Research Associate

Manhattan Institute is focused on higher education reform and is seeking a Research Associate to contribute to City Journal’s college rankings. The role involves gathering and analyzing data, writing school descriptions, and managing communications with various stakeholders.ResponsibilitiesResearch & WritingWork in support of, John Sailer and Kevin Wallsten, the lead scholars overseeing the City Journal college rankings, working with them to adjust the rankings methodology and data collection processUnderstand the rankings methodology and gather and organize data for annual college rankings updatesDraft 100+ school descriptions annually, drawing on analysis of the rankings data and reporting on ongoing changes at the schoolsHelp manage the contributions of contractors and interns (as available) to the data and school descriptions that comprise the rankingsWorking with City Journal and MI editorial staff and others, manage the release lifecycle for the school descriptions and other site content (for example, editorial review, copyediting, PDF review, website testing and review, etc.)Provide general support and work cross-team to annually release City Journal’s college rankingsSupport marketing effortsCommunicationManage college rankings external inquiries and communicate with external inquirers, such as university representatives, journalists, and government representativesCommunicate and work with stakeholders for project requirements and to provide project timelines and status updatesWebsite & Digital Content ManagementWork with MI staff and software developers to update and maintain college rankings website contentSkillsBachelor's degree in Political Science, or related field—or equivalent experienceStrong writing ability a mustExperience with data or statistical analysis (e.g., a basic understanding of indices, a familiarity with basic regression analysis, the ability to produce simple cross-tabs with Excel/R/STATA)Strong research, data collection abilityStrong ability to write for public audiencesStrong ability to engage with external stakeholdersStrong attention to detail and excellent organizational skillsStrong verbal communication skillsInterest in higher education reformStrong ability to juggle multiple projects and work collaboratively across teams under high stakes deadlinesPublic speaking ability/experienceFamiliarity with website content management systems (CMS)Experience researching/engaging with higher education/university policiesBenefitsFour weeks paid vacationA Flexible Fridays programPaid paternity/maternity leaveMedical and dental coverage with HSA optionsMedical and dependent-care FSAMental health benefitsRemote medicineA paid company cell phoneLife insuranceA 401(k) with a company-funded matchCompany OverviewThe Manhattan Institute is a community of researchers, journalists, activists, and civic leaders. It was founded in 1977, and is headquartered in New York, New York, USA, with a workforce of 51-200 employees. Its website is https://www.manhattan.institute.



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