Employment opportunities at EPI
Work at the Economic Policy Institute
Living Standards/Labor Economist
The Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the nation's leading progressive economic think tank, is looking for a director for its newly expanded communications department. The communications director will oversee media affairs, the newly redesigned Web site, new media outreach, publications and design, and other vehicles for an aggressive dissemination program. An ideal candidate would possess strong management and communication skills and would have substantial experience in non-profit management, operations and media relations (including developing successful press outreach strategies), and be adept at developing messaging strategies to effectively influence a variety of audiences (activists, policy makers, etc.).
The Director of Communications will manage a staff of eight and be part of the senior management team that is transitioning EPI from a primarily research organization to one that is also an active policy innovator. The position requires strong leadership skills, at least ten years of progressively responsible work experience in communications related fields, and a Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent combination of skills and experience.
Key responsibilities include:
• Being a member of EPI's senior staff, which includes participating in the development of EPI's strategic plan (long-term and annual) and its annual budget, in the establishment and adjustment of EPI priorities, and in the making of decisions and setting of policies that will have a major institutional impact or affect EPI as a whole,
• Overseeing and ensuring the editing and design of all EPI publications (books, reports, briefing papers, etc.) to ensure that they communicate clearly and effectively to their intended target audience,
• Overseeing the design and content of Web sites to ensure that they communicate clearly and effectively to EPI's target audiences and compellingly promotes EPI's goals,
• Overseeing all of EPI's media relations activities which include coordinating print, radio and television interviews, conducting press briefings, developing substantive press releases and cultivating relationships with reporters and editorial boards,
• Exploring, developing, and implementing ways to use the Web (Web-based publications, blogs, etc.) to bring attention to EPI's work and further its goals.
The Director of Communications will receive a competitive salary, commensurate with one's abilities and accomplishments. EPI offers an excellent benefits package.
To apply for this position, please send cover letter and resume, via email to: eric@publicinterestpr.com (no phone calls, please).
The Economic Policy Institute is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that researches the impact of economic trends and policies on working people in the United States and around the world. EPI's mission is to inform people and empower them to seek solutions that will ensure broadly shared prosperity and opportunity. EPI is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.
Living Standards/Labor Economist
The Economic Policy Institute is looking for an experienced economist for our flagship Living Standards program. In that position, the successful candidate would work with the Living Standards team to undertake a variety of research and analytical projects. They would be responsible for monitoring and commenting on current economic conditions, including labor market conditions; trends in income and wage outcomes; factors that impact low- and moderate-income workers; and others. They would also be expected to analyze and comment on related economic policies.
The position also includes a significant component of research dissemination and communication; working with EPI's external/communications team to communicate findings to the media, public-interest organizations, the academic community, and policy makers in Congress and the administration.
The successful candidate would also help set the direction of the program by identifying new areas of inquiry and shaping programmatic activities.
The position reports directly to the Research and Policy director, but will also work closely with EPI's president.
About the Living Standards program
The Economic Policy Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that seeks to broaden the public debate about strategies to achieve a prosperous and fair economy.
EPI's living standards program conducts research and analysis on a range of issues that are core to EPI's mission, including labor market conditions, policies that impact low- and moderate income workers, work and family issues, poverty, macroeconomic conditions, immigration, family budgets, and income inequality. EPI's well-known State of Working America biennial publication is primarily authored by the Living Standards team.
Responsibilities
• Conduct analyses of labor market conditions using a variety of publicly available data sources
• Represent EPI in the media and other public forums
• Work with the Living Standards team to develop and implement a research and analysis agenda
• Conduct academic quality long-term research
Skills and qualifications
Requirements:
• Ph.D. degree in economics or a related field.
• A working knowledge of one or more commonly used microeconomic survey datasets (such as the CPS, PSID, or the SIPP) and an ability to conduct statistical analyses of such data (e.g., using SAS, Stata, or other statistical software).
• Solid communication skills--both written and oral--for a variety of audiences.
An ideal candidate would have:
• Demonstrated research agenda in one or more living standards issue areas.
• In-depth knowledge of economic policy issues that impact low- and moderate-income families.
• Management and program development experience.
• Experience with media, including print and broadcast.
• Fundraising experience in a non-profit/think-tank environment.
To apply
To apply for this position, please send cover letter and resume via email to: researchjob@epi.org. Please indicate that you are interested in the Living Standards Economist position. They can also be mailed to Research Dept., Economic Policy Institute, 1333 H St. NW, Suite 300 East; Washington, DC 20005, or faxed to 202-775-0819. No phone calls please.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Pay commensurate with experience. EPI offers an excellent benefit package and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
This page lists employment opportunities with the Economic Policy Institute. To view a listing of employment opportunities with Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) organizations, click here.
