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The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a high-caliber strategic policy institute that informs and shapes public policies to reduce poverty, promote equity, and build opportunity and engages on how to raise the revenues necessary to support public investments. It has a national reputation for conducting rigorous research and analysis, developing evidence-based policy ideas and strategies, shaping a broad array of policy debates at the federal and state levels, and influencing policy outcomes and program implementation. It focuses its efforts on improving the lives of people with low and moderate incomes and examines how policies affect particular groups, including people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. The Center is known for its unique capacity to blend rigorous, timely analysis with effective communications that enable policymakers and the media to make use of its work. 

The Center is currently seeking a Research Associate to support the organization’s State Fiscal Policy (SFP) department. SFP conducts research and analysis of tax and budget policies in the states, with a focus on how they affect low-income people and build antiracist, equitable, and inclusive communities and economies. 

States and localities collect more than one-third of all taxes in the U.S. and spend half of all domestic public sector dollars, so fiscal policy choices made in state capitols nationwide play a crucial role in building better outcomes for children and families and in making prosperity and opportunity more widely shared. Specific areas of research for SFP include state budget and tax policies, taxes and state economies, anti-poverty programs and tax policies, criminal justice, higher education, K-12 education, and immigration. The team’s recent research work can be found here. SFP also coordinates and provides in-depth assistance to a nationwide network of state-level policy organizations, the State Priorities Partnership. 

Responsibilities:

The Research Associate (RA) is an integral part of the State Fiscal Project’s team of public policy analysts. RA responsibilities include:

  • Collect and analyze data and engage in fact-checking.  
  • Develop written analyses and graphic presentations of findings.  
  • Analyze pending legislative and policy options using academic research and other resource materials.  
  • Assist in preparing major reports and analyses on key state fiscal policy issues.  
  • Provide data, technical assistance, and other information to state-level analysts. 
  • Contribute to teamwide projects, such as developing content for CBPP’s annual conference and participating in internal workgroups and discussions.   

Qualifications:  

  • A commitment to the Center’s mission to improve the well-being of low- and moderate-income people and advance racial equity and inclusion.  
  • A strong interest in state fiscal policy.  
  • Excellent qualitative research skills, including the ability to find and interpret sources such as academic studies, policy reports, and state legislative documents and clearly summarize their key takeaways in writing. 
  • Strong quantitative research skills, including the ability to locate and analyze relevant government or academic datasets. Experience working with Excel is essential; experience with Stata or R is a plus but not required. 
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex concepts to diverse audiences and synthesize data and research into clear, effective arguments. 
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively with a team, as well as capacity to work on multiple tasks, often on a time-sensitive basis.  
  • Understanding of institutional and structural racism and knowledge of how to employ this analysis to improve public policies. Any prior experience related to policies that reduce poverty and build antiracist, equitable, and inclusive communities and economies is a plus. 
  • Two years of experience working in public policy, data analysis, economics, public finance, or a related field. A graduate degree in a relevant topic may be substituted for two years’ work experience.   

While we are currently operating virtually during the pandemic, we are developing policies to support a return to in-office work that may include both telework and in-person work. This position will be subject to those policies. 

This position reports to the Deputy Director of State Policy Research. 

Terms of Employment: Full-time, exempt. This is a two-year term position with possibility for extension.

Bargaining Unit Status: This is a bargaining unit position. 

Compensation:

Excellent benefits (including health insurance, vision and dental coverage, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement, MERP, and DCAP), and generous vacation, sick leave, and holiday schedules.

 

Please upload a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please include a discussion of what draws you to the mission of the Center and to state and local fiscal policy in particular. 

Please submit your application here.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and welcomes diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages all qualified persons to apply regardless of race, color, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, credit information, pregnancy or parental status, family responsibilities, personal appearance, creed, military or veteran status, religion, ancestry or national origin, union activities, disability, or other status protected by applicable law.

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