Program Assistant

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on topics in American social policy, poverty, demography, education policy, public health, economics, and related fields.
• Contribute to new research initiatives on issues central to well-being, perform statistical research, and contribute to innovative written and visual presentations of the outputs of these projects.
• Obtain, compile, and clean datasets from diverse public and private sources to prepare them for analysis, primarily from the US Census Bureau and public health authorities.
• Create and ensure accuracy of data visualizations for reports and data tools.
• Perform geospatial analysis and production-quality map generation.
• Administer the program’s finances, including liaising with funders, processing all expenditures and reimbursements, managing invoicing, and monitoring the program budget.
• Manage relationships with vendors and consultants, including report designers, web developers, editors, media professionals, and others.
• Maintain organized and accurate records of program projects, activities, and meetings.
• Implement and monitor the program’s social media strategy and online presence, including administering its website and social media platforms.
• Support day-to-day and special-event logistics.
• Draft a range of materials, including correspondence, grant reports, and portions of reports and articles.

Skillset

• Bachelor’s degree, ideally in a social science (political science, sociology, economics, anthropology, geography, international relations, or an interdisciplinary or related field).
• One–two years’ work experience in an office environment preferred but not required; relevant internships a plus.
• Demonstrated research skills, familiarity with principles of social scientific inquiry, and the ability to work with data.
• Strong writing/communication skills and ability to communicate research findings and technical concepts to nontechnical audiences.
• Natural attention to detail and drive for order that yields accuracy and reliability in the data and analysis you work with.
• Conscientiousness, follow-through, and a strong inclination to learn, adapt, and suggest improvements.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility, professionalism, critical thinking, humility, and independence.
• Skill with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required.
• Familiarity with the following tools and work is preferred but not required—an authentic desire to learn and achieve proficiency in the tools and systems we use is more important.
  • Statistical software, ideally R; GIS tools and techniques; data visualization design software
  • Website and social media content creation and analytics; HTML, CSS, and CMS (we use WordPress)
  • Adobe Creative Suite or other visual design/editing & publication layout software.