American Institutes for Research (AIR)

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

Complete job posting details can be found here:
https://jobs-airdc.icims.com/jobs/11587/international-development-economist---aea-conference/job

Title: International Development Economist
Locations: Remote or Crystal City, Virginia or Rockville, Maryland or Waltham, Massachusetts or Chicago, Illinois or Austin, Texas

Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is one of the world's largest behavioral and social science research and evaluation organizations.

AIR’s International Development Division (IDD) strives to improve the quality of life in developing countries by using rigorous research and evaluation to enhance education and social development. We work across a wide range of topics including agriculture/food/nutrition, early childhood development, education, refugees and migration, social protection, water/sanitation/infrastructure, women's empowerment, and workforce development in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Central and Latin America as well as the Middle East. The IDD generates policy-relevant evidence through rigorous evaluations and research; helps improve program design through continuous learning and adaptation; and works with local organizations and governments to build sustainable solutions based on evidence.

AIR's IDD is seeking a Development Economist to join our team to work on our current and growing opportunities in Africa. The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand quantitative data analysis and research experience on exciting evaluations of development programs.

Responsibilities:
- Develop conceptual frameworks that guide project work.
- Manage and analyze large-scale data files for research.
- Apply appropriate quantitative techniques to collect and analyze data.
- Organize and document analytic results and research procedures.
- Prepare technical reports and journal articles and present findings to clients, professional associations and the public.
- Assist in developing and drafting new research proposals.
- Mentor research analysts, share approaches to solving concrete problems, and provide feedback on the work of others.
- Manage or lead projects or tasks.
- Serve 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.
- Prior experience living and/or working in Africa.
- 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, and the design of experiments and quasi-experiments.
- Prior quantitative research on policy-relevant international development topics using advanced methods such as fixed effects, regression discontinuity, or instrumental variables.