Senior Policy Analyst

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority • Boston, MA

1d

About The Position

The Senior Policy Analyst is part of the Strategic Research team in the MBTA’s Office of Performance Management and Innovation (OPMI). The role leads and coordinates transportation research projects across MassDOT and the MBTA, from hypothesis development and field work through analysis and delivery of findings. Research may address transportation equity, changing transportation, climate and economic conditions, data availability and quality, and the interactions among transportation modes. Projects may be requested by the organization or initiated within OPMI, and can include innovative measurement frameworks, pilot-project evaluations, and exploratory research.

The position manages research priorities and processes and works with data from public transportation, active modes, and car-based modes. Projects may involve data assessment, collection and cleaning; research and survey design; qualitative and quantitative analysis; and best-practice research. The analyst communicates findings to audiences inside and outside the organization to support decision-making and inform transportation practice, while contributing to OPMI’s broader research agenda and assisting with other OPMI and cross-team work as needed. The position has no direct reports.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a related field, or an accepted substitution described in the posting.
• Five years of directly relevant experience in quantitative or qualitative analysis, research, or project management in transportation or a related field, subject to the stated substitutions.
• Experience with the research process, including generating hypotheses, acquiring or collecting data, filtering and cleaning data, conducting appropriate statistical analyses, accounting for data inadequacies, and developing actionable recommendations, reports, and visualizations.
• Expertise in at least one advanced data-analysis approach or tool, such as GIS, SQL, Python, R, or SPSS.
• Strong critical-thinking and written-communication skills, and ability to collaborate effectively with varied colleagues and stakeholders.
• Effective organizational, analytical, quantitative, qualitative, multitasking, and time-management skills.
• Ability to learn quickly, take direction, work independently, and resolve issues using creative and collaborative approaches.
• Advanced expertise in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• May be required to successfully complete a timed assessment involving data analysis, actionable policy recommendations, and a supporting slide deck.
• Ability to read, comprehend, communicate, and respond to instructions and other information in English.
• At least 18 years of age, except for participants in an approved high-school internship or co-op program.
• Ability to commute to assigned work locations in the Boston, Massachusetts metro area as required.
• Ability to provide courteous and professional service to internal and external customers; work independently and as part of a diverse team; and uphold MBTA rights and interests while maintaining effective workplace relationships.
• Ability to comply with MBTA rules, regulations, policies, and applicable collective bargaining agreements, including EEO, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-retaliation policies.
• Satisfactory work record for the two years immediately before the posting’s closing date, subject to the stated student and recent-graduate exception.
• Ability to pass applicable CORI, comprehensive background, and/or medical clinic screening, potentially including physical examination and drug and alcohol screening.
• Ability to work assigned shifts and locations as required, including availability for circumstances affecting service or safety.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in public-sector transportation agencies or similar large, multimodal transportation systems, preferably with MassDOT, the MBTA, or comparable entities.
• Advanced proficiency in multiple analytical tools, such as R for statistical modeling, Python for workflow automation, GIS for spatial analysis, or SQL for scalable data pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of OPMI’s broader research agenda.
• Stay informed about transportation research and agency challenges, helping bridge research and practice.
• Work collaboratively to prioritize and manage transportation research projects, including identifying research needs, collecting and analyzing data, reporting results, and using findings to inform practice.
• Communicate complex transportation research concepts to academic, practitioner, decision-maker, and other audiences.
• Establish and maintain organized, efficient, standardized processes for work intake, prioritization, resource allocation, quality control, and release of findings.
• Conduct research projects involving data assessment, collection, cleaning, research and survey design, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and best-practice research.
• Support OPMI’s Performance Management and Data Strategy verticals and cross-team projects as needed.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned.

Benefits

• Intern and co-op employees are eligible for accrued paid sick leave and a monthly transportation pass at no cost, based on the city from which they commute. No additional intern or co-op benefits are currently offered.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior