Economist

American United School; Santa Barbara (CA); Hybrid; USD 68,640 - 97,760; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonuses

Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)

401k Plan with profit sharing

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Life and Disability Insurance

Paid Time Off

Job summary

A leading economic consulting firm based in Santa Barbara is seeking an Economist to support regional analyses and policy-making. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in Economics and 2+ years of relevant experience. This full-time position comes with excellent perks such as a flexible work environment, performance-based bonuses, and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• 2+ years relevant experience or advanced degree in Economics.
• Intermediate understanding of statistics and econometrics.
• Excellent problem-solving and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct applied regional economic analyses.
• Develop data collection and analysis workflows.
• Prepare client briefings and research reports.
• Design technical approaches tailored to client needs.
• Contribute to methodological research.

Skills

Understanding of economic concepts

Proficiency in R

Strong communication skills

Critical thinking

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Economics or related

MA/MS/MBA in Economics

Tools

MS Office applications

SQL

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Job description

Job Title

Economist - Full Time

Location

Santa Barbara, CA | Minimum of two days per week in Santa Barbara office

Work Hours

Flexible with start time between 7:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Travel

Up to 10% of time

Base Salary Range

$68,640–$97,760 annually ($33–$47/hour)

Benefits

• Above-market performance-based bonuses
• Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)
• 401k Plan with profit sharing
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Time Off (Vacation & Sick) and Holidays

Summary

Robert D. Niehaus, Inc. (RDN) is a small, mission‑driven economic consulting firm specializing in housing market and socioeconomic research for U.S. Government agencies. Our team of economists and analysts produce high‑impact studies that influence military compensation and housing programs. We are seeking an Economist that is a versatile problem solver who may perform analytical, managerial, client service, and business development tasks across various economic consulting projects. In this role, you will design, build, and maintain data‑driven workflows focused on regional housing market and cost of living analysis. You will also conduct research and prepare reports on issues related to the cost, quality, and availability of rental housing for U.S. military service members and their families. We look for smart, humble, collaborative, flexible, and hardworking professionals. In return, we reward personal and professional growth with greater responsibility and benefits. This position will report to RDN’s Program Manager for the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Economic Studies programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct applied regional economic analyses to support client decision‑ and policy‑making
• Develop, scale, and support data collection and analysis workflows
• Prepare and present client briefings, research reports, and interactive dashboards
• Design and execute technical approaches to novel problems tailored to client needs
• Contribute to internal methodological research and development initiatives
• Review and provide feedback on colleagues’ economic analyses and reports

Requirements

• US citizenship
• Must pass FBI fingerprint check and National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI)
• Education and Relevant Experience
  • Bachelor’s degree in Economics plus 2+ years’ relevant experience, OR
  • MA/MS/MBA in Economics or closely related field
• Intermediate or higher understanding of economic concepts and quantitative methods, i.e., statistics, econometrics, data collection and estimation, and regional economic analysis
• Intermediate or higher proficiency in R (preferred) or Python for data wrangling, statistical analysis, and data visualization
• Excellent critical thinker and problem‑solver
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication
• Reliable and efficient workload management
• Advanced user of MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)

What we also love to see

• Familiar with SQL, database design, and Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Uses industry best practices for building data analysis workflows, e.g., documentation, testing, version control, algorithms, data structures
• Project or personnel management experience

About RDN

Located in sunny Santa Barbara, California, RDN is an economic consulting firm with a track record of excellence spanning more than 40 years. RDN’s core services include housing market data collection and analysis, utility rate studies, surveys, and economic impact studies. Our mission is to provide our clients with the information and guidance they need to advance their missions efficiently and sustainably. Our employee mission is to empower our employee owners to flourish as productive and impactful people. We adhere to the principle of treating others as we would like to be treated, and we seek mutual respect, trust, honesty, loyalty, and mentorship. We value integrity, customer service, excellence, teamwork, innovation, and impact. We enjoy a casual office environment with flexible hours and abundant professional development opportunities. Personal and professional growth is rewarded with greater responsibility and benefits.