Research Associate - Quantitative Analysis

The Institute for Defense Analyses
Alexandria - United States
S: DOE

Overview

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) Strategy, Forces, and Resources Division (SFRD) is seeking motivated Research Associates (RAs) to perform statistical, econometric, and mathematical analyses on its human capital and organizational efficiency portfolios. IDA supports the Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal agencies with rigorous and objective analyses of issues related to national security. Applicants should expect to learn while creatively contributing to interdisciplinary project teams responding to research questions of deep significance to DoD policy, regulation, statute, and culture through high-quality, timely, and objective research. Continued professional and intellectual development is important at IDA. Individuals who have served as RAs at IDA have gone on to PhD studies, entered government service, or launched successful careers in industry.

Responsibilities

Directly contribute to IDA research efforts as members of research teams led by IDA Research Staff Members
Perform information gathering, data cleaning and manipulation, statistical and econometric analysis, and drafting of reports and presentations
Communicate clearly and contribute effectively to solving problems on a team
Adapt to a wide range of complex research questions
Exercise independent judgment, conscientiousness, and creativity
Occasionally travel with research teams to U.S. government or U.S. security partner field locations

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or higher in economics, statistics, operations research, mathematics, physics, computer science, data science, or related disciplines with a strong foundation in statistics and/or applied mathematics
Individuals with a doctoral will not be considered for this opportunity
Experience with programming languages or statistical software used in research (e.g., Python, R, Julia, Stata, MATLAB, etc.)
Astute attention to detail
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Applicants are encouraged to include a cover letter detailing how their skills and experiences align with the requirements. Those selected for an interview will be required to submit transcripts, a writing sample, computing code samples, and professional references

Additional Preferred Qualifications

Experience as a research assistant in an academic or policy research setting
Experience or coursework in Bayesian statistics and/or machine learning
Experience with high-throughput or distributed computing
U.S. Citizenship is required
Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance is required
Equal Opportunity Employer

Job summary