Job Description
Job DescriptionDescription:
foundry10 is an education research organization with a philanthropic focus on expanding ideas about learning and creating direct value for youth. We offer competitive salaries, benefits, and vacation time. Full-time employment at foundry10 is a four-day work week. We are not able to sponsor visa applications, and to be considered for this position, you must be eligible to work in the United States. To protect our staff, partners, and the youth we serve, we require all foundry10 employees to adhere to our masking and COVID testing policies when working in person.
To be considered for this role, please submit the following materials:
- Cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for this position
- Resume or CV
- Job Market Paper or Peer-reviewed publication within the field of economics
Applications without a cover letter will not be reviewed. Priority will be given to applications received by September 30, 2025.
Summary of Role
Applicants for this role should have a strong interest in the education sector and desire to improve student outcomes. Applicants should have deep expertise in an appropriate research methodology (within applied microeconomics), bring novel ideas and expertise, experience-based insights, advanced research skills (e.g., data analysis techniques, knowledge of study design, visualizing and interpreting data) and be comfortable with sharing generalizable findings using different mediums alongside peer-reviewed publications. This role involves both independent research and analysis as well as multidisciplinary collaboration across our organization and in partnership with external institutions.
This position reports to the Director of Research. The salary range for this position is $145,725 to $242,875 per year.
Research Areas of Interest
The Labor Economist will have a focus on K–12 and post-secondary education intersection points and opportunities within the labor market. In particular we are interested in, but not limited to:
- Applications of technology, specifically AI, and their influence on preparation for the labor market
- Connection between educators' perceptions of the labor market relative to existing supply and demand
- Vocational education and workforce readiness
- Categorical predictive outcomes for investments in education, including, but not limited to, race, gender, socioeconomic factors and other historically marginalized groups
- How students currently intersect with the workforce at the secondary and post-secondary level including, but not limited to, experiences such as internships and apprenticeships
- Impacts of COVID-19 on the transition into the workforce
- Understanding the influence of neighborhood/school effects and school choice (e.g., public, magnet, private, charter) on long-term student outcomes
- Labor market investments within the field of education and their impact on educational outcomes
Responsibilities
- Designing for and intersecting with research work involving: Students in academic settings, educators, multidisciplinary researchers and teams within foundry10, outside researchers and organizations
- Contribute to a balanced portfolio of research projects that includes independent research in line with organizational objectives and shared research projects that support connections with philanthropy, sharing, and youth programs
- Facilitate collaborations with outside researchers and partner organizations to design and carry out research
- Develop interesting and important questions regarding education in a space that values and supports creative approaches towards learning
- Gain background knowledge and expertise in other related/unrelated fields within foundry10’s research domains and interest areas
- Work collaboratively with Sharing Team to communicate actionable insights to various learning and research communities/fields as well as with lay-people in the educational community; Represent f10 at conferences, within publications, and face-to-face with a variety of community partners
- Actively read and engage with current research and labor market trends and bring new knowledge to the organization and their teams as a result of engagement with relevant topics
- Use various qualitative and quantitative methodologies, analysis strategies, and study designs as needed to address current research questions
- Employ a strong propensity to investigate topics and an ability to redirect/close off lines of inquiry not likely to result in useful findings
- Lead operations and partnership tasks (e.g., coordination of external data collection services, communication with external partners) as needed
- During collaboration projects, provide expertise and support to foundry10’s various research labs, such as consulting with other investigators to define project evaluation outcomes, leading literature reviews, or gap analyses, etc.
- Progress towards annual individual goals while additionally supporting the development of researchers with various roles and levels of expertise
- This is not an exhaustive list; other duties may be assigned as necessary.
Requirements:
Education and Experience
- PhD in economics with a focus on labor, with 2-5 years relevant post-PhD work experience preferred
- Demonstrated experience in research topics, theory, and developmental phases relevant to labor economics
- Background in applied microeconomics and econometrics
- Demonstrated experience in formulating research questions, designing multiple studies, seeing them through to completion, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals
- Practical experience independently leading and conducting applied research with minimal supervision
- Particular experience with survey implementation, observational research, experimental research, and interviews
- Experience on a variety of projects with multiple stakeholders
- Experience mentoring and/or managing students, junior researchers, and/or research staff
Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge
- Strong background in research ethics, particularly research ethics involving children and adolescents
- Strong background in statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, STATA)
- Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written, in interpersonal and research settings
- Ability to manage time and track several project timelines at once
- Ability to work self-sufficiently and identify areas where processes could be improved
- Ability to cross multiple subject areas and quickly gain a basic understanding of new areas
foundry10 offers competitive salary and benefits that include:
- A 4-day workweek
- A flexible and hybrid work schedule
- Full Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage for employees and their dependents
- $1,500 yearly education stipend
- $3,000 yearly wellness and hobby stipend, before taxes
- Generous paid time off that includes:
- 4 weeks of vacation time annually and additional accrual with tenure
- 12 paid holidays
- 56 hours of paid sick and safe leave frontloaded annually
- Week-long office closures twice a year - each summer and winter
- 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
- Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account
- Employee Assistance Program at no cost to the employee
- Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance paid fully by foundry10
Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs. foundry10 strives to provide a work environment free from discrimination and harassment because of a protected characteristic. The organization does not discriminate against employees or applicants based on race, color, creed, citizenship, status, national origin, ancestry, gender, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, age, religion, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to assist individuals with disabilities with the application and interviewing process as well as essential job functions.