2026-02: Quantitative Research Assistant

Are you interested in making a difference in the lives of people with low incomes, being part of a mission-driven and multidisciplinary staff, turning research findings into better public policies, and having hands-on involvement in building better programs? Consider an opportunity with MDRC to be involved in the cutting edge of social policy research.

MDRC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan education and social policy research organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals, families, and children with low incomes. We are committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult social problems facing the nation - from reducing poverty and bolstering economic mobility to improving public education and college graduation rates. We design promising new interventions, evaluate existing programs using the highest research standards, and provide technical assistance to build better programs and deliver effective interventions at scale.

MDRC is currently seeking a Quantitative Research Assistant to work in our dynamic and challenging environment. Candidates with immediate availability are encouraged to apply.

The following Policy Area(s) have immediate openings:

• Center for Data Insights
• K-12 Education
• Post-secondary Education

Responsibilities:

The main responsibility of Quantitative Research Assistants is to collect, process, and analyze a variety of quantitative data sets to help determine the effectiveness of social programs and policies. Quantitative Research Assistants will have a range of technical and nontechnical responsibilities, including but not limited to:

• Write code to process incoming source data; create variables; restructure data files; evaluate data quality and perform data-cleaning operations; sort, update, and merge data files; create outcome measures; and perform various forms of statistical and data analysis.
• Run statistical models and perform data analysis to identify the impacts of social programs.
• Write technical memos that document data processing decisions and summarize the quality of data.
• Conduct other types of technical analysis, including survey response analysis.
• Create codebooks and other data documentation.
• Develop survey and data collection instruments.
• Assist in general project support, including scheduling meetings and note-taking.
• May participate in various stages of producing reports, proposals, and papers, including literature searches; preparing figures, charts, and tables; and fact-checking and documentation.
• May be required to perform other tasks and duties reasonably related to job responsibilities.

Qualifications:

Strong candidates will have:

• BA/BS in mathematics, statistics, economics, education, public policy, psychology, sociology, social science, computer science, or a related field is required.
• Demonstrated experience with a statistical or database programming language (e.g., R, SAS, SPSS, STATA, SQL).
• Good understanding of and experience with quantitative research methods.
• Strong technical documentation skills and understanding of data management practices (e.g., program and data file organization).
• Demonstrated interest in social policy issues and research.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a challenging, multicultural, fast-paced, and changing work environment.
• Skilled at multitasking; able to coordinate, organize, prioritize, and execute responsibilities in the face of conflicting priorities and unexpected situations.
• Fluency in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong work ethic and commitment to high-quality research.

Preferred Skills:

• Understanding of quantitative research methods, including data cleaning, descriptive analysis, and applied statistical techniques.
• Familiarity with best practices in data management, reproducible workflows, and organized program/data structures.
• Experience using AI-assisted research or coding tools, including agentic development harnesses (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, or similar platforms) to support data cleaning, exploratory analysis, documentation, or workflow automation.
• Familiarity with R, Python, Git/GitHub, or reproducible research frameworks (e.g., Quarto, R Markdown).
• Exposure to qualitative research methods, survey design, or field data collection.
• Experience with data visualization tools or dashboarding platforms (e.g., ggplot2, Shiny, Tableau).

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit under Social Policy Worker United (SPWU) - Local 57 of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Timing:Applications should besubmittedby May 13th, 2026.Please see "What to expect from MDRC's recruitment process" for more information.

Location: The hybrid position can be based in MDRC's offices in New York City or Washington, DC offices.

Compensation and benefits:The salary offered is $61,383.60 -$63,863.50 based on professional experience. Comprehensive benefits and relocation assistance offered. Some on-the-job training will be provided.Please see "Competitive Salaries and Excellent Benefits" for more information.

Instructions: When submitting your application, please include:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Programming sample

Only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.

MDRC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. No qualified applicant, employee, intern, volunteer, or apprenticeship trainee will be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, tribal affiliation, ancestry, creed, religion, age, veteran and/or military status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, marital status or civil partnership/union status, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, protected family and medical leaves, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state or local law. Legal work authorization is required. To request a reasonable accommodation during any stage of MDRC's employment process due to a disability, please contact HRQuestions@mdrc.org.

MDRC believes that recruiting and retaining a workforce composed of people of all backgrounds and perspectives improves the quality and relevance of our research, as well as the daily experiences of our staff. By fostering such a culture, we seek an environment in which all staff feel welcomed, valued, and engaged in their work.