Learn more and applyThe Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (TPC) produces independent, timely, and accessible analyses of current and longer-term tax issues. Our goal is to help the public, the media, and policymakers make informed decisions about critical fiscal issues and support better policy outcomes. TPC seeks Research Assistants to help analyze federal, state, and local tax and budget policies. RAs will work with prominent public finance economists on research concerning the revenue, distributional, and economic effects of the current tax system and proposed tax and other policy reforms. They will routinely see their work quoted by major media outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CNN. By highlighting who gets what from tax provisions, and pointing out administrative and design challenges, this work helps to promote a more fair and efficient tax system.
What You’ll Do:
- Work with the Center’s state-of-the-art microsimulation models
- Collect and analyze data
- Conduct background research and literature reviews
- Collaborate on written products such as blog posts, policy briefs, and research papers
- Produce graphics for publications and the TPC website
- Other duties assigned by the supervisor
Who You Are:
The successful candidate will:
- Possess a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, or other Social Sciences (Public Policy, Political Science, Sociology, etc.)
- Be familiar with basic econometric techniques and data analysis software packages (such as Stata, R, or SAS)
- Have excellent research and analytical skills, including prior experience formulating research questions and hypotheses, summarizing literature, and conducting data analysis
- Display strong organizational and communication skills
- Have excellent attention to detail and ability to work independently or as part of a team
- Take the initiative to suggest improvements or innovations on assigned tasks
- Communicate respectfully with individuals of differing backgrounds and experience