Research Analyst (Tax Policy Center - Division of Tax and Income Supports)
Urban Institute - Washington, DC
posted 4 days ago
About the position
The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (TPC) aims to improve tax and fiscal policy decision-making by producing independent, timely, and accessible analyses. We help policymakers, advocates, journalists, and the broader public understand how tax policy affects different groups of people, how tax policy affects revenues and the economy, and how to use the tax code as effectively as possible when seeking a policy outcome. TPC seeks a Research Analyst to help analyze federal, state, and local tax and budget policies, working primarily with the TPC microsimulation modeling team. The Research Analyst will work with prominent researchers to analyze the revenue, distributional, and growth effects of the current tax system and proposed tax and economic and social policy reforms. They will routinely see their work quoted by major media outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CNN. By highlighting who gets what from tax provisions, and pointing out administrative and design challenges, this work helps to promote a more fair and effective tax system.
Responsibilities
- Work with the Center's state of the art microsimulation model, including analyzing the revenue and distributional effects of existing law and policy proposals; enhancing the model in response to new proposals; and participating in updating and maintaining the model.
- Collect, clean, and perform advanced manipulation of qualitative and/or quantitative data, including creating and managing data collection protocols, cleaning and merging data, producing and reviewing literature reviews, conducting field work, and writing computer programs for data processing and analysis.
- Assist in reporting research findings including producing tables, graphics, and maps for reports, as well as writing up findings for briefs, reports, blogs, presentations, and other strategic communication.
- Oversee logistical tasks for research proposals, internal and external research meetings and events, and research management.
- Assist with project management tasks including project budgets and timelines, contract deliverables, consultant and subcontract agreements, financial monitoring, routine reporting, and staffing management of research projects.
Requirements
- Possess a master's degree or academic and professional experience equivalent to a Master's degree in a relevant field such as Economics, Public Policy, Sociology, Public Health, Anthropology, Political Science, or other Social Science with a demonstrated focus on relevant policy issues and policy-related research skill sets.
- Demonstrate knowledge of and interest in the current state of scholarship, practice, and/or policy in at least one relevant policy area through prior research papers and projects or professional or volunteer experience.
- Display strong familiarity with qualitative and/or quantitative analytical skills conducive to advanced research methodologies with demonstrable experience in at least one, and familiarity with both preferred.
- Show superb critical thinking skills and capacity to interpret research findings.
- Demonstrate experience with data analysis tools and software packages (e.g., SAS, Stata, SPSS, R, Python, ArcGIS, NVivo, Atlas.ti or other tools and research processes) or other research project management tools appropriate to the area of research skill.
- Be proficient in publication, spreadsheet, and presentation graphics software.
- Demonstrate effective project management including experience creating and managing work plans, timelines, budgets, and other contractual research components.
- Exhibit high level of organization, time management, motivation, creativity, and self-confidence; we seek individuals who can work effectively, independently, and simultaneously on multiple projects and across multiple teams.
- Have strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Display a high level of professionalism.
Benefits
- Generous paid time off, including nine federal holidays
- Medical (including prescription), dental and vision insurance
- Transit benefits
- 403(b) retirement plan participation immediately after hiring with a generous employer contribution after six months of service and 500 hours, with immediate vesting
- Access to a health advocate
- Personal finance coaching
- Employee Assistance Program
- Educational assistance for undergraduate and graduate degree programs
