and memoranda: Conduct literature reviews and summarize relevant background material.
Participate in the design and execution of research projects, including the description of data sources, data sets, and research results: Prepare accurate and organized drafts of technical reports (e.g., data appendices).
Use technical expertise to provide input on the methodology and research design.
Establish a division of labor and timeline for the project with the other analysts and provide regular updates on research progress.
Co-author and author papers, blog posts, statements, and memos in conjunction with the objectives of EPI’s economists and researchers, in addition to facilitating the publication of EPI reports.
Respond to media and partner requests in coordination with the communications department, including interfacing with journalists, partner organizations, and the offices of policymakers.
Oversee editing and fact-checking of papers from both internal and external authors, including the construction of data visualizations.
Attend meetings and conferences to represent EPI, as needed, and prepare short memos summarizing the key events that took place.
Provide guidance and direction to interns, overseeing their project progress as needed.
Other duties as assigned.