Policy Researcher

About the role

Illinois Policy Institute is seeking a Policy Researcher with outstanding organizational and research skills to join our team of policy and legal researchers. Responsibilities will include providing research and other support for policy and litigation team projects on pensions, budget and tax, poverty, crime, education, labor, and other issues.

Applicants should thrive in an entrepreneurial, creative, and fast-paced environment and have a clear commitment to free-market principles.

Responsibilities

• Gather important data and facts necessary for analyzing policy issues and responding to the news cycle quickly.
• Gather and analyze articles, legal documents and other data to aid the policy team in research projects.
• Fact check research and other policy team work, as well as materials from marketing and development teams.
• Draft research briefs, web articles or other policy-related content.
• Data collection and cleaning to support research and web article production.
• Organize and maintain research databases and tracking systems.
• Organize and file documents in electronic form.
• Send, track the status of and store replies to Freedom of Information Act requests.
• Assist with other IPI projects as requested by the Vice President of Policy & Litigation.

Qualifications and requirements

• Bachelors degree required, majors in political science, accounting, economics, public policy or similar field/concentration preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to the free market policies and mission of Illinois Policy Institute.
• Demonstrated research and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.
• Basic knowledge of the governmental / policy landscape in Illinois.
• Proficient in Microsoft office, including Word and Excel.
• Preferred but not required: ability to work with and analyze economic and fiscal data, including via statistical methods.

Compensation

Range of $50,000 to $60,000 base salary, commensurate with experience. Opportunity for performance-based bonuses on top of base salary. Compensation package includes health (medical and dental plans with employer-paid share), 401(k), flexible spending benefits and vacation and sick days.

Location

The Policy Researcher will work in our Chicago office. Illinois Policy Institute has a hybrid work policy where employees can work from home up to two days each week.