Associate-2-Year Limited term position

American Council On Education; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 58,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance

403B with matching incentive

Paid Parental Leave

13 paid holidays

Professional Development Opportunities

Job summary

The American Council on Education (ACE) hosts the Data Insights and Policy Analysis group, seeking a project associate for a two-year term. This role trains recent graduates in public policy, data science, and higher education research through project rotations and hands-on data work.

The position emphasizes analysis, communication, and collaboration across ACE's diverse teams, with a hybrid Washington, DC footprint.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as public policy, social sciences, data science, education, statistics, or related discipline.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex information from multiple sources and identify key insights.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to write clearly and concisely for diverse audiences.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); ability to work with data in spreadsheet formats. Experience with statistical software (e.g., Stata, R, etc.) preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality, accurate work.
• Collaborative mindset with ability to work effectively both independently and as part of cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Draft policy briefs, data visualizations, implementation guides, internal memos, and stakeholder-facing talking points that translate complex higher education data into accessible insights.
• Translate scholarly and evidence-based research into actionable recommendations for practitioner audiences, including institutional leaders, policymakers, and higher education professionals.
• Conduct literature reviews, landscape scans, environmental scans, background research, and secondary data analysis.
• Assist with data collection, cleaning, analysis activities, and survey design.
• Contribute to the development of data products, dashboards, and interactive tools that make higher education information accessible to diverse stakeholder groups.
• Contribute to analytical support of other business units within ACE, including through data gathering, surveys, and analysis as well as products and data insights that can benefit ACE's membership.
• Support quality assurance processes to ensure accuracy, rigor, and relevance of DIPA's research outputs and data products.

Skills

Analytical skills

Written and verbal communication

Multi-tasking

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Stata

R

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The American Council on Education (ACE) is the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities. ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practices. With a diverse base of member institutions, ACE represents nearly 1,700 college and university presidents and executives, serving as the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions. ACE’s mission includes serving 280 minority serving institutions, 25,000 higher education professionals, and 7.7 million students enrolled in colleges and universities. ACE membership extends to all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and 21 other countries.

The newly-formed Data Insights and Policy Analysis (DIPA) group at the American Council on Education is dedicated to producing timely, relevant and actionable insights that inform public policy and research. Major projects of the DIPA group include the production of the American College Presidency Survey, the Carnegie Classifications, the Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education study, and numerous short-form products that respond to the public policy and media inquiries of the day.

The DIPA group at the American Council on Education is seeking a project associate. This two-year, term-limited position is designed for ambitious recent college graduates who have an academic or professional interest in public policy, finance, higher education, economics, data science, management/management consulting, or related fields. The role is intended to prepare associates for career growth and/or graduate school.

Associates will be supervised and mentored by DIPA staff. The work will be organized around projects, with rotations to different projects over the course of two years providing broad and transferable experience in analyzing federal datasets; using data to model higher education policy questions; consuming academic literature; and communicating insights through memos, letters, slide decks, and briefings.

Essential Job Duties or Tasks:

• Support DIPA's mission to deliver timely, relevant, and actionable insights by contributing to projects and associated tasks, which include but are not limited to the following activities:
  • Draft and prepare policy briefs, data visualizations, implementation guides, internal memos, and stakeholder-facing talking points that translate complex higher education data into accessible insights.
  • Translate scholarly and evidence-based research into actionable recommendations for practitioner audiences, including institutional leaders, policymakers, and higher education professionals.
  • Conduct literature reviews, landscape scans, environmental scans, background research, and secondary data analysis.
  • Assist with data collection, cleaning, analysis activities, and survey design.
  • Contribute to the development of data products, dashboards, and interactive tools that make higher education information accessible to diverse stakeholder groups.
  • Contribute to analytical support of other business units within ACE, including through data gathering, surveys, and analysis as well as products and data insights that can benefit ACE's membership.
  • Support quality assurance processes to ensure accuracy, rigor, and relevance of DIPA's research outputs and data products.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as needed to advance DIPA's strategic objectives.

Education/Experience/Specialized Knowledge & Competency Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as public policy, social sciences, data science, education, statistics, or related discipline.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex information from multiple sources and identify key insights.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to write clearly and concisely for diverse audiences.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); ability to work with data in spreadsheet formats. Experience with statistical software (e.g., Stata, R, etc.) preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality, accurate work.
• Collaborative mindset with ability to work effectively both independently and as part of cross-functional teams.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT:

This is a hybrid position based in Washington, DC. Staff work on-site at ACE's One Dupont Circle NW office three days per week (Tuesday through Thursday), with remote work on Mondays and Fridays. Occasional evening or weekend availability may be required to support executive schedules and organizational priorities.

SALARY:

$64,000

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Applications will be accepted through November 2, 2026. We encourage interested candidates to apply as early as possible, as the posting may close ahead of the listed deadline based on volume.

BENEFITS OVERVIEW:

We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package, including:

• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• 403B with matching incentive + employer contribution
• Short term disability/Long term disability/Life insurance
• Generous PTO package
• Paid Parental Leave
• 13 paid holidays + week between Christmas Eve & New Years Off
• Professional Development Opportunities
• ....and more!

Please Note: ACE does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate referrals from third-party recruiters or staffing agencies. Any resumes submitted without a prior signed agreement will be considered the property of ACE, and no fees will be paid.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.