Research Manager

T4America; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision

401(k) contributions

Life and disability insurance

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

No relocation assistance

Job summary

Transportation for America (T4America) seeks a Research Manager to plan and execute policy-focused research across federal, state, and local levels. You will lead analytical ideas, analyze transportation data, and craft reports, briefs, and visuals that advance T4America’s priorities. Travel to conferences may be required.

The role reports to the Senior Policy Manager and is based in Washington, DC, with a collaborative, entrepreneurial team environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in transportation policy or a closely related field.
• Ability to use data to tell a clear story for advocacy.
• Experience with GIS or data visualization and programming (R or similar).
• Strong project management skills and independent work capability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with high accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Produce creative research ideas to advance policy priorities.
• Research impacts of legislative, regulatory, and executive actions.
• Draft reports, analyses, blogs, and visuals to support policy goals.
• Collaborate with staff to create engaging research content for multiple channels.
• Speak about research at workshops or conferences (travel included).

Skills

Policy analysis

Data storytelling

Project management

Independent work

Time management

Attention to detail

Strategic prioritization

Entrepreneurial thinking

Written communication

Verbal communication

Education

Master's degree in public policy / related field

Tools

GIS

R programming

Data visualization software

Job description

We’re hiring: T4America Research Manager

Transportation for America (T4America)—a program of Smart Growth America—is seeking a highly skilled and motivated individual with deep knowledge, experience, and interest in transportation policy at all levels to plan and execute creative research ideas that advance T4America’s transportation policy goals. This high‑profile position reports to the T4America Senior Policy Manager.

We’re looking for an entrepreneurial and creative self‑starter who is eager to produce research and report ideas; experienced with analytical tools like GIS, data visualization, and AI; knowledgeable about available federal, state, and local transportation data; a compelling writer able to produce research‑backed content such as in‑depth reports, brief analyses, blog posts, and visuals; well connected to the transportation policy and practice community; and ready to collaborate with others while also producing their own creative ideas for research and other content to advance our mission.

Responsibilities and requirements

Produce strategic research:

• Produce creative research and analytical ideas to advance T4America’s priorities and support our work on reauthorization.
• Research and examine the impacts of possible legislative, regulatory, and other executive actions at all levels of government with regard to T4America’s priorities.
• Produce creative research and analytical ideas to advance SGA’s broader transportation work, including the National Complete Streets Coalition.
• Provide research support for SGA’s technical assistance engagements, which could include tasks such as running benefit‑cost analyses, analyzing projects or plans, providing research‑based policy recommendations, or creating bespoke products to assist SGA/T4A’s expansive technical assistance work.
• Build relationships with our allies and other stakeholders (especially other researchers) to inform and support collaborative research opportunities.

Produce research‑based content and communicate about it:

• Collaborate with staff and the SGA communications team to produce engaging research‑based content for all channels, including blog posts, social media posts, quick‑hit research, and others to further our mission and advance our policy strategies.
• Be a part of the team closely following, analyzing, and communicating about broader transportation trends and the impact on T4America’s priorities.
• Identify research opportunities, oversee and draft reports that explain challenges in transportation in the areas related to our key principles, as well as other important priorities such as reducing emissions and improving access to destinations.
• Potentially speak about research and content on behalf of the organization, including at workshops, conferences, and other events (some travel included).

Knowledge and skills

Required:

• Commitment to the organization’s priorities and a vision of how to achieve them.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in the transportation arena or a closely related policy field.
• The ability to use data to tell a clear story that can support advocacy goals.
• An entrepreneurial ability to analyze the transportation sector and spot emerging trends.
• Deep familiarity with available federal, state, and local transportation data.
• Experience with GIS or other data visualization software, as well as programming with R or other data analysis tools.
• Project management skills and experience.
• Excellent time management and organization, and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to strategically prioritize workload and complete multiple tasks and a high volume of work.
• Excellent written and verbal skills, with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

Preferred:

• An advanced degree in public policy, political science, urban planning, or another related field.
• Knowledge of the legislative process at multiple levels of government.
• Experience working within a state or local transportation agency at the local, MPO, or state level.
• Knowledge of the broader SGA set of issues, including land use, housing, and zoning, and the ability to produce or conceive of other research work for SGA’s teams across the organization.

Compensation and location

The salary range for this position is $68,000‑$74,000. A candidate near the top of this range would have been involved in producing similar research on the outcomes of the federal transportation program, have 5‑plus years of experience, and possess one or more of the knowledge and skills listed as preferred above. Benefits include fully paid medical insurance, optional dental and vision coverage, 401(k) contributions, life and disability insurance, three weeks of vacation in the first year, and 12 paid annual holidays. This position reports to the Senior Policy Manager and is based in Washington, DC. SGA staff work in the office at 1350 Eye St. NW, Tuesdays‑Thursdays. No relocation assistance is offered at this time.

Commitment to building a diverse team

Smart Growth America and Transportation for America are committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds, including candidates of color. Employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under law.