Research Assistant

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Philadelphia - United States
S: Competitive

Research assistants (RAs) play a key role in the Economic Research Department. Whether they are helping economists prepare briefings on current monetary policy issues, working on economic forecasts, writing some of our newsletters on economic conditions, or analyzing data for long-term research projects, RAs are an essential part of our team. The department is organized into three sections: Macroeconomics, Banking, and Regional/Microeconomics. Within these sections, our economists conduct innovative research on monetary policy, macroeconomics, banking and finance, financial services regulation, payments, regional and urban economics, and other aspects of central banking. By working with economists on these research projects, RAs fully experience all stages of the economic research process.

Our department prides itself on its collegial atmosphere. RAs help one another develop their statistical, data, and programming skills. Our economists collaborate on research with academic and central bank colleagues from around the world; as a result, so do our research assistants.
The assignments in the Economic Research Department offer our RAs a number of ways to increase their knowledge of economics and their analytical skills. Moreover, RAs have access to a number of training and education opportunities, including courses in computer software and programming languages, as well as undergraduate and graduate courses in economics, statistics, and mathematics.

Working as a RA at the Philadelphia Fed is a rewarding experience, whichever career path you ultimately choose to pursue. Our RAs have gone on to top graduate schools in economics, public policy and law; some have found opportunities in other departments in the Bank; and others have moved into higher positions within the Economic Research Department.

RAs typically work at the Philadelphia Fed for two to three years before continuing on to graduate
programs or other careers in economics or related fields.

Applicants must be able to provide work authorization to prove their eligibility to work in the United States. An applicant for employment also must be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National or hold a permanent resident/green card with intent to become a U.S. Citizen.


To be considered for the position, please include a resume, cover letter and an unofficial transcript in your submission.

Qualifications:
• Undergraduate or graduate degree in economics, mathematics, or statistics
• Coursework in econometrics or advanced statistics
• Programming experience, preferably in SAS or STATA
NOTE: Due to sensitive information, applicants for employment must be a U.S. citizen or hold a
permanent U.S. resident card.

Responsibilities include:
• Assisting economists with statistical and econometric analysis for long-term, academically oriented research projects
• Assisting economists with reports and presentations on current economic and financial conditions for pre-FOMC briefings
• Producing various Bank publications for public consumption

On a day-to-day basis, RAs are expected to:
• Identify and collect data or other information from academic journals, market sources, and government reports
• Write computer programs using statistical software such as SAS, STATA, and MATLAB
• Review, organize, and analyze economic and financial data
• Write or help prepare reports and presentations in the form of graphs or tables

Physical Requirements:
Must be able to spend long hours working at a personal computer.

Job summary