Research Assistant/Associate, Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility

American Enterprise Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The American Enterprise Institute is seeking a full-time Research Assistant/Associate for its Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility. This role involves conducting quantitative research on social mobility and safety-net programs, requiring strong analytical skills and a background in economics or related fields. The position offers a competitive salary and generous benefits, including paid leave and health coverage.

Benefits

18 days of paid leave

Medical and dental coverage

Tuition assistance program

403b retirement plan with 12% contribution

Qualifications

• 0-2 years of quantitative research experience for Assistant role.
• 2-4 years of quantitative research experience for Associate role.
• Familiarity with US safety-net programs and public policy.

Responsibilities

• Conduct quantitative research on US safety-net programs and social mobility.
• Build and clean datasets, applying statistical analysis.
• Assist in writing and editing research papers.

Skills

Quantitative skills

Attention to detail

Initiative

Education

Bachelor’s degree in economics, mathematics, statistics, or a related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

R

Stata

Job description

Research Assistant/Associate, Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility

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Research Assistant/Associate, Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility

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Overview

The Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility (COSM) at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) seeks a full-time, in-person research assistant or associate to work with scholars Kevin Corinth and Scott Winship starting in summer 2025.

Overview

The Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility (COSM) at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) seeks a full-time, in-person research assistant or associate to work with scholars Kevin Corinth and Scott Winship starting in summer 2025.

Launched at the beginning of 2023, COSM seeks to shrink opportunity gaps facing disadvantaged Americans and strengthen social mobility by publishing rigorous research and developing innovative policy solutions.

The research assistant or associate will conduct quantitative research on US safety-net programs, social capital, intergenerational mobility, and housing, among other topics.

Interested candidates should submit a resume, a cover letter noting their previous empirical research experience and understanding of policies promoting social mobility, unofficial academic transcripts, and a complete writing sample, ideally an independently conducted piece of academic research.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate and support all stages of the research process by
• Building and cleaning datasets from various sources, including the Current Population Survey, while ensuring the data’s accuracy;
• Applying and conducting rigorous statistical and econometric analysis using Microsoft Excel, R, and Stata;
• Conducting in-depth reviews of academic literature and public policy documents to analyze information and support research projects;
• Creating and formatting charts, graphic displays, and tables to visualize findings for policy audiences; and
• Assisting in writing and editing research papers and scholarly reports.
• Contribute to broader COSM-wide projects, such as building policy databases and creating data visualizations based on the center’s research.
• Coordinate and work with COSM’s research team to support the center’s broader mission.
• Work internally with other AEI teams on events, conferences, and outreach for scholars’ work.
  

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions at AEI

• The employee is regularly expected to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard. This job requires close-up vision for computer work.
• The employee must be able to lift up to 30 pounds.
• The employee must be able to work in a confined area.
• Moderate noise (e.g., from computers, phones, printers, and light traffic) is expected.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities associated with this position.
  
  

Qualifications

• Assistant: 0–2 years of previous, full-time, applicable quantitative research experience
• Associate: 2–4 years of previous, full-time, applicable quantitative research experience
• A bachelor’s degree (required) in economics, mathematics, statistics, or a related field (strongly preferred)
• Quantitative skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Excel and R or Stata (required)
• A demonstrated interest in public policy and familiarity with US safety-net programs (required), plus related research experience in public policy (preferred)
• Demonstrated experience performing empirical research independently and on a team (required)
• Familiarity with analyzing data from surveys, such as the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (strongly preferred)
• Strong initiative, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently
  
  

Benefits

AEI offers generous benefits, including 18 days of paid leave (15 days of paid annual leave and 3 personal/floating holidays); 12 days of paid sick leave; paid family leave; medical and dental coverage, in addition to a health savings account; medical and dependent care FSA; a tuition assistance program of up to $5,200; life and disability insurance at no cost to employees; and a 403b retirement plan with a 12% contribution from AEI, among other benefits. For more information, you can see a full summary of our benefits at https://www.aei.org/jobs/benefits/.

Compensation is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: scope and responsibilities of the position; a candidate's full-time, applicable work experience; key skills and qualifications; as well as internal and external market considerations. The salary range for this full-time, exempt position is $50,000 - $60,000. Salary is just one component of AEI’s total compensation package for employees.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Entry level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Research, Analyst, and Information Technology

• Industries

  Think Tanks

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