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.
The Income and Benefits Policy Center (IBP) analyzes family economic well-being from childhood through retirement. The workforce team in IBP undertakes research on a wide range of issues, including education and training programs and policies; employers, workplaces and the labor market; and workforce development systems and policies. We strive to understand and advance social and economic policies to remedy persistent structural racism and support racial equity. Our goal is to improve policy and practice at the federal, state, and local levels, with a focus on building a skilled workforce that earns sustainable wages. We do this through rigorous evaluations of programs using quantitative and qualitative methods; analysis of data, policies and issues; and the development of frameworks and other tools for the field.
How you’ll contribute:
The Income and Benefits Policy Center is seeking a talented Senior Research Associate (SRA) with experience in quantitative and qualitative research and project management. The SRA will work with project teams as part of Urban’s Building America’s Workforce initiative, investigating workforce development, postsecondary education, and other labor policy issues and understanding how programs, policies, and institutions affect racial equity. Subjects of ongoing projects include postsecondary education and training, apprenticeship, labor market policies and worker needs, workforce development systems, youth pathways to postsecondary success and careers, and job quality and workplace standards. The ideal candidate can work collaboratively on a variety of projects focused on policy-relevant research.
Responsibilities:
- Design research to meet high standards of methodological rigor, with a focus on workforce development, labor markets and the economy, and racial equity.
- Lead and collaborate in reporting research findings, including producing tables, graphics, and maps for reports, as well as writing up findings for briefs and reports and presenting at meetings and conferences.
- Manage project tasks (such as contractual, financial, timeline, and staffing components of research projects).
- Communicate effectively with multiple research teams, senior and early career staff members, and external stakeholders.
- Collect, clean, and analyze quantitative and qualitative data for projects or supervise staff undertaking these activities. These include managing data, writing computer programs for data processing and analysis, producing and reviewing literature reviews, and conducting field work (such as interviews and site visits).
- Direct the work of research assistants.
- Support and engage in fundraising efforts to conduct research and inform practice on workforce and labor market issues.
- Provide support to other areas of the Urban Institute as needed.
What you’ll bring:
The successful candidate will:
- Possess the knowledge and skills usually associated with a PhD or master’s degree in public policy, economics, sociology, political science, or a related field and four to eight years of prior experience in public policy research as well as prior experience with project management.
- Exhibit knowledge of the current state of scholarship, practice, and/or policy in at least one of the policy areas through a thesis, research papers and projects, or professional, advocacy, or volunteer experience. Sample policy areas include: postsecondary education and training, apprenticeship, employer engagement and workforce needs, workforce development systems, youth pathways to postsecondary success and careers, and job quality and workplace standards.
- Lived experience and personal familiarity with employment services, community colleges, or the public workforce system is valued in addition to educational instruction or professional experience.
- Demonstrate outstanding writing ability, problem-solving ability, strong oral communication, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to work effectively on multiple projects.
- Display capacity to engage and communicate with individuals of differing backgrounds and experience supporting collaborative projects.
- Engage and communicate with external clients and stakeholders, including program operators and community members.
- Show a strong willingness to learn, adapt and suggest improvements.
- Make effective decisions within boundaries of roles, responsibilities, and authorities
- Use strong interpersonal skills and comfort working both independently and in team environments.
- Have previous experience in a research environment and experience working on evaluations (implementation/process, impact, formative/developmental), and/or policy-related research (preferred).
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.
