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Associate/Full Specialist-UC Berkeley Labor Center-Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

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Position description

Associate/Full Specialist –UC Berkeley Labor Center-Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

The UC Berkeley Labor Center, at the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE), UC Berkeley, has an opening for a full-time quantitative policy analyst. Founded in 1964, the UC Berkeley Labor Center works on the most pressing economic challenges affecting working families in California and communities across the country. The Labor Center provides timely, policy-relevant research on labor and employment issues for policymakers and stakeholders, and conducts training for a new and diverse generation of worker leaders and students.

The policy analyst will conduct quantitative research on health care markets and labor and employment issues, as well as provide technical assistance to stakeholders on minimum wage and other public policies in California. This will include working as part of the team developing and utilizing the California Simulation of Insurance Markets Model (CalSIM). This position offers an exciting opportunity to be part of a high-impact, high-visibility organization that is making a difference in the lives of working families and communities of color. It also provides the opportunity to work with a nationally-recognized team of researchers, policy analysts, and academics.

Responsibilities include:
• Conducting quantitative research and performing complex statistical analyses drawing on government datasets, academic research and industry trade data;
• Working as part of the team utilizing the California Simulation of Insurance Markets Model (CalSIM), and taking a leading role in the software development and incorporation of new policy proposals into the model.
• Conceptualizing how to measure the impacts of proposed policies into concrete quantifiable measures which can be easily understood by the public. This requires understanding the content and limitations of relevant national and California data sources, and how they can be used to provide credible estimates of policy effects.
• Providing technical assistance to stakeholders, policy makers, media and internal staff onissues related to health access, low-wage work, labor standards and other labor and employment topics;
• Providing data support, statistical expertise, and instruction supervision to internal staff working on quantitative analysis;
• Coordinating research with academic researchers on other UC Campuses;
• Contributing to research reports and policy briefs, and drafting op-eds and publictestimony;
• Contributing to extra-mural funding proposals for research projects.

Minimum Qualifications required at time of application:
• Master's degree or equivalent in statistics, economics or a related field, plus 5 years relevant experience in research and/or policy analysis.

Additional Required Qualifications:
• Strong quantitative skills and experience in data imputation methods utilizing large government datasets such as the Current Population Survey, Survey of Income and Program Participation and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey;
• Experience in complex survey designtechniques;
• Experience in software project management including version controlapplications;
• Strong writing skills, geared toward policy research reports;
• Strong grounding in health services research, labor market analysis and workers'rights;
• Experience working with academic researchers and stakeholders such as unions, worker centers, faith-based organizations, accountable development advocates, and others;
• Ability to work independently and creatively;
• Ability to program in STATA, SAS and/or Python;
• Familiarity in handling of large data sets (1-10 GBs). Preferred Qualifications:
• Ten years relevant experience in research and policy analysis;
• Doctoral degree or equivalent in statistics, economics or a related field.

Position will be full-time (100%) for one year, with the possibility of extension depending on performance and availability of funding. Salary and rank will be commensurate with experience. Expected start date is January, 2017

To apply, please upload your most recently updated Curriculum Vitae (required), a cover letter (required), one writing sample (required) and contact information for 3 references (required) to: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF01136 . Letters of reference are not required at this time. We will seek your permission before contacting your references.

All letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality (http://apo.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html) prior to submitting their letters.

This position will remain open until filled. Please address any inquiries to Kathleen Parsons at kparsons@berkeley.edu

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • One Writing Sample

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)

Job location

Berkeley, CA