Fellow in Public Finance

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy is one of the premier nonpartisan public policy research organizations in the country. As an integral part of Rice University, the Baker Institute has a strong track record of achievement based on the work of its fellows, scholars, and staff. The institute collaborates with experts from academia, government, media, business, and nongovernmental and private organizations.

Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy is seeking a Fellow in Public Finance to manage and conduct research for the Baker Institute’s Center for Tax and Budget Policy with a focus on the intersection of fiscal and monetary policy. This position will produce research output that examines the interdependence between fiscal and monetary policy, with particular focus on how budget deficits, debt, macroeconomic trends, and interest rates influence the effectiveness and independence of monetary policy.

The program aims to identify conditions under which coordinated or uncoordinated policy stances either enhance or hinder budget sustainability and macroeconomic stability. The researcher will produce papers, conference reports, briefs, and opinion articles. This position is term-limited for one year, with the option for renewal based on available funding.

The ideal candidate will be a highly experienced policy researcher with prior work in government and or private sector policy research roles, as well as demonstrated experience presenting research findings to policymakers, academics, media, and the general public.

• Master’s degree in Economics or related field
• 5+ years of related policy research experience

In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

• Thorough knowledge of the subject matter with the ability to understand and discuss its interactions with current policies
• Advanced skills in oral and written communication
• Proficient ability in the use of Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong social and presentation skills; displays a high level of professionalism in dress and demeanor
• Ability to work in a team-oriented, time-sensitive, and deadline-driven environment
• Ability to lead a research team in a time-sensitive and deadline-driven environment

• Ph.D. in public economics or a closely related field
• Private sector or government research experience
• Experience conducting research on topics related to macroeconomics, monetary policy, and fiscal policy
• Proficient in computational economic modeling using MATLAB, R, Python, or Stata
• Experience in policy research is also highly desired

• Develop a policy research agenda exploring the intersection of monetary and fiscal policy using computational economic models and empirical methods
• Build, maintain, and use computational economic models to inform the policy making process
• Write and produce white papers, conference reports, opinion articles, blogs, and policy briefs
• Present research results in public forums such as conferences, testimony, or Baker Institute events geared toward the general public
• Supervise research staff and/or interns as directed in collecting research, information, and experimentation to appear in published materials

• Organizes events, identifies speakers, and develops discussions that position the Baker Institute’s Center for Tax and Budget Policy as a leader in public finance research
• Performs all other duties as assigned

All Applications must be sent through the Rice University Job Website located HERE.