Researcher, Employment and Economic Opportunity

About the role

Join AIR as a Researcher and use your experience and expertise to help us deliver on our mission: to generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all. The Researcher will lead components of complex projects, develop innovative research designs and analysis plans, and contribute to project execution, thought leadership, and business development across a range of policy and programmatic areas. Researchers work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to analyze and interpret data, manage project tasks, mentor junior staff, and support the production of high-quality deliverables for clients and stakeholders. This position will report to the Employment and Economic Opportunity Program Area.

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories.

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

- Lead or contribute to the design and execution of rigorous research and evaluation projects.

- Apply appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative methods to collect, manage, analyze, and interpret data.

- Translate complex findings into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for client reports, technical memos, and presentations.

- Support proposal development through writing technical sections, developing budgets, and contributing to proposal strategy.

- Manage small to mid-sized tasks or project components, including planning timelines, tracking deliverables, and liaising with clients while maintaining positive and collaborative relationships.

- Mentor and guide junior staff through regular feedback, training, and modeling of research best practices.

- Engage with stakeholders and partners through meetings, briefings, and dissemination activities.

- Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive work environment that values diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

- PhD in related subject area (Economics, Statistics, Public Policy, Public Health, Human Development, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, or related field), or a master’s degree with a minimum of 4 years of relevant applied research experience.

- Experience working on research or evaluation projects for federal, state, or local agencies or other public or nonprofit entities.

- Demonstrated experience with research design, data analysis, and reporting.