Economist - Quantitative Analytics

Freddie Mac
McLean - United States
S: Competitive

Position Overview

The Economic & Housing Research department is involved in activities that require a range of economics, finance, and policy skills. An economist in this position will be called upon to perform analysis targeted for senior management, research and development processes as well as public policy and economic research. Our office plays an important role internally and externally through thought leadership in areas of housing finance and housing economics. Externally, this includes providing factual analysis of issues relating to housing and mortgage finance to policymakers and the broader policy/research community.

An economist in this position is expected to provide support and expertise in a range of areas. One important aspect of this position is the provision of timely corporate and division-level business support as requested. These services will typically involve providing feedback and analysis on models, processes, and operations which frequently require empirical analysis. Someone in this position is expected to effectively provide consulting services to internal business areas. This position's role also encompasses attending industry and academic conferences, presenting research, commenting on the work of other researchers, and publishing in real estate related academic journals.

In engaging in these activities, our department aspires to build partnerships and promote collaboration across a wide range of internal and external groups and organizations. The ability to act with business acumen, manage risks, and influence others is an important part of this position.

Specific Duties

Conduct independent research on factors driving housing and mortgage market behavior at the micro (individual or household) and macro level.
Oversee the design, execution and analysis of qualitative and quantitative research from inception through reporting/presentation of findings.
Conduct analysis and forecast trends in the residential mortgage market for senior management and policy makers.

Qualifications

Master's degree in Economics, Finance, Statistics or related field plus 5 years of relevant work experience (in economics, finance, or the mortgage industry)
Strong written and oral communication skills and experience with quantitative analysis (e.g. statistics/econometrics)
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to extract larger themes while providing concise, articulate, and insightful analysis in both written and verbal form
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact and collaborate effectively with team members, peers, senior management, and external parties
Experience with data analysis, statistical modeling, and/or financial valuation

Preferred Skills

PhD in Economics, Finance, Statistics, or related field.
Experience in mortgage finance or real estate
Proven ability in working with and understanding economic and financial data
Substantial knowledge of financial instruments, market structure, macroeconomic theory, and monetary policy
Familiarity with mortgage-related markets and/or financial market transactions
Substantial knowledge and experience with forecasting economic or financial markets
Familiarity with cross-sectional and panel econometrics
Experience with specific programming languages, such as SAS and R, is highly desirable, but not required. Experience in UNIX and the ability to use software to create, modify, and access databases is also desirable

Job summary