Research Economist

Job Title

Research Economist

Agency

Texas A&M University

Department

Texas Real Estate Research Center

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

Who We Are

The Texas Real Estate Research Center was founded in 1971 by an act of the Texas Legislature. The Center’s enabling legislation defines a broad mandate to “conduct studies in all areas related directly or indirectly to real estate and/or urban or rural economics.” In addition to research programs in residential, commercial, and rural land economics, the Center maintains administrative, data, and communications teams to support its research agenda. Please learn more at www.trerc.tamu.edu

What We Want

As a Research Economist, you will develop an in-depth research effort focusing on one or more real estate asset classes. Under the guidance of the research director, you will set an applied annual research agenda, develop findings through rigorous methods and disseminate them in writing (blog posts, articles, and reports), media interviews, and presentations to industry, community and government stakeholders. Through focused attention on current and emerging issues, use of appropriate and sophisticated methods, political neutrality, and the highest ethical standards, your work will benefit from, and enhance, the Center’s reputation as the authoritative voice on economic and real estate conditions in the nation’s leading state economy. You will have opportunities for individual and collaborative projects, influence the broader Center research agenda, and develop relationships with key institutions and leaders in the real estate industry. In short, this is a role that offers the chance to do fulfilling and impactful applied economic work in a dynamic and growing state.

What You Need to Know

Salary: Compensation will be commensurate to the selected hire’s experience.

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application.

We encourage all applicants to upload a resume and cover letter or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• PhD in economics, real estate, or related field.

• Seven years economic or market research, forecasting or analysis in an applied setting (such as private industry, consulting, or public policy) or in an academic role with a heavy outreach and engagement component.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proven ability to effectively communicate complex results to a variety of audiences in industry, government and the academy in writing and oral presentations.
• Experience with analytical software such as R, Python, or others.
• Ability to travel for presentations and events.
• History of effective collaborative research work and the ability to be an individual performer without day-to-day supervision.
• Ability to manage multiple, concurrent research projects.
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10 years applied economic or market research, forecasting or analysis.
• Extensive, public speaking, media and policy engagement.
• Proficiency in advanced research methods (e.g., econometrics, time-series, Dif-in-Dif/synthetic control, segmentation, surveys, etc.) and analysis software (e.g. R, Python, SAS.)
• Experience in automating research workflows: including API-based ingestion, modeling, and generating recurring graphical and tabular outputs.

Responsibilities

Research and Analysis

• Propose research projects per the Center’s research agenda process, addressing the data and methodology requirements for each project.
• Complete approved research projects under guidance of the research director, and where appropriate, in collaboration with other researchers.
• Apply sophisticated research design, economic, and statistical methods to solve research problems.
• Monitor and assess the Texas implications of economic, financial, and real estate asset trends.
• Develop subject matter expertise in one or more real estate asset classes or crosscutting issues.
• Implement high level of integrity in data collection and maintenance.
• Maintain objectivity and neutrality in all aspects of research.

Research Communication and Reporting

• Distill and translate research findings into their practical, and actionable implications for the Center’s industry, practitioner, and policy audiences.
• Draft written findings for a variety of channels including blog posts, qualitative articles, videos, and quantitative technical reports or papers.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to Center stakeholder audiences.
• Respond to assigned media and other external information requests.

Program Planning and Coordination

• Assist research director to identify and define research projects and research resources (data, software, etc.)
• Collaborate with other researchers on projects as needed.
• Participate in staff meetings and events.

Other Requirements and Factors

• This position allows alternate work location per TAMU guidelines.
• May have to work on the weekend and/or after normal hours.
• May travel as required.
  

Why Texas A&M University?

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.  Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you.  Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes. 

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays 
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatically enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas 
• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more 
• Employee Tuition Assistance and Educational Release time  for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.