Research Assistant/Associate, Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility

The Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility (COSM) at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) seeks a full-time, in-person research assistant or associate to work with scholars Kevin Corinth and Scott Winship starting in summer 2025.

Launched at the beginning of 2023, COSM seeks to shrink opportunity gaps facing disadvantaged Americans and strengthen social mobility by publishing rigorous research and developing innovative policy solutions.

The research assistant or associate will conduct quantitative research on US safety-net programs, social capital, intergenerational mobility, and housing, among other topics.

Interested candidates should submit a resume, a cover letter noting their previous empirical research experience and understanding of policies promoting social mobility, unofficial academic transcripts, and a complete writing sample, ideally an independently conducted piece of academic research.

• Collaborate and support all stages of the research process by
  
  • Building and cleaning datasets from various sources, including the Current Population Survey, while ensuring the data’s accuracy;
  • Applying and conducting rigorous statistical and econometric analysis using Microsoft Excel, R, and Stata;
  • Conducting in-depth reviews of academic literature and public policy documents to analyze information and support research projects;
  • Creating and formatting charts, graphic displays, and tables to visualize findings for policy audiences; and
  • Assisting in writing and editing research papers and scholarly reports.
• Contribute to broader COSM-wide projects, such as building policy databases and creating data visualizations based on the center’s research.
• Coordinate and work with COSM’s research team to support the center’s broader mission.
• Work internally with other AEI teams on events, conferences, and outreach for scholars’ work.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions at AEI

• The employee is regularly expected to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard. This job requires close-up vision for computer work.
  
• The employee must be able to lift up to 30 pounds.
  
• The employee must be able to work in a confined area.
  
• Moderate noise (e.g., from computers, phones, printers, and light traffic) is expected.
  
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities associated with this position.

• Assistant: 0–2 years of previous, full-time, applicable quantitative research experience
• Associate: 2–4 years of previous, full-time, applicable quantitative research experience
• A bachelor’s degree (required) in economics, mathematics, statistics, or a related field (strongly preferred)
• Quantitative skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Excel and R or Stata (required)
• A demonstrated interest in public policy and familiarity with US safety-net programs (required), plus related research experience in public policy (preferred)
• Demonstrated experience performing empirical research independently and on a team (required)
• Familiarity with analyzing data from surveys, such as the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (strongly preferred)
• Strong initiative, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently

Benefits

AEI offers generous benefits, including 18 days of paid leave (15 days of paid annual leave and 3 personal/floating holidays); 12 days of paid sick leave; paid family leave; medical and dental coverage, in addition to a health savings account; medical and dependent care FSA; a tuition assistance program of up to $5,200; life and disability insurance at no cost to employees; and a 403b retirement plan with a 12% contribution from AEI, among other benefits. For more information, you can see a full summary of our benefits here.

Compensation is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: scope and responsibilities of the position; a candidate's full-time, applicable work experience; key skills and qualifications; as well as internal and external market considerations. The salary range for this full-time, exempt position is $50,000 - $60,000. Salary is just one component of AEI’s total compensation package for employees.