Research Assistant

Research Assistant
–
250420
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Primary Location
PA-Philadelphia

Full-time / Part-time
Full-time

Employee Status
Regular

Overtime Status
Exempt

Job Type
Entry Level Job Type

Travel
Yes, 5 % of the Time

Shift
Day Job

Job Sensitivity
Tier II – No Credit Check

Research assistants (RAs) play a key role in the Economic Research Department. Whether they are helping economists prepare briefings on current monetary policy issues, working on economic forecasts, writing some of our newsletters on economic conditions, or analyzing data for long-term research projects, RAs are an essential part of our team. The department is organized into three sections: Macroeconomics, Banking, and Regional/Microeconomics. Within these sections, our economists conduct innovative research on monetary policy, macroeconomics, banking and finance, financial services regulation, payments, regional and urban economics, and other aspects of central banking. By working with economists on these research projects, RAs fully experience all stages of the economic research process.

Our department prides itself on its collegial atmosphere. RAs help one another develop their statistical, data, and programming skills. Our economists collaborate on research with academic and central bank colleagues from around the world; as a result, so do our research assistants. The assignments in the Economic Research Department offer our RAs a number of ways to increase their knowledge of economics and their analytical skills. Moreover, RAs have access to a number of training and education opportunities, including courses in computer software and programming languages, as well as undergraduate and graduate courses in economics, statistics, and mathematics. Working as a RA at the Philadelphia Fed is a rewarding experience, whichever career path you ultimately choose to pursue. Our RAs have gone on to top graduate schools in economics, public policy and law; some have found opportunities in other departments in the Bank; and others have moved into higher positions within the Economic Research Department. RAs typically work at the Philadelphia Fed for two to three years before continuing on to graduate programs or other careers in economics or related fields.

Qualifications:
Undergraduate or graduate degree in economics, mathematics, or statistics

Coursework in econometrics or advanced statistics

Programming experience, preferably in SAS or STATA

NOTE: Due to sensitive information, applicants for employment must be a U.S. citizen or hold a permanent U.S. resident card. Applicants must also include a resume, cover letter and unofficial college transcripts.

Responsibilities include:

Assisting economists with statistical and econometric analysis for long-term, academically oriented research projects

Assisting economists with reports and presentations on current economic and financial conditions for pre-FOMC briefings

Producing various Bank publications for public consumption

On a day-to-day basis, RAs are expected to:

Identify and collect data or other information from academic journals, market sources, and government reports

Write computer programs using statistical software such as SAS, STATA, and MATLAB

Review, organize, and analyze economic and financial data

Write or help prepare reports and presentations in the form of graphs or tables