Economic Analyst

Economic Analyst

Department: Managed Services

Employment Type: Temporary

Location: San Diego, CA

Compensation: $30.00 / hour

Description

Economic Analyst - Policy & Innovation Center (PIC)

Love research? Listen to your community and help solve the puzzles that matter to it.

At PIC, every project starts with a hard question: how is our region changing, who is being left behind, and what can leaders do about it? As our Economic Analyst, you''ll help answer those questions by interviewing community members in English and Spanish, finding the themes in what they share, and pairing those insights with data. No two months look the same. One project may focus on climate resilience, the next on economic mobility or community wellbeing. You''ll see your work show up in reports and tools that city, county, and community leaders use to make decisions.

About PIC

The Policy & Innovation Center is a 501(c)(3) think tank and social impact incubator founded in 2021 in partnership with the San Diego Foundation, the County of San Diego, and the Brookings Institution. We help government and community leaders act on smart ideas by building coalitions, championing innovation, and grounding decisions in evidence. Recent work includes a report with the City of San Diego showing the creative economy supports nearly 170,000 jobs and $10.8 billion in economic impact, the region''s first affordable-housing land locator, and climate-risk analysis with Brookings.

The team

You''ll report to the Director of Research and work alongside PIC''s Chief Economist, three PhD-level economists, and a fellow Economic Analyst. The team sets the research goals and priorities. You''ll own the hands-on work that brings them to life, and your ideas on how to answer research questions are welcome.

What You'll Do

Qualitative research

• Write interview schedules and conduct interviews in English and Spanish with community members and stakeholders, including native Spanish speakers
• Perform thematic coding and qualitative analysis, and synthesize findings into clear themes and insights
• Schedule some interviews outside normal business hours (evenings or weekends) so we can be responsive to community needs

Quantitative research

• Design and program surveys in Qualtrics
• Collect, clean, and maintain PIC''s public and proprietary datasets, ensuring data quality
• Run statistical analyses and build data visualizations, summaries, and briefs
• Provide demographic and economic data to colleagues across PIC and manage incoming research requests

Writing & business development

• Gather and synthesize academic and policy literature
• Draft, proofread, and edit sections of reports and publications
• Help identify grant opportunities and support grant writing

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor''s degree in economics, public policy, or a related social science, plus about one year of research experience (internships, research assistant roles, and thesis work count)
• Professional spoken fluency in Spanish to conduct research interviews; native-level fluency preferred
• Experience conducting interviews and analyzing qualitative data, including thematic coding
• Emotional intelligence, cultural competency, and a commitment to centering the voices of historically marginalized communities
• Strong writing and communication skills, and the ability to turn what people share into clear findings
• Working knowledge of R or Stata (R preferred), strong Excel skills, and familiarity with public data sources such as the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or CA EDD
• Grounding in economic principles, social science research design, and basic econometrics
• Strategic use of AI tools to work efficiently (for example, to outline, organize, or help with technical tasks), paired with your own judgment, analysis, and voice
• Self-motivated and able to carry out direction independently, while knowing when to ask questions
• Attention to detail, the ability to manage multiple deadlines, and flexibility to occasionally work evenings or weekends

Nice to have: Qualtrics; qualitative analysis software such as NVivo, Dedoose, or ATLAS.ti; GIS; Tableau; or grant-writing experience.

If you''re excited about this role but your experience doesn''t align perfectly, apply anyway. We''re dedicated to building a diverse workplace and developing new voices.

Compensation

$30/hour. This is a full-time temporary position (40 hours/week) on a 3-month W-2 contract, with the potential option to renew. This temporary position is not benefits-eligible.

The Policy & Innovation Center is an equal opportunity employer. We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities upon request.