Research Assistant – Quantitative (Health, Income, and Benefits Policy Division)

Urban Institute•The Urban Institute (DC), DC

3d•$52,520 - $65,650

About The Position

The Health, Income, and Benefits Policy Division at the Urban Institute conducts research, evaluation, and technical assistance on health, income, and benefits policies at the federal, state, and local levels. The Health Care Coverage, Costs, and Access practice area seeks a quantitative Research Assistant to support senior researchers on projects involving private health insurance reforms, Medicare and Medicaid programs and payment policy, maternal and child health, rate regulation, and efforts to improve access to and quality of care. The Research Assistant will contribute to research on health care coverage and costs, health care financing and delivery reform, and policy effects on health care access and quality. The role focuses primarily on quantitative research: collecting, managing, and analyzing data; producing and interpreting analysis outputs; and assisting with regression models and other quantitative methods. The assistant will also help communicate findings, support quality assurance, contribute to publications, and perform qualitative and general research tasks as needed. The position offers a target salary range of $52,520 to $65,650, with salary commensurate with experience and internal equity. The position is included in the Urban Institute Employees’ Union collective bargaining unit, with specific employment terms and conditions subject to collective bargaining negotiations. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and the institute expects to fill the position in fall 2026.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, public health, mathematics, statistics, data science, or a related field.
At least one year of academic or work experience in quantitative research and/or data analysis.
Experience with data analysis software such as Stata, R, or SAS.
Experience merging, cleaning, or restructuring datasets, creating tables or charts, and conducting statistical analysis.
Strong mathematical and statistical skills.
Strong oral and written communication and organizational skills.
Strong interest in and/or experience with health insurance reforms, Medicare or Medicaid policy, maternal and child health, and/or other health policy topics.
Detail-oriented and self-motivated, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team and contribute to and manage multiple project workflows.
Sound judgment when using AI tools for coding and analytic problem solving, including awareness of confidentiality and data security and the need to verify AI-generated outputs.

Nice To Haves

Experience with administrative, survey, or other complex data.
Knowledge of basic econometric methods.

Responsibilities

Collaborate on research and analytic assignments related to health care coverage and costs, health care financing and delivery reform, and policy effects on health care access and quality.
Collect, organize, and analyze data; create and interpret tables, graphs, and other analysis outputs; and assist with regression models and other quantitative research methods.
Use Stata, SAS, and/or R to clean, merge or restructure, and manage large and complex datasets, prepare analysis files, and conduct statistical analyses.
Summarize findings and present information in tables, charts, written memos, and/or slide presentations.
Support quality assurance by checking code, reviewing data output, documenting analytic decisions, and identifying inconsistencies or data limitations.
Assist with qualitative and general research tasks, including literature and website reviews, citations, note-taking, research proposals, and project management.
Work closely with senior researchers and contribute to research papers and peer-reviewed publications.
Contribute to and manage workflows across multiple projects while working independently and as part of a team.

Benefits

Generous paid time off, including nine federal holidays.
Medical insurance, including prescription coverage.
Dental insurance.
Vision insurance.
Transit benefits.
403(b) retirement plan participation immediately after hire, with a generous employer contribution after six months of service and 500 hours, with immediate vesting.
Health advocate access.
Personal finance coaching.
Employee Assistance Program.
Educational assistance for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.