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Overview

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is a Federally-Funded Research and Development Center supporting the Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal agencies. IDA’s mission is to provide objective analyses of national security issues and related national challenges, particularly those requiring extraordinary scientific and technical expertise. IDA takes great pride in the high caliber and timeliness of its analyses, which are produced in an atmosphere that encourages collaboration, independent thinking, and objective results.

Responsibilities

IDA is seeking a Research Associate to join the Cost Analysis and Research Division (CARD). Research Associates directly contribute to IDA research efforts as part of interdisciplinary research teams. The candidate for this position will support various analyses within CARD and may also work with analysts from other divisions at IDA. A Research Associate in CARD will be required to:

  • Research topics independently,
  • Compile, cleanse, and analyze data,
  • Assist in developing and maintaining information sources,
  • Attend and participate in project meetings,
  • Interact with Governmental sponsors and industrial representatives,
  • Provide presentations of analyses,
  • Contribute to the writing of reports and papers.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics, Economics, Statistics, Data Science, Decision Science, Management Science (or a similar field) is required.
  • Demonstrated strong communications skills are essential.
  • Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of small project teams is vital.
  • Experience working with data, including data collection, normalization, analysis, and visualization is highly desirable.
  • Prior work experience or internships are preferable.
  • Skills working with programming languages (e.g., R, Python) are a plus.
  • Ability to obtain necessary security clearances
  • Successful completion of a criminal background check is required