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The Revolving Door Project, a project of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), scrutinizes the people (current and potential) who run the executive branch of the federal government. Our goal is to ensure political appointees serve the broad public interest, rather than corporations’ narrow political agenda or their own personal advancement. 

The Revolving Door Project has an immediate opening for a Research Assistant or Research Associate. This is a full-time, remote position with initial funding for 12 months. 

Job Description: A Research Assistant/Associate for the Revolving Door Project (RDP) at CEPR is responsible for a variety of important duties. The position involves:

  • Juggling both long and short term qualitative research assignments; 
  • Writing and co-writing everything from blogs and op-eds to long-form magazine articles and reports;
  • Representing RDP effectively within coalitions;
  • Occasional proofreading, website, social media, and operations support; 
  • Other intermittent work as needed to support fundraising and communications needs. 

Qualifications

  • Successful candidates will possess at least a bachelor’s degree as well as an interest in topics such as racial and economic justice, media accountability, climate policy, financial regulation, American politics, and administrative law. The Research Assistant will be asked to conduct primarily qualitative research, and so experience with and interest in such research is critical.
  • Candidates should have some or all of the following: an interest in research; strong knowledge of the political and media landscape; experience at a nonprofit, union, or similar environment with a track record of successful work; the ability to learn new software and skills quickly; a demonstrated willingness to get into the weeds on research questions; and a track record translating complex ideas into easy-to-understand formats. 
  • A successful candidate will also have excellent attention to detail, ability to handle multiple projects and manage workflow effectively, good written and verbal communication skills, ability to work both independently and with a team, a sense of humor, and a shared commitment to CEPR and RDP’s mission and values.

Additionally, individuals hired at the Associate level should possess considerable relevant professional experience. This may include experience designing and conducting qualitative research projects; interfacing with outside stakeholders, e.g. policymakers and/or community-based advocacy organizations; and/or strong knowledge of macroeconomic concepts. Those hired at this level should possess competence to undertake research or writing assignments with little to no supervision. Previous experience working in a research-oriented, nonprofit or media setting is also preferred.

Salary & Benefits: CEPR offers a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including generous paid time off, retirement contributions, medical, vision, dental, and disability insurance, and professional development funds. The salary for this position is based on skills and experience and starts at $53,559 for the Research Assistant title and $61,546 for the Research Associate title, with yearly cost-of-living increases. CEPR is a unionized workplace and is represented by the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (Local 70), AFL-CIO. This position is bargaining unit eligible and reports to Revolving Door Project’s executive director.

Closing Date of Position: August 24th, 2022 (at 11:59 PM, Eastern time). 

In rare, extenuating circumstances, the application period may be extended or shortened. In the event that the application period is shortened, CEPR will update this posting to notify candidates that they have seven calendar days remaining to apply.

To Apply: Send the following, in a single PDF file, to jobs[at]therevolvingdoorproject.org with the subject line “Research Assistant/Associate, Revolving Door Project”:

1. a cover letter;

2. a résumé; and

3. a writing sample on a relevant policy-related topic of anywhere from 800 to 2,000 words, or a description of a project you have completed independently or at another organization.

Applications that do not include all of the requested materials and that do not follow the formatting guidance will not be considered. 

Please do not submit additional information apart from the items listed above. If you have any questions, please email rdpjobs[at]cepr.net. Absolutely no calls.

Organization Description: CEPR was established in 1999 to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people’s lives. In order for citizens to effectively exercise their voices in a democracy, it is necessary that they be informed about the problems and choices that they face. An informed public should then be able to choose policies that lead to an improving quality of life, both for people within the United States, and around the world.

Toward this end, CEPR conducts both professional research and public education so that the public is better prepared to choose among the various policy options. The professional research is oriented towards filling important gaps in the understanding of particular economic and social problems, or the impact of specific policies, both domestically and globally. The public education portion of CEPR’s mission is to present the findings of professional research, both by CEPR and others, in a manner that allows broad segments of the public to know exactly what is at stake in major policy debates. As part of its public education initiative, CEPR utilizes research findings and analysis to challenge the myths, assumptions, policies and institutions that perpetuate economic and social inequality.

CEPR’s founding scholars include Dean Baker and Mark Weisbrot, and Robert Pollin, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts.

The Revolving Door Project (RDP), a project of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), scrutinizes executive branch appointees to ensure they use their office to serve the broad public interest, rather than to entrench corporate power or seek personal advancement.

Many of the deep rules that govern our rigged economy are written within the executive branch and outside the purview of most of civil society. From the semi-independent bureaus of the Treasury Department (the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the IRS) to the Federal Reserve, OMB, FTC, and beyond, executive branch personnel play a significant role in determining the fundamental rules that govern our economy.

The Revolving Door Project educates civil society in order to counteract the advantage that Wall Street and corporate America have in this rule writing process. We do this by alerting and educating the media and activists when hardworking people are being taken advantage of and clarifying by whom. If we want the executive branch to write rules that structure the economy away from rent extraction and in the direction of greater economic equality, we need to ensure the right people hold key executive branch positions like the Treasury Secretary and SEC Commissioner. 

The executive branch needs to empower dedicated civil servants rather than self-interested people rotating between relatively short stints in government and longer stints in the very industries they’re supposed to regulate. And all members of the executive branch must be pushed to aggressively implement all existing authorities that empower them to fight against corporate misbehavior on behalf of working people.

CEPR is an equal opportunity employer that considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any legally protected status. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.