American Institutes for Research

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

American Institutes for Research (AIR) is one of the world's leading behavioral and social science research and evaluation organizations. We are a research consulting firm that provides research and evaluation, measurement, technical assistance and policy analysis. The intellectual diversity of our over 1,900 employees enables us to bring together experts from many fields in the search for innovative answers to challenges that span the human life course. We apply rigorous science methods to address real world issues on behalf of clients that include federal and state agencies, leading foundations, school districts and private businesses and, international development agencies. AIR's experts are a frequent source of information and guidance for policymakers, clients and the news media.

We are currently seeking Economic Researchers to join our growing domestic Research and Evaluation service area in our Washington, DC office. Ideal candidates should possess (or are expecting) their PhD with a concentration in labor economics or a related field. Candidates will have the opportunities to work in the areas of employment and public policy, wage formation and equity, and other issues that examine the determinants of labor supply and demand.

Responsibilities:

- Identifying and implementing empirical approaches.
- Developing conceptual frameworks and experimental designs that guide project work.
- Managing and analyzing large-scale data files for research, including data sets common for disability and other labor research.
- Applying appropriate quantitative techniques to collect and analyze data.
- Organizing and documenting analytic results and research procedures.
- Preparing technical reports and journal articles and presenting findings to clients, professional associations and the public.
- Assisting in developing and drafting new research proposals.
- Mentoring research analysts, sharing approaches to solving concrete problems, and providing feedback on the work of others.
- Managing or leading projects or tasks, with assumption of greater responsibility over time.
- Serving as client contact for analytical or statistical expertise.

Qualifications:

- A Ph.D. in economics, public policy, or related social science field with expertise in econometrics or applied statistics.
- Able to apply advanced statistical methods, and able to communicate effectively about these methods to non-technical audiences.
- Highly proficient in STATA, and open to learning new statistical tools as required by different projects.
- Knowledge or experience with the analysis of large-scale data sets, and the design of experiments and quasi-experiments.
- Prior quantitative research on policy-relevant topics using advanced methods such as fixed effects, regression discontinuity, or instrumental variables.