Research Associate

Research Associate  

Location: New York, NY (In office/Remote) 

Position Overview: 

The Research Associate contributes to and manages the research and writing for City Journal’s college rankings. The individual will gather and analyze data, write 100+ school descriptions, communicate with external and internal groups, and provide general support. This role is ideal for an experienced researcher who is a strong writer, detail-oriented, organized, and eager to contribute to and manage the research and writing for City Journal’s college rankings. 

Responsibilities: 

Research & Writing 

• Work in support of, John Sailer and Kevin Wallsten, the lead scholars overseeing the City Journal college rankings, working with them to adjust the rankings methodology and data collection process 

• Understand the rankings methodology and gather and organize data for annual college rankings updates 

• Draft 100+ school descriptions annually, drawing on analysis of the rankings data and reporting on ongoing changes at the schools 

• Help manage the contributions of contractors and interns (as available) to the data and school descriptions that comprise the rankings 

• Working with City Journal and MI editorial staff and others, manage the release lifecycle for the school descriptions and other site content (for example, editorial review, copyediting, PDF review, website testing and review, etc.) 

• Provide general support and work cross-team to annually release City Journal’s college rankings 

• Support marketing efforts 

 Communication 

• Manage college rankings external inquiries and communicate with external inquirers, such as university representatives, journalists, and government representatives 

• Communicate and work with stakeholders for project requirements and to provide project timelines and status updates 

 Website & Digital Content Management 

• Work with MI staff and software developers to update and maintain college rankings website content 

 Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, or related field—or equivalent experience. 

• Strong writing ability a must 

• Experience with data or statistical analysis (e.g., a basic understanding of indices, a familiarity with basic regression analysis, the ability to produce simple cross-tabs with Excel/R/STATA) 

• Strong research, data collection ability 

• Strong ability to write for public audiences 

• Strong ability to engage with external stakeholders 

• Strong attention to detail and excellent organizational skills 

• Strong verbal communication skills 

• Interest in higher education reform 

• Strong ability to juggle multiple projects and work collaboratively across teams under high stakes deadlines 

 Preferred Skills (Not Required) 

• Public speaking ability/experience 

• Familiarity with website content management systems (CMS) 

• Experience researching/engaging with higher education/university policies 

 Why Join Us? 

• Be a leading voice on and make meaningful impact in higher education reform 

• Work with exceptional scholars 

 Compensation and Benefits  

Salary range: $85,000 - $110,000 /year, based on experience and skills.  

MI offers generous benefits, including four weeks paid vacation, a Flexible Fridays program, paid paternity/maternity leave, medical and dental coverage with HSA options, medical and dependent-care FSA, mental health benefits, remote medicine, a paid company cell phone, life insurance, and a 401(k) with a company-funded match. MI staff also benefit from the opportunity to collaborate with prominent scholars and policymakers in our space.