Associate I, State Fiscal Policy

Application deadline: May 16, 5PM EST

The Government Performance Portfolio within Program

Pew's Government Performance team provides the nonpartisan research, solutions, and momentum decisionmakers need to ensure our institutions improve the health of people in the United States and enable them to successfully climb the economic ladder.

Those goals are pursued through a wide range of the portfolio's policy-focused projects (with explorations into new areas underway)-from ensuring states' finances are prepared for future volatility, to unlocking gateways to mental health care, to addressing the nation's lack of attainable housing.

Pew's Government Performance team is successful when we:

• Foresee systemic challenges that could be avoided, mitigated, or resolved before they become insurmountable or politically toxic.

• Fill information gaps with data, research, and proven models.

• Hold leaders of institutions accountable to ensure they anticipate future challenges and operate efficiently.

• Minimize missed opportunities when people intersect with our nation's institutions.

We hope for policymakers, funding partners, and other stakeholders to celebrate when Pew's Government Performance team enters a new policy space, launches a new effort, or expands an existing project because they recognize we help:

• Elevate the public profile of a problem

• Demonstrate that success is possible

• Bring cohesion to siloed fields

• Create momentum for broader and lasting change

State Fiscal Policy

Overcoming trillion-dollar shortfalls to ensuring that infrastructure and public pensions are sufficiently funded is among the biggest and most pressing fiscal challenges that states and localities face. The Pew Charitable Trusts' State Fiscal Policy team will help states and localities meet this challenge and avert future risks by providing them with relevant 50-state research and technical assistance, frameworks and tools, and by establishing and promoting a new fiscal-management standard.

Specifically, the project will:

• Provide highly credible, independent, and nonpartisan research, including 50-state reports, to help answer critical questions about which policy actions are most effective at reducing funding gaps while meeting states' policy goals.
• Provide selected states with customized technical assistance informed by tailored research; and
• Engage influential stakeholders to build the support necessary to enact reform.

Position Overview
The associate I, State Fiscal Policy, helps to identify effective, evidence-based solutions to the challenges of funding infrastructure and public pensions. Reporting to the manager, State Fiscal Policy, the associate I performs 50-state research on topics related to infrastructure and public pension liabilities and funding and financing. The associate I will collect and analyze data, as well as conduct literature reviews and other research.

Located in Pew's Washington, DC, office, this position will participate in Pew's core in-office days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and will have flexibility to work from home the remainder of each week.

Responsibilities

• Foster a work environment that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible and in line with Pew and the project's related goals.
• Work collaboratively across a team of researchers, policy analysts, and communications professionals to help develop and implement research on infrastructure and public pensions. Contribute constructively throughout the project lifecycle - from research, data collection, and analysis to quality control, development of materials and tools, collaboration with partners, and presenting the final results.
• Provide analytic support including data analysis and financial and benefit modeling, and results interpretation. Use Excel and other database tools to clean, organize, and analyze complex datasets.
• Track and analyze legislation, case law, and other information relevant to infrastructure and public pensions to inform the project's engagements and identify key emerging trends.
• Conduct and summarize jurisdiction-based policy research to update and inform engagement plans and toolkits.
• Attend conferences, trainings, and other professional development opportunities, and share learnings with the team.
• Assist with programming and logistics for in-person and online convenings of policymakers and other key audiences, prepare talking points and presentations for senior staff, and draft presentation materials.
• Maintain a constant commitment to accuracy in all Pew's work and participate fully in Pew's rigorous internal quality control process.
• Participate in activities that support program and Pew-wide objectives.

Requirements

• Demonstrated research and analytical skills applied to public policy issues, including capacity to synthesize and summarize large amounts of information and focus quickly on the essence of an issue.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel required.
• Strong written and oral communication skills with a clear, effective writing and presentation style.
• A self-starter, willing to take initiative and a commitment to learn things quickly.
• Strong attention to detail and proven experience executing tasks as directed to meet expectations.
• Demonstrated time- and project-management skills, including meeting multiple deadlines by maintaining a high level of organization.
• Aptitude to apply a non-partisan, evidence-based approach to projects and campaigns that require support across the political spectrum.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Generally, one year of applicable experience.

Key attributes and preferred experience

• Demonstrated interest and curiosity in research on state fiscal policy, particularly regarding infrastructure and public sector retirement systems. Experience with quantitative analysis and/or financial modeling is preferred.
• Experience with database management tools, such as Microsoft Access, is preferred.
• Background in public finance, budgeting, or data analysis is preferred, with knowledge and experience in capital budgeting, transportation and water infrastructure, or pension and investment policy considered a plus.
• Manages productive and collaborative relationships.

Travel
This position requires occasional domestic travel for conferences and meetings.

Work Authorization

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship.

Salary Range

The salary range represents a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on Pew's commitment to provide equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will take into consideration many factors including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills and experience, internal pay equity, and business need.

Total Rewards

We offer a competitive salary and benefit program, including: comprehensive, affordable health care through medical, dental, and vision coverage; financial security with life and disability insurance; opportunities to save using health savings and flexible spending accounts; retirement benefits to help prepare for the future; and work/life benefits to maintain a good balance.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. Pew considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, race, color, sex (including pregnancy), nation of origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.