Research Assistant (Housing and Communities Division)

Urban Institute; Washington; Hybrid; USD 53,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Transit benefits

403(b) retirement plan

Paid time off + holidays

Educational assistance

Job summary

Urban Institute in Washington, DC is seeking a DC-based Research Assistant (Step 1 / Research track) to join the Housing and Communities Division. You will manage and analyze data, write reproducible code in R, Stata, SAS, or Python, and produce clear tables and summaries for research teams.

You will work in a hybrid schedule (two or more days in the office) and contribute to multiple practice areas, including authoring literature reviews and supporting project management and events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or associate degree in Public Policy, Urban Studies, Data Science, Sociology, Economics, or related field.
• Experience with descriptive statistics, data cleaning, and basic data analysis.
• Experience managing, cleaning, merging, documenting, and analyzing large datasets.
• Experience writing, running, documenting, and reviewing code in R, Stata, SAS, and/or Python; willingness to learn new tools.
• Ability to produce clear tables, charts, maps, and other data summaries for nontechnical audiences.
• Strong judgment with AI tools to support coding while protecting confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Collect, clean, manage, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data.
• Write, run, document, and review reproducible code in R, Stata, SAS, or Python.
• Use AI tools responsibly to support coding and efficiency.
• Produce tables, charts, maps, and descriptive statistics; summarize patterns for research teams.
• Support QA by checking code and documenting analytic decisions.
• Contribute to literature reviews, site visits, publications, and research management.
• Complete logistical tasks for proposals and events.
• Track timelines, reporting, and meeting minutes; manage multiple tasks.

Skills

Quantitative research

Data analysis

Time management

Independent work

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or associate degree

Tools

R

Stata

SAS

Python

Job description

About Urban Institute:

At the Urban Institute, we believe in the power of evidence to improve lives and strengthen communities. As a nonprofit focusing on social and economic policy, our researchers and policy entrepreneurs open minds, shape decisions, and identify transformative solutions to the most pressing issues of our time.

Our Mission

To open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions through economic and social policy research.

Our Values

Collaboration, Equity, Inclusivity, Independence, and Integrity. For more information on the Urban Institute, please visit https://www.urban.org.

The Opportunity:

The Housing and Communities Division seeks a DC-based research assistant (Step 1 / Research track) with strong quantitative, coding, and analytic problem-solving skills to work across our six practice areas. This position will work from Urban’s offices in L’Enfant Plaza two or more days a week. The research assistant will assist senior researchers and research teams in successfully executing defined research tasks, with an emphasis on managing and analyzing data, producing clear tables and summaries, writing and reviewing code, and using emerging tools—including AI, when appropriate and consistent with Urban policies—to troubleshoot code and improve efficiency. The person hired for this position will be assigned to one of the Division’s research practice areas and will work across several other practice areas. All staff work on multiple projects-assignments include various research methods, datasets, and topic areas and are made based on the needs of the Division, taking into consideration a research assistant’s skills and interests.

The Housing and Communities Division at the Urban Institute equips federal, state and local policymakers, practitioners, advocates, media, and philanthropy with the rigorous research they need to advance affordable, healthy, and resilient housing and places with reliable infrastructure, equitable economic opportunities, supportive financial systems, and sustainable land use policies. More information on our six practice areas (Climate and Communities; Community and Economic Development; Fair Housing, Land Use, and Transportation; Housing Finance Policy Center; Preventing and Ending Homelessness; and Thriving Places) can be found on our website.

Note: This position is based in Washington, DC, and candidates who are able to follow a hybrid work schedule of two or more days per week in the office are strongly preferred.

What You’ll Do:

Responsibilities include:

• Collect, clean, manage, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, with particular emphasis on working with large administrative, survey, program, and other policy-relevant datasets.
• Write, run, document, and review reproducible code to manage and analyze data in software such as R, Stata, SAS, and/or Python; troubleshoot code and improve analytic workflows.
• Use AI tools responsibly and in accordance with Urban policies to support coding problem solving, identify possible approaches, check syntax, and make routine tasks more efficient while protecting confidential data.
• Produce basic and intermediate tables, charts, maps, and descriptive statistics; summarize key patterns and provide clear first-pass interpretations of data for research teams and nontechnical audiences.
• Support quality assurance by checking code, reviewing data outputs, documenting analytic decisions, reconciling results, and identifying inconsistencies or data limitations.
• Contribute to literature reviews, field work such as interviews and site visits, publications for different audiences, research proposals, events, project management, meeting summaries, and other tasks as assigned.
• Completion of logistical tasks for research proposals, internal and external research events, and research management.
• Completion of administrative tasks such as tracking project timelines, project reporting, taking and summarizing meeting minutes, and other tasks as assigned.
• Independent time management and collaboration with teams to prioritize and complete multiple tasks.

Who You Are:

The successful candidate will possess:

• Bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree with equivalent experience required, preferably in Public Policy, Urban Studies, Urban Planning, Data Science, Sociology, Economics, Statistics, Environmental Studies, Geography, Social Welfare, Education, Psychology, Business, or a related field of inquiry.
• Demonstrated quantitative research skills, including comfort with descriptive statistics, data cleaning, and basic data analysis.
• Experience managing, cleaning, merging, documenting, and analyzing large datasets; experience with administrative, survey, geographic, longitudinal, or other complex data is a plus.
• Experience writing, running, documenting, and reviewing code in statistical packages or programming languages such as R, Stata, SAS, and/or Python; willingness to learn new tools and follow team coding standards.
• Ability to produce clear tables, charts, maps, and other data summaries and explain what the results do and do not show.
• Sound judgment using AI tools to support coding and analytic problem solving, including awareness of confidentiality, data security, and the need to verify AI-generated outputs.
• Initiative to suggest improvements or innovations on assigned tasks, including coding, data management, workflow, and quality-control improvements.
• Strong time management skills and high level of professionalism, organization, attention to detail, motivation, creativity, and self-confidence.
• Ability to work effectively, both on teams and independently, and simultaneously on multiple projects with changing work assignments, deadlines, and team environments.
• Strong interest and/or experience in one or more of the following topics: housing and housing-related assistance programs, housing finance, homelessness, demographic and population studies, urban planning and land use, community economic development, city governance and public-sector capacity, climate change, environmental justice, housing and neighborhoods as a platform for other household and societal outcomes, structural racism, and inequality.
• Bilingual abilities, although not required, are a plus; willingness and ability to travel when conditions make travel safe is also expected.

The recruitment process for the selected candidates is as follows:

• Phone Screen
• Panel interviews (if selected to proceed)

What You’ll Experience:

No matter your role with Urban, you will contribute to meaningful work that makes a difference for people and communities across the country. We are committed to working in a manner defined by our mission and values.

Urban’s greatest asset is our people.

The target salary range for this position is Min $52,520 - Mid $59,085- Max $65,650 and the current median $55,336.33. Salary offered is commensurate with experience and considers internal equity. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Salaries are just one component of Urban Institute’s total compensation package. Urban is committed to supporting our staff’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being through a robust benefits package for yourself, eligible dependents, and domestic partners. It includes generous paid time off, including nine federal holidays, medical (including prescription), dental and vision insurance, and transit benefits. Urban is unique in that we offer 403(b) retirement plan participation immediately after you’re hired and a generous employer contribution after six months of service and 500 hours, with immediate vesting. You’ll also have access to a health advocate, personal finance coaching, an Employee Assistance Program, and educational assistance for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The Urban Institute has formally recognized the Urban Institute Employees’ Union, which is part of the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). Urban management and the Union work together in good faith and are motivated by a shared commitment to this institution. This position is included in the Union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned. This posting is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Urban management reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

The Urban Institute is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender or gender identity, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, veteran status, pregnancy or family responsibilities, matriculation, disability, political affiliation, or any other protected status under applicable law. The Urban Institute is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Minorities/Women/Disabilities/Veterans.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you have a physical and/or mental disability and are interested in applying for employment and need special accommodations to use our website to apply for a position, please contact Human Resources at [e-mail]. Reasonable accommodation requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.