Research Assistant (Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population)
Who we are:
At the nonprofit Urban Institute, we believe in the power of evidence to improve lives and strengthen communities. Our employees are empowered to open minds, shape decisions and offer solutions. We encourage intellectual honesty, innovation, diversity, and mutual respect, and our analysis elevates the debate, wherever it takes place.
Urban’s greatest asset is our people. We strive to attract and cultivate a vibrant, creative, and diverse community. Our employees drive Urban’s mission through entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, effective communication, results-orientation, and relationship cultivation. Our success depends on engaging individuals who possess and value these attributes.
How you’ll contribute:
The Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population is seeking a talented Research Assistant who is interested in economic and social welfare policy and programs serving populations facing multiple barriers. We are looking for enthusiastic, intellectually curious candidates who want the opportunity to contribute to innovative policy-relevant research in areas such as early childhood education, foster care and the child welfare system, work supports and workforce development, low-income working families, demographic change, economic mobility, and disparities in these areas.
Responsibilities:
- Contribute to literature reviews.
- Assist with cleaning and analyzing administrative, program, and survey data.
- Perform quantitative and/or qualitative analysis and programming tasks.
- Assist with survey, interview, and focus group protocol design and data collection.
- Help to organize web-based and in-person project meetings.
- Support project management including taking meeting notes, scheduling meetings, scheduling and planning site visits, tracking and planning for project deadlines and deliverables, and tracking budgets.
- Help to prepare proposals, presentations, reports, articles, policy briefs, blogs and other written materials.
- Suggest and apply innovative techniques and software to support other project management, data visualization or presentation needs.
- Some domestic traveling may be required (less than 10%).
What you’ll bring:
The successful candidate will:
- Have completed (or will complete by summer 2021) a bachelor’s degree in economics, sociology, political science, public policy, demography, human development, psychology, anthropology, mathematics, statistics, public health, or related fields (required).
- Have some prior research assistant experience or a research-related internship is a plus but not required
- Express a strong interest in social policy and policy research about children, child welfare/foster care, youth and families or evaluation of programs serving those groups, as well as be flexible and willing to explore new policy areas.
- Exhibit strong organizational skills and be detail-oriented.
- Be self-motivated, capable of working independently and in teams, and able to juggle multiple projects and responsibilities concurrently.
- Respect diverse perspectives and value collaborating with colleagues to create a mutually respectful work environment.
- Demonstrate strong English-language writing and oral communication skills.
- Show proficiency in word-processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.
- Demonstrate developing expertise with Stata, R or other statistical analysis software (preferred, not required).
- Demonstrate developing expertise with NVivo, ATLAS.ti, or other qualitative coding software (preferred, not required).
- Demonstrate developing expertise with GIS or other mapping software (preferred, not required).
- Bilingual Spanish proficiency is a plus.
Those with experience in quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research are strongly encouraged to apply, as the Center's work includes a mix of techniques.
What you’ll experience:
Working in the Nation’s Capital, the epicenter of public policy among a network of policy experts, you can expect to have an impact on policy areas you care about and work with great colleagues who are smart, mission-driven, and collaborative. You will blend academic rigor with on-the-ground collaboration, be encouraged and supported to fulfill your potential through meaningful work that matters, and enjoy a welcoming workplace free from harassment, discrimination and intolerance.
In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes: medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage. Competitive paid time off allowance, and eligibility to participate in a generous retirement savings plan and reimbursable commuting expense program.
The Urban Institute is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity without regard for race, ethnicity, gender, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other protected status under applicable law.
The Urban Institute is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Minorities/Women/Disabilities/Veterans