Research Associate, Family & Financial Well-being

About Urban Institute

The Urban Institute is a research-to-impact institution founded on one simple idea: To improve lives and strengthen communities, we need practices and policies that work. From advancing well-being to fostering shared prosperity, leaders across sectors are working every day to create brighter futures for all people and communities. For more than 50 years, Urban has delivered evidence and solutions that drive meaningful change, and this remains our charge today.

Our Mission

To drive impact by equipping changemakers with evidence and solutions.

Our Values: Collaboration, Fairness Inclusivity, Independence, and Integrity.

For more information on the Urban Institute, please visit https://www.urban.org.

The Opportunity

Research Associate for The Urban Institute to work at our Washington, DC HQ location and may telecommute up to 3 days per week.

• Help manage + conduct research + technical assistance.
• Support ongoing work, contribute to business development in building research portfolio, + serve principal investigator + senior advisor on future studies.
• Lead literature + research reviews.
• Engage in discussion + collaborative projects to inform research, policy, + practice w/ intersectional marginalized populations, through community engaged methods research.
• Prepare materials + collect qualitative data through site visits + phone data collection.
• Manage qualitative data analysis to determine key themes using qualitative data software (e.g., NVivo, ATLAS.ti).
• Lead analysis of quantitative data using statistical analysis software (e.g., Stata, R, SAS).
• Help facilitate communities of practice + coach partners in data collection + usage related to higher ed + workforce issues.
• Summarize findings + present data effectively in multiple formats.
• Produce tables, graphics, + visualizations for published reports + presentations.
• Support fundraising efforts to conduct research + inform practice on postsecondary ed, workforce, + labor market issues.
• Contribute to development of proposals, responses to solicitations, + business cultivation activities.
• Help manage projects + team performance, managing assistants + analysts; monitor project progress, budget + schedule; + implement strategies to complete project tasks.
• Assist w/ quality control for projects, ensuring accuracy of data management, analysis, + reporting.
• Co-author research reports, briefs, blogs, + presentations for external audiences.
• Deliver presentations to external stakeholders at meetings + conferences.
• Little national travel to attend meetings and conferences not exceeding 60 days/yr and 5 days/trip may be involved.

May undergo background checks. Salary $83,400 to $145,743 per year.

Must have PhD in Public Policy, Economics, Sociology, Human Development, Political Science or related field. Alternatively may have Masters in Public Policy, Economics, Sociology, Human Development, Political Science or related field and 3 yrs of relevant experience in public policy research.

Apply at https://www.urban.org/about/careers.

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.

Salary offered is commensurate with experience and considers internal comparisons. 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 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. 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.

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 humanresources@urban.org. Reasonable accommodation requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.