Research Assistant - Quantitative (Health, Income, and Benefits Policy Division)

About Urban Institute:

The Urban Institute is a research-to-impact institution founded on one simple idea: To improve lives and strengthen communities, we need practices and policies that work. From advancing well-being to fostering shared prosperity, leaders across sectors are working every day to create brighter futures for all people and communities. For more than 50 years, Urban has delivered evidence and solutions that drive meaningful change, and this remains our charge today.

Our Mission

To drive impact by equipping changemakers with evidence and solutions.

Our Values

Collaboration, Fairness Inclusivity, Independence, and Integrity For more information on the Urban Institute, please visit https://www.urban.org.

The Opportunity:

The Health, Income, and Benefits Policy Division at the Urban Institute provides research, evaluation, and technical assistance on the implementation of health, income, and benefits-related policies at the federal, state, and local levels. Researchers assess the impact of these policies on various stakeholders and communities and seek to understand how policies can better meet their needs.

The Health Care Coverage, Costs, and Access practice area is looking for a quantitative Research Assistant with strong coding and analytic problem-solving skills to support senior researchers on projects related to private health insurance reforms, Medicare and Medicaid programs and payment policy, maternal and child health, rate regulation policies, and efforts to improve access and quality of care.

What You’ll Do:

• Collaborate on projects that include a variety of research and analytic assignments related to health care coverage and costs, health care financing and delivery reform, and the effects of policies on health care access and quality.

• Work primarily on quantitative research tasks, such as collecting, organizing, and analyzing data; creating and interpreting tables, graphs, and other analysis output; and assisting with the implementation of regression models and other quantitative research methods.

• Use Stata, SAS, and/or R to clean, merge/restructure, and manage large and complex datasets, create and manage files for analysis, and conduct statistical analyses.

• Summarize findings and present information effectively in multiple formats, such as tables/charts, written memos, and/or slide presentations.

• Support quality assurance by checking code, reviewing data output, documenting analytic decisions, and identifying inconsistencies or data limitations.

• Assist as needed with qualitative and general research tasks, such as reviewing literature and websites and assisting with citations, note-taking, research proposals, and project management.

• Work closely with senior researchers and contribute to research papers and peer-reviewed publications.

Who You Are:

• Possess a bachelor's degree in economics, public policy, public health, mathematics, statistics, data science, or related fields and at least one year of academic or work experience in quantitative research and/or data analysis.

• Have experience with data analysis software packages such as Stata, R, or SAS.

• Have experience merging, cleaning, or restructuring datasets, creating tables or charts, and conducting statistical analysis. Experience with administrative, survey, or other complex data is a plus.

• Demonstrate strong mathematical and statistical skills, preferably with knowledge of basic econometric methods.

• Demonstrate sound judgment using AI tools to support coding and analytic problem solving, including awareness of confidentiality, data security, and the need to verify AI-generated outputs.

• Exhibit strong oral and written communication and organizational skills.

• Demonstrate strong interest in and/or experience with health insurance reforms, Medicare or Medicaid policy, maternal and child health, and/or other health policy topics.

• Be detail-oriented and self-motivated with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team while contributing to and managing workflows on multiple projects.

Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, but we expect to fill the position in fall 2026.

Applications must include all of the following:

• Resume

• Cover letter

The recruitment process for the selected candidates is as follows:

• Phone screen

• Panel Interviews (if selected to proceed)

• What You’ll Experience:

No matter your role with Urban, you will contribute to meaningful work that makes a difference for people and communities across the country. We are committed to working in a manner defined by our mission and values.

Urban’s greatest asset is our people.

The target salary range for this position is Min $52,520 - Mid $59,085- Max $65,650 and the current median $55,336.33. Salary offered is commensurate with experience and considers internal equity. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Salaries are just one component of Urban Institute’s total compensation package. Urban is committed to supporting our staff’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being through a robust benefits package for yourself, eligible dependents, and domestic partners. It includes generous paid time off, including nine federal holidays, medical (including prescription), dental and vision insurance, and transit benefits. Urban is unique in that we offer 403(b) retirement plan participation immediately after you’re hired and a generous employer contribution after six months of service and 500 hours, with immediate vesting. You’ll also have access to a health advocate, personal finance coaching, an Employee Assistance Program, and educational assistance for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The Urban Institute has formally recognized the Urban Institute Employees’ Union, which is part of the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). Urban management and the Union work together in good faith and are motivated by a shared commitment to this institution. This position is included in the Union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned. This posting is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Urban management reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

The Urban Institute is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender or gender identity, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, veteran status, pregnancy or family responsibilities, matriculation, disability, political affiliation, or any other protected status under applicable law. The Urban Institute is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Minorities/Women/Disabilities/Veterans.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you have a physical and/or mental disability and are interested in applying for employment and need special accommodations to use our website to apply for a position, please contact Human Resources at [email protected]. Reasonable accommodation requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.