Research Senior Associate

at  Milken Institute

ABOUT THE MILKEN INSTITUTE

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.
The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Research department at the Milken Institute in Santa Monica, Calif., is looking for exceptional candidates with a background in finance or economics to provide support to the Chairman’s office. Qualified candidates will have deep knowledge of financial markets, experience in quantitative data analysis and excellent communication skills. This position requires a solid background in financial or macroeconomic data analysis, and the ability to convert data into clear visual graphics that communicate concisely to diverse audiences. The ideal candidate will also have experience working with a variety of statistical analysis tools and software (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Tableau, etc.) and data aggregation platforms (including Bloomberg, PitchBook, and S&P Capital IQ). Attention to detail, reliability, curiosity, an interest in the social sciences, and an entrepreneurial approach are crucial to success in this position.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Economics with 3-4 years of experience, or a Master’s degree with 1-2 years of experience;
• Experience in conducting quantitative research and analysis of empirical data (financial, macroeconomic, and survey data);
• Ability to communicate complex financial and economic data through PowerPoint presentations;
• Familiarity with a variety of financial news outlets and the ability to read and synthesize relevant topics in business, finance, and economics;
• Experience with statistical analysis such as Excel or Tableau;
• Strong quantitative and analytical problem-solving skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written), and comfort working directly with senior executives;
• Ability to manage personal workflow/priorities and meet deadlines;
• Independence and ability to take ownership of each project from start to finish;
• Ability to work as part of a team and maintain composure under often-intense deadline pressure.

WORKING CONDITIONS & TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

This position will work in a professional office environment. This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world.

• Create clear graphical representations of complex financial and macroeconomic data;
• Maintain an existing catalogue of data files, charts, and graphs that are routinely updated to support speeches and thought pieces;
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative empirical research on a variety of topics, including finance, health economics, demographics, global markets, human capital, policy, and job formation;
• Collect, clean, and summarize pertinent economic, financial, and demographic data;
• Provide on-site support for research and presentations at events and conferences hosted in the U.S. and abroad;
• Conduct literature reviews related to research topics as instructed;
• Write up findings and recommendations that can be shared with stakeholders through PowerPoint presentations, summary tables, and dashboards;
• Respond in a timely, concise, and clear way to spontaneous requests, as needed;
• Coordinate with multiple stakeholders across the Milken Institute and the Chairman’s office to gather information and deliver outcomes based on their communications.