Job Description

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA), one of the nation’s leading nonprofit consumer advocacy organizations, seeks a full-time Research Associate to provide research and administrative assistance to the organization and its staff.

The ideal candidate for this position is someone who is proficient in quantitative data analysis, has a commitment to furthering a more fair and transparent marketplace and economic and social equity for consumers, and is meticulous, self-motivated, and able to contribute to multiple projects at once.

About CFA

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is an association of non-profit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education. Today, more than 250 of these groups participate in the federation and govern it through their representatives on the organization’s Board of Directors. CFA’s advocates are national experts on issues ranging from fair mortgages, insurance products, financial services, and investor protections, to product and food safety. By representing the voices of consumers in national policy debates, CFA has influenced and helped pass countless regulations and bills that have promoted a more fair, equitable, and transparent marketplace.

Working at CFA, the Research Associate would have the opportunity to bring their strong data analysis and research skills to bear on a wide range of public datasets and consumer topics. Doing so, they help provide a data-driven foundation for the consumer advocacy work of CFA. The Research Associate will report to and receive guidance from the Director of Housing at CFA, who also fulfills the role of Research Director.

Responsibilities:

Data Analysis, Research and Writing (70%)

• Collaborate on projects that include data-driven research for senior advocates working on housing, financial services, product safety, energy, food policy, regulatory reform, and other high-profile consumer issues.
• Help collect, organize, clean, and analyze data in Excel, as well as software programs such as R, STATA and/or GIS.
• Summarize findings and present information in written summaries and drafts, descriptive tables, and graphs.
• Work closely with senior advocates to contribute to CFA research reports, comment letters, fact sheets, blogs, PowerPoint presentations, and other written products.
• Help identify useful public datasets and research from other credible sources to support policy positions and inform advocacy and consumer education efforts.
• Other research-related tasks as assigned.

Organizational Administrative Support (20%)

• Provide administrative assistance to CFA’s Directors and Chief Executive Officer.
• Assist in maintaining and updating website and computer network.
• Monitor and respond to phone and electronic communications as needed.
• Assist with large mailings, and educational and advocacy initiatives.

Conference and Event Support (10%)

• Provide onsite and/or online support to the Director of Meetings & Events for in-person and virtual events.
• Support conference planning efforts.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in economics, finance, public policy, political science, sociology, data science or related fields OR a Bachelor’s degree and at least three years relevant experience in research and data analysis.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Excel as well as data analysis software packages such as R, STATA, or GIS.
•  Previous experience working with large public datasets, such as the American Community Survey, American Housing Survey, Decennial Census, and the Survey of Consumer Finance.
• Meticulous in data cleaning and generating clear descriptives, graphs, and tables for a broader public readership.
• Effective communication skills, including written, interpersonal, and verbal.
• Commitment to economic and social justice.
• Excited and curious to work on and learn more about consumer advocacy on a wide range of topics.

Benefits:

• Hybrid position with two days in our downtown Washington D.C. office and three days work from home per week.
• 100% employer-paid health care, dental, vision, and long-term disability insurance.
• Three weeks paid vacation to start and three personal days.
• Federal holidays.
• Generous paid sick leave.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution after the first year.

Salary Range:

• $58,000-$68,000

How to Apply

Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: Not Disclosed.

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