Data and Policy Associate, Housing Solutions Lab

Clearpath; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Retirement contributions

Paid time off

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

New York University’s Housing Solutions Lab, based at the NYU Furman Center, seeks a full-time Data and Policy Associate to support research and policy projects. The role leads quantitative analysis and visualization, coordinates Data Talks, and oversees data tasks for fellows and graduate researchers.

The Associate collaborates with policy experts and will develop tools for stakeholders, drawing on strong writing and analytical abilities in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in public policy, urban planning, economics, applied statistics, data science, or a related field.
• At least 1 year of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated analytical ability, knowledge of research methods, and visualization skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with proven ability to translate research into policy guidance.
• Ability to multitask, respond to shifting priorities, and meet strict deadlines.
• Advanced knowledge of at least one statistical software package, with expertise in R preferred.

Responsibilities

• Identify opportunities for timely research, policy, and data analysis to enrich policy guidance.
• Clean and analyze diverse data sets for research projects.
• Support research-related tasks including protocol development and data confidentiality.
• Communicate findings through policy writing, visualizations, and presentations to partners.
• Lead a project to reimagine the Housing Needs Assessment Tool.
• Supervise fellows/graduate research assistants on data tasks.
• Coordinate Data Talks, a bi-monthly webinar series on local housing data.
• Advise on data sources and best practices for data collection and analysis.

Skills

Analytical ability

Data visualization

Excellent communication

Multitask

Organization

Education

Master’s degree in public policy or related field

Tools

R

Job description

About the position

The Housing Solutions Lab, based at the NYU Furman Center, seeks a full-time Data and Policy Associate to support the Lab’s research and policy projects. The Lab helps cities across the country to plan, implement, and evaluate promising local housing policies, supporting their efforts through three core program areas: city engagement, research and evaluation, and data and policy analysis. This position will lead quantitative analysis and visualization, contribute to research projects and policy briefs, and oversee fellows and graduate research assistants on data tasks. The Associate will also coordinate Data Talks, a webinar series focused on using local data to inform housing policy, drawing hundreds of policymakers and practitioners nationwide.

This role will report to the Lab’s Director of New Research Partnerships and work closely with the full Lab and Furman Center teams of multidisciplinary housing policy experts. The Associate will be a part of cutting-edge research that directly informs housing policy decisions at every level of government, and will help develop a suite of policy and data tools accessible to a wide variety of stakeholders. This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career professional with demonstrated analytical ability, excellent writing skills, and a passion for evidence-driven policy to work on high-impact projects in a collaborative, entrepreneurial, and fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• With the Director of New Research Partnerships, the Lab’s Data and Research Associate, and the Lab team, identify opportunities for timely research, policy, and data analysis that can enrich the Lab’s policy guidance and offerings for cities.
• Clean and analyze a wide variety of datasets in support of research projects, including complex programmatic data, survey data, and large administrative datasets.
• Support research-related tasks, including research protocol development, enrolling participants, and maintaining data confidentiality and integrity.
• Distill and communicate research findings through effective policy writing, data visualizations, and presentations to city partners and cohorts.
• Lead an effort to reimagine the Lab’s Housing Needs Assessment Tool.
• Supervise fellows and/or graduate research assistants on discrete data and policy analysis tasks.
• Coordinate Data Talks, a bimonthly webinar series focused on local housing data.
• Advise local practitioners on collecting and accessing data, data analysis techniques and best practices, and interpreting results.
• Advise colleagues on data sources, and seek novel data sources that will advance the Lab’s work.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public policy, urban planning, economics, applied statistics, data science, or a related field
• At least 1 year of relevant experience
• Demonstrated analytical ability, knowledge of research methods, and visualization skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with proven ability to translate research, policy, or data analysis into actionable policy guidance
• Ability to multitask, respond to shifting priorities, and meet strict deadlines
• Comfort working both independently and collaboratively, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Advanced knowledge of at least one statistical software package, with expertise in R preferred

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with and an avid interest in housing, land use, and urban policy issues
• Strong working knowledge of research methods

Compensation and Benefits:
The position comes with a salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, and paid time off. Further information regarding benefits can be found on NYU’s benefits website.

In compliance with NYC’s Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is $70,000 – $80,000. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.

Location:
This is a hybrid role. The Data and Policy Associate should expect to spend at least three days per week in our New York City office, including days on which we have staff meetings and events.