Do you get excited about diving deep into data, insights, and research?

Do you aspire to conduct research aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable individuals, children, and families?

Do you like working on collaborative teams to drive social change?

The Team

MEF Associates is a well-established social policy research organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals, children, and families through rigorous research and high-quality technical assistance.

For the last decade, we have worked at all levels of government and with various non-profits focused on bettering policy related to workforce development, income security, child and family well-being, child care, and early education. Our team combines diverse work experiences and expertise to deliver meaningful, data-driven solutions.

The Culture

Our staff come to MEF because of our ability to make a difference through research. Each one of us brings a unique perspective, diversity of approach, and uncompromising commitment to research excellence. We believe that what we do impacts the effectiveness and efficiency of public policy and programs. Through this work, we realize our mission to improve the lives of vulnerable individuals, children, and families. We strive to use inclusive research methods that promote collaboration with the programs and communities with whom we work.

We value a diverse workforce and the benefits that come from research being conducted by individuals with varied backgrounds and life experiences. As a relatively small firm, we value close collaboration and a supportive work culture. We are committed to the growth and professional development of our staff.

The Opportunity

We are seeking to hire a Senior Associate for our Income Security and Economic Mobility Domain who can support our work in the areas of TANF, workforce development, and employment and training programs. The Senior Associate may also contribute to work in other areas of the domain—which include food assistance, public housing, financial capability, and programs serving refugees and related populations—or other areas of the firm. This position will involve a leadership role on substantive research and evaluation projects. The work you do will likely be comprised of a mix of qualitative and quantitative research, project management, and working with programs to implement procedures consistent with research methodologies, as well as business development. The role represents a unique opportunity to join a growing business and to work on a wide variety of large-scale policy research and evaluation efforts.

While responsibilities can vary by project, the work you do could encompass the following responsibilities:

• Serving as project director, project manager, or task lead for ongoing research and evaluation work
• Overseeing the implementation of evaluation methods
• Managing data analysis projects
• Leading field research teams and conducting site visits
• Designing and implementing surveys, interviews, and focus groups
• Authoring reports, proposals, and presentations
• Supervising and mentoring staff
• Managing project teams
• Representing the firm in interactions with clients and partner organizations
• Participating in conversations related to business development, staffing, and client management
• Identifying new business opportunities and taking leadership in proposal writing and budgeting 

Qualifications

• A graduate degree in economics, statistics, public policy, or related fields
• Prior experience working on relevant research and evaluation projects in the areas of employment and training and income support programs
• Familiarity with experimental and nonexperimental impact study designs
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with external partners, including research partners, funders, communities, practitioners, and participants
• Experience in equitable evaluation and inclusive research is preferred
• Project management experience and effective project management skills
• Demonstrated excellence in writing and verbal communication
• Knowledge of statistical or qualitative software package (e.g., Stata, R, SAS, NVivo, Dedoose) preferred
• Relationship-driven, effective communicator with strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with others in a respectful way
• Fluency in Spanish, written and verbal is preferred. More generally, MEF recognizes the value in hiring individuals who are bi/multilingual, including native speakers, especially given the diversity of populations served by the programs we study.
• Ability to travel domestically on occasion as public health conditions permit

MEF is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages people of color, women, people with disabilities, and veterans to apply. Legal work authorization is required.

This role includes work to be performed primarily in an office environment. It typically includes frequent phone/audio communication and/or video conferencing usage; and extensive computer, keyboard, and mouse use. It requires the ability to travel domestically by airplane on occasion. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

MEF Associates has offices in both Alexandria, VA and Seattle, WA. This position can also be remote.

Compensation and benefits: The salary range for this position is $100k to $150k depending on experience. MEF offers comprehensive benefits.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time