The Social Policy Team is responsible for advancing a fundamental premise of the Niskanen Center: ongoing social progress, widespread prosperity, and reduced inequality depend on a vibrant and innovative private sector. To advance this goal, the Social Policy Team engages on several issues such as family economic security, housing, employment, and health. They promote ideas and arguments that help ensure public policy innovations benefit children, their families, and the American economy, using advocacy and public policy reform strategies that cut across partisan lines.
The Senior Policy Analyst I, Transportation, will join our housing teamlet to expand our work around the housing-transportation nexus. They will focus primarily on transportation as it pertains to meeting the travel demand needs of housing growth, expanding the supply of commutable urban land, facilitating infill urban growth, and improving the socially cost-beneficial accessibility, livability, and quality of life in current and future housing. Transportation issue selection and prioritization will elevate topics that demonstrably affect the practical feasibility, desirability, and political economy of expanding housing supply and reducing growth controls.
To support this goal, the Senior Policy Analyst I, Transportation, carries out data-intensive research and analysis, communicates these findings in easily accessible forms such as reports, commentaries, and briefs, and translates these findings into policy proposals. The Senior Policy Analyst I, Transportation, will contribute to existing work as well as new and emerging opportunities, working closely with other team members, other Niskanen staff and fellows, and outside experts and stakeholders. In addition, the Senior Policy Analyst I, Transportation, contributes to setting and implementing the team’s strategic direction for housing and transportation.
Successful candidates should have substantive expertise in transportation with an emphasis on the interaction between federal/state policy and abundant housing goals. Knowledge of the federal surface transportation reauthorization cycle is a plus. This position reports to the Director of Social Policy.
Key Responsibilities
Data Analysis and Research
Conducts advanced data-intensive research and analysis as part of larger projects.
Develops innovative and novel research projects to advance the team's strategic priorities.
Deploys one or more software packages or programming languages to advance data analysis.
Policy Research and Development
Analyzes federal and state legislative proposals, administrative policies, and regulatory change.
Authors major research reports, shorter commentaries, and op-eds based on their research and analysis.
Contributes to the team’s strategic planning, especially in issue areas where the analyst holds expertise.
Outreach and Engagement
Shares research findings with legislative staffers, advocacy organizations, and journalists.
In collaboration with the Niskanen Government Affairs Team, developing and implementing strategies to educate members of Congress, the Administration, and other stakeholders about Niskanen policy priorities.
Developing and growing relationships with policy and advocacy organizations, policy experts, and other partners and stakeholders.
Other responsibilities
Helping develop grant proposals and meet grant reporting obligations to funders.
Developing relationships with new funders as appropriate and support the stewardship of existing funders.
Minimum Qualifications
Substantive familiarity with policies related to transportation and housing.
Ability to respond to multiple demands in a complex, fast-paced, and rapidly changing policy environment.?
Excellent oral, research, and written communication skills.
Ability to translate complex issues to key takeaways for diverse audiences
Comfort engaging outside individuals and organizations.
High degree of integrity, ability to build trust, communicate effectively, and collaborate with others.
Niskanen provides a constructive and optimistic response to the most daunting challenges Americans face in the 21st century, including slow economic growth and economic insecurity; bureaucratic sclerosis; mass incarceration and high crime rates; climate change and energy bottlenecks; unaffordable housing and healthcare; and a dysfunctional immigration system.
Many think tanks focus on policy, but few combine this work with a broader theory that articulates a fresh vision of the larger political economy. Fewer still add the real-world step of advocating for the policies they develop. As a relatively new, small, and nimble organization, we have carved out an approach that combines all three elements, and lets each inform and take inspiration from the others.
Our outreach is primarily to leaders in government, advocacy, and media, as they are the dominant drivers of policy outcomes.
