About us

The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Since its founding in 1949, the Institute has been driving change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most critical challenges facing communities in the United States and around the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

To achieve our mission of a more free, just, and equitable society, we commit to working proactively to advance the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion across our myriad endeavors such as the recruitment, compensation, training, and advancement of staff. The best people-serving institutions make this commitment, and we seek to be a leader in the ways that we do so and learn from others. Visit our website to learn more about our commitment and recent actions taken toward building and nurturing a diverse and inclusive environment.

Program & Position Description

The Aspen Economic Strategy Group (AESG) is recruiting a Research Assistant to support its work promoting evidence-based economic policy. This position is ideal for a candidate with undergraduate experience in economics and is interested in gaining one to two years of additional research experience before entering an economics or public policy graduate program.

The Research Assistant will support AESG’s Director and Policy Director, both PhD Economists, producing original economic research and editing commissioned papers. Day-to-day work will involve statistical analysis, data visualization, summarizing research findings, and proofreading drafts of papers prior to publication. The Research Assistant will also work with our Program Associate to communicate with AESG members and external stakeholders and to coordinate logistics for our annual membership meeting. The salary range for this position is $50,000-$60,000 per year.

In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the Assistant should be willing to be in-person with colleagues a minimum of 40% of the time while having the flexibility to work remotely for the balance. In-person consists of meaningful connections with colleagues in an office, traveling to a different office or location to meet fellow staff members, at an Aspen event, at a meeting outside the office or other opportunities to meet in person with teammates and colleagues.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  

The Research Assistant will report to the Policy Director to support the following activities: 

Research Support   

• Research various domestic economic policy topics and issues 

• Gather data from publicly-available sources, prepare data for statistical analysis under supervision of the policy director, and visualize data in interesting and  informative ways 

• Collect information from credible academic sources and create succinct summaries of complex economic policy issues

Communications Support

• Draft and/or proof-read correspondence, meeting materials, and other written materials 

• Assist with production and dissemination process for publications including coordinating between AESG team, commissioned authors, and external graphic designer

• Maintain, update, and use computer programs for mailing lists and databases

Meeting and Administrative Support

• Assist with the preparation of materials for annual member meetings, including guest lists, readings, participant bios, and agendas.  

• Support program staff with document formatting, printing, copying, and other administrative tasks. 

• Provide on-site logistical support at AESG annual meeting in Aspen, CO, including set-up, registration, tear down, etc.

Knowledge, Education and Other Qualifications

• Recent college graduate in economics or related field with strong academic track record 

• Proficiency in at least one statistical analysis software, such as Stata or R

• Outstanding organizational skills, with emphasis on time-management, attention to detail and the ability to plan, organize and carry out multiple activities

• Strong, demonstrable writing and communications skills 

• The ability to thrive as part of a team

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

The Aspen Institute offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and prescription benefits, retirement benefits, and paid leave.

The Aspen Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all District and federal laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected veteran or disabled status and will not be discriminated against.

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