Salary: $35-45,000 DOE, includes 3 wks annual vacation, health benefits
Education: Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree or higher preferred
Location: Washington, DC
Posted by: National Center for Economic and Security Alternatives
Job Category: Research
Sector: Nonprofit
Last day to apply: September 7, 2010
Area of Focus: History and Politics
Type: Full time. Two-year commitment required.
Description
Provides research assistance in support of progressive/left political-economist and historian Gar Alperovitz, author of America Beyond Capitalism [Wiley 2005], Unjust Deserts [New Press, 2008], The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb [Knopf 1995] and many other books. (For more information on Dr. Alperovitz's work, see: www.garalperovitz.com [1]). Initial project will involve research for a new book that traces similar themes as America Beyond Capitalism, but with a focus on the politics and economics of long-term change, documenting both current areas of economic and political stagnation, but also the potential for this stagnation to give rise to new forms of institution building and institutional change. Undertakes independent research assignments with minimal supervision; drafts summaries of findings; and assists with detailed and precise preparation materials for publication. Work includes handling a wide range of detailed "information requests" related to the development of books, articles, and speeches.
Must be comfortable working in a support role. Must interact with the public in an open and pleasant manner. The job also may involve spending a great deal of time working alone in an office, so must also be comfortable working in a research environment with limited daily face-to-face interaction.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Researches and collects documents and information from various sources (government agencies, universities, libraries, Internet, non-profit research organizations, etc.) for long-term research projects on a broad range of topics including, but not limited to American political and economic history, social security; health care reform; tax policy; income distribution; public and nonprofit forms of business ownership; energy and climate change; and other issues in American politics and economics. Collects and prepares various materials, evidence, quotations, data from various sources for qualitative (and occasionally quantitative) analysis and use in publications.
Compiles, reads, abstracts, synthesizes, analyzes, and organizes written and electronic material into summarized form. Analyzes and produces written summaries of quantitative data. Provides editing assistance for a range of research products (books, essays, articles, op-eds, blog entries, etc.) in preparation for publication. Provides general research on a variety of short-term projects. Prepares and verifies factual entries based on above in manuscripts on a regular basis.
Additional Qualifications
Education/Experience Requirements
Bachelor's degree in a social science or history required. Master's degree and/or equivalent work experience (e.g., policy work, research experience, and/or journalism experience) preferred. Experience in working as a researcher for an author of a book is highly desirable. Evidence of previous work that demonstrates extreme accuracy and attention to detail is critical.
Knowledge Requirements
Familiarity with, knowledge of, and interest in progressive/left American politics, history, and economics broadly defined, required. Must be proficient in working in Word and Excel. Must have a thorough knowledge of library and online research resources with capacity to conduct independent research. Strong interpersonal and organizational skills are required. Must have an exceptional ability to synthesize information and write clearly and precisely without supervision. Must be able to pay attention to detail; precision is critical.
How to Apply
Review of applications will begin September 7, 2010. Late applications will be considered only in special cases. Applications received after September 10, 2010 will not be considered.
Length of position
Two-year commitment (contingent on satisfactory 90-day and annual review) is necessary to insure continuity of support in completion of book in progress. Position can extend beyond two years by mutual agreement. Please do not apply if two-year commitment is not possible.
Start date: October 1st (Preferred). Later start date will be considered, but strongly prefer to start no later than November 1st.
Send detailed cover letter regarding your interest in and desire to make a contribution to Dr. Alperovitz's work, a CV/résumé, and relevant writing sample to Steve Dubb at sgdubb@yahoo.com [2]. Please be so kind as to include your last name at the beginning of the file names (e.g., smith-cv.doc, smith-writing-sample.doc, smith-resume.doc)
Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply. (Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications for the position will be considered. No phone calls please.)