Applied Macro Economist: Data-Driven Insights

Plaid; New York (NY); On-site; USD 191,000 - 263,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity compensation

401(k) plan

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Job summary

Plaid is hiring an Economist to conduct applied economic research and develop analytical methods. You’ll own projects from framing questions to communicating findings, working with economists and data scientists on large datasets.

The role emphasizes robust empirical work, clear reporting, and the ability to explain evidence and limitations to diverse audiences. You will grow into broader ownership as the team expands.

Qualifications

• PhD in economics or related field, or Master’s plus 4+ years of applied experience.
• Proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience analyzing large datasets and building reproducible workflows.
• Strong econometric and time-series modeling skills applied to economic questions and robustness checks.
• Excellent writing for non-academic audiences, with ability to explain methods and limitations.
• Nice to have fintech/finance or public-sector research background.

Responsibilities

• Investigate economic questions and trends through rigorous empirical research, from framing to analysis, validation, and communication.
• Work with large, complex datasets to develop reliable measures and reproducible analytical workflows.
• Evaluate findings against benchmarks, assess data quality and uncertainty, and clearly communicate limitations.
• Apply econometric and time-series methods to test hypotheses, assess robustness, and distinguish meaningful patterns from noise.
• Write clear research briefs and present findings to technical and nontechnical audiences; collaborate with research, data science, and business teams.

Skills

Econometric modeling

Time-series modeling

Data analysis

Communication to non-technical

Education

PhD in economics

Master's + 4+ years experience

Tools

Python

SQL

Job description

Plaid is hiring an Economist to conduct applied economic research and develop analytical methods. You’ll own projects from framing questions to communicating findings, working with economists and data scientists on large datasets.

The role emphasizes robust empirical work, clear reporting, and the ability to explain evidence and limitations to diverse audiences. You will grow into broader ownership as the team expands.