Research Associate - Quantitative

Overview

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is a non-profit federally funded research and development center. IDA provides answers to questions posed by the Department of Defense and other agencies that require careful analysis. IDA takes great pride in the high caliber and timeliness of its analyses, which are produced in an atmosphere that encourages independent thinking and objective results.

IDA has an immediate opening for a Research Associate (RA) with a strong interest in national security challenges, demonstrated analytical skills and relevant educational training. Full-time professional staff at IDA are expected to be able to work independently, as a member of a study team, or under the direction of senior study leaders and analysts.

Under direct supervision, the Research Associate provides qualitative and quantitative research support, assisting and supporting work activities of more experienced research staff and other professional staff. This is an entry level position which supports the assigned Research Division.

Research staff are expected to be familiar with standard methods for collecting, compiling, summarizing, analyzing and presenting qualitative and quantitative data/information. They should be able to apply appropriate analytic methods to support the needs of particular studies or analyses. As members of interdisciplinary research teams, researchers must demonstrate strong communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills with the ability to contribute effectively to a team approach to problem solving.

The national security issues that IDA addresses change constantly, and researchers are expected to be adaptable and self-motivated, and demonstrate a capacity for independent thought, sound judgment, and creativity in analyzing complex policy, operational, and technical problems.

Responsibilities

• Works as part of a team on model development and associated software implementation utilizing a shared code repository with version control. One specific project requiring support is a discrete event simulation model, built in Python, designed for analyzing supply chain networks and the impact of disruptions on those networks.
• Contributes to the writing of project reports or papers as required. Completes research, analyses, and programming tasks; develops draft reports on research findings and preliminary analyses.
• Prepares and maintains project documentation.
• Maintains project files and databases; develops and maintains information sources and contacts; conducts reviews and searches of printed literature and databases, including government databases.
• Maintains bibliographic and statistical data; performs data curation, data cleaning and coding; summarizes and documents contract information, research findings, and other information;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or Masters' degree in mathematics, statistics, economics, physics, computer science, data science, operations research, or related disciplines with a strong foundation in applied mathematics or statistics are encouraged to apply.
• Candidates must demonstrate experience with one or more programming language or statistical software used in research (e.g., Python, R, Julia, Stata, MATLAB, C, Java, etc.)
• Candidates must demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills. Ideal candidates are able to contribute to and support team efforts.
• Additional preferred skills include:

o Training and/or experience in quantitative or qualitative information collection, data normalization, and text analytics

o Experience as a research assistant in an academic or policy research setting

o Experience or coursework in Bayesian statistics, machine learning, predictive analytics, and/or geospatial analyses

o Experience with GPU, high-throughput, and/or distributed computing

• U.S. citizenship is required.

Compensation

We support transparency, equity, and fairness in our compensation program and provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range based on data-driven market analysis for each position. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range, a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $68,681-$194,054. Individual salary within this range will be commensurate with the incumbent's experience, unique skills and qualifications, and other relevant factors.

Successful completion of a criminal background check is required.