Benefits:

Competitive salary

Short Description:

Researcher with 2-5 years of experience gathering data, conducting evaluation, quantitative and qualitative analysis, synthesizing data, prototyping and testing solutions. Plan and facilitate co-creation workshops with various stakeholder groups.

Complete Description:

Overview

As cities worldwide embrace innovation to solve pressing urban challenges, Washington, DC stands out for securing a major grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies—one of the largest private-sector commitments to civic innovation in U.S. history—to establish a dedicated Innovation Team (i-Team). Charged with delivering ongoing modernization, the i-Team focuses on improving systems and digital transformation, employing data analytics, human-centered design, and emerging technologies. Working closely with intergovernmental partners and community stakeholders, the i-Team aims to develop bold, agile solutions that enhance the District’s ability to serve its residents effectively.

The Senior Researcher should share the Innovation Team’s commitment to public service and innovation. We’re looking for someone who is motivated to produce measurable results, thrives in a collaborative environment, and is eager to help transform government operations for the common good.

The Senior Researcher will gather insights from key stakeholders to thoroughly understand the challenges at hand and foster the creation of effective solutions. In this role, you will lead problem scoping, conduct quantitative and qualitative research, synthesize data, oversee ideation, and guide prototyping and testing efforts. You will also plan and facilitate co-creation workshops with partners across and beyond District government, as well as coordinate community outreach events that ensure inclusive engagement and tangible results.

The Role

Innovation Team members believe in the power of cities—and city government—to transform residents’ lives. The Senior Researcher plays a key role by harnessing data to drive innovative policymaking, pushing City partners beyond their comfort zones, and challenging assumptions about what’s possible. By tapping into new perspectives, the Senior Researcher relentlessly pursues solutions that address the root causes of pressing urban challenges.

With deep experience using a range of data software packages—including creating intuitive data visualizations—the Senior Researcher operates effectively at both systems and detailed levels. This position requires leading structured, in-depth analysis while staying flexible and responsive to the team’s evolving priorities. Crucially, the Senior Researcher must collaborate seamlessly with non-technical colleagues, ensuring that the right questions are asked and that data insights translate into real, tangible improvements for the community.

Requirements

A strong commitment to public service, with a genuine desire to make a positive impact on the lives of District residents.

3+ years relevant experience managing data and conducting quantitative analysis.

In-depth knowledge of quantitative and statistical analysis techniques.

Develop meaningful key performance indicators that measure the initiatives’ impact on District residents.

Advanced-level MS Excel skills, including the use of macros, pivot tables, and other advanced functions.

Highly proficient with big-data software such as STATA, R, SAS, GIS software, Tableau, etc.

Experience producing data visualizations. Strong ability to communicate complex concepts to diverse audiences and stakeholders.

Attentiveness to details, deadline-oriented, and the ability to give and receive constructive criticism.

A graduate degree in a relevant field (statistics, social science, public policy, etc.) is preferred

Experience with government is a plus

Collaborative Thought Partner: Comfortable actively seeking opportunities to co-create and share insights with team members, community organizations, and intergovernmental stakeholders, ensuring that diverse perspectives inform every stage of a project

Data Evaluation: Demonstrated ability to collect, interpret, and apply data effectively to inform decisions, drive insights, and measure outcomes.

Project Management is a plus: Familiarity with coordinating complex projects—scoping, scheduling, and stakeholder communication—to ensure timely, on-budget delivery.

CONTRACT JOB DESCRIPTION

The Senior Researcher’s responsibilities include:

Collect, organize, analyze, and present data relevant to the Innovation Team’s initiatives and related activities that support the technical aspects of innovation deployment within the District;

Employ diverse quantitative methodologies and software packages, including data validation, joining of diverse datasets, historical/trend analysis, comparative analysis, etc.;

Establish practices for better collection, documentation, and storage of data;

Develop robust metrics and measurement frameworks to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the Innovation Team’s projects and policy solutions, ensuring data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.

Champion the use of data to drive decisions throughout the innovation team’s work;

Collaborate with other Innovation Team members to distill the results of rich, multi-method qualitative and quantitative analysis into key insights and clear action plans;

Produce compelling and intuitive data visualizations to drive comprehension of complex topics and concepts across a broad range of stakeholders;

Build relationships with data providers and stakeholders in diverse city agencies and private-sector partners to augment the datasets available to the innovation team.

Minimum Education/Certification Requirements:

Master’s degree in a relevant field (statistics, social science, public policy, etc.)