Strategic Research Lead

Liberty Seeds; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision

Disability & Life insurance

HSA contributions

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Holidays

Flexible hours

Casual dress

Job summary

Institute for Justice seeks entrepreneurial researchers in leadership roles to advance individual rights through data-driven policy analysis and strategic communication. Title negotiable based on experience.

Responsibilities include designing studies on civil liberties, managing projects and teams, mentoring junior researchers, and translating findings for lawmakers and journalists to spur reform.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in social sciences or statistics with emphasis on research methods, applied statistics, or applied economics.
• Master’s degree in applied statistics or applied economics with three years’ experience.
• Experience conducting original analytical research in a policy institute, legislative, executive, or regulatory setting.
• Strong skills with statistical software such as Stata; proficiency with Python, R, or GIS is helpful.
• Proven ability to generate research ideas, develop plans, and manage projects to completion.
• Experience with both original data collection and using governmental or NGO datasets.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute research plans on topics including civil forfeiture, licensing, immunities, and 4th Amendment rights.
• Collaborate with attorneys and researchers to identify strong methods and research questions.
• Find datasets or create them; manage data collection.
• Analyze large datasets with descriptive and inferential statistics; draft surveys.
• Survey literature to uncover methodological insights and potential collaborators.
• Lead both solo and team projects and mentor junior researchers.
• Ensure findings reach journalists and lawmakers to influence policy.
• Write clear reports for general audiences and peer-reviewed journals.
• Conduct media interviews; testify before legislatures and city councils; prepare op-eds.

Skills

Statistical analysis

Research design

Project leadership

Data collection

Python

R

GIS

Data visualization

Education

Ph.D. in social sciences or statistics

Master’s in applied statistics or applied economics

Tools

Stata

Python

R

GIS

Job description

Institute for Justice seeks entrepreneurial researchers in leadership roles to advance individual rights through data-driven policy analysis and strategic communication. Title negotiable based on experience.

Responsibilities include designing studies on civil liberties, managing projects and teams, mentoring junior researchers, and translating findings for lawmakers and journalists to spur reform.