Entry-level Economist

Why RTI

RTI International is an independent, scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world's most critical problems with technical and science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across social, statistical, data, and laboratory sciences, engineering, and other technical disciplines to solve the world’s most challenging problems.We believe in the promise of science and technical solutions, and we push ourselves every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses in the US and around the world. If you are looking for the opportunity to make a real difference, RTI is the place for you.

About the Hiring Group

RTI International seeks an entry-level economist to support environmental and natural resource economic research within the Center for Water, Agriculture, Natural Resources & Energy Solutions. The successful candidate will work with economists, engineers, and analysts to assess the economic and environmental effects of public policies, programs, and technologies.

The position will support research and modeling for federal and state government clients, with an emphasis on agricultural and forestry markets, land use, energy, industry, air pollution impacts, and emissions mitigation. Under the guidance of senior staff, the economist will prepare and maintain datasets, assist with model updates and applications, analyze results, and contribute to technical documentation. The role offers opportunities to develop skills in applied economic modeling and reproducible research.

This position is contingent upon successful project award.

What You'll Do

Essential Duties:

• Collect, clean, compile, and maintain economic, agricultural, forestry, energy, emissions, and technology cost data using Excel and reproducible scripts in R, Python, GAMS, or related software.
• Assist with preparing model inputs, updating parameters, and implementing documented code changes in established modeling frameworks under senior staff guidance. Depending on project assignments, these may include computable general equilibrium models, electric power sector models, agricultural and forestry models, and emissions projection and marginal abatement cost tools.
• Perform economic and statistical analyses to support emissions projections, marginal abatement cost curves, power sector generation projections, industry profiles, and assessments of regulatory costs and economic impacts.
• Support baseline, policy scenario, and sensitivity analyses by preparing run configurations, executing established model workflows, tracking assumptions and model versions, and organizing outputs.
• Process and compare model results, such as changes in production, prices, emissions, mitigation costs, and economic welfare. Prepare tables, charts, and other visualizations for technical review and reporting.
• Apply established quality assurance and quality control procedures to data, code, and results; review own work for accuracy and completeness; and flag unexpected results or data limitations for senior staff.
• Conduct literature reviews and summarize data sources, economic methods, technology assumptions, and environmental response relationships relevant to assigned analyses.
• Prepare portions of technical memoranda, reports, presentations, and model documentation. Maintain organized records of sources, calculations, code, assumptions, and reviewer comments to support reproducibility.
• Collaborate with project teams and external researchers, communicate progress and questions, and complete assignments within agreed scope, schedule, and budget. Consult the supervisor or project manager before changing task scope or schedule.
• Gather background information and draft proposal sections of limited technical complexity. Participate in relevant training, seminars, and research dissemination activities.

What You'll Need

Typical Education and Experience RequirementsBachelor's degree in economics, environmental or natural resource economics, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, or a related field and 1 year of experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.  Relevant coursework, academic research, internships, and applied projects may demonstrate the technical skills described below.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Experience collecting, organizing, cleaning, and analyzing data through coursework, research, internships, or employment.
• Ability to combine datasets, identify inconsistencies or missing information, and prepare data for analysis.
• Experience using Excel or other analytical software to summarize data, examine patterns, and prepare tables and graphics.
• Ability to check results for accuracy and clearly document data sources and analytical steps.
• Willingness to learn new software and analytical methods with guidance from senior staff.
• Demonstrated interest in environmental, agricultural, forestry, energy, or natural resource economics and public policy.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work well with others, manage assigned priorities, and complete defined tasks with guidance.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Ability to obtain appropriate security clearances as required by applicable contracts.
• To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require, now or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa status, etc.). 

Preferred Qualifications

• Coursework or project experience in agricultural, forestry, environmental, natural resource, or energy economics.
• Familiarity with R, Python, Stata, SAS, GAMS, or similar analytical software.
• Exposure to mathematical optimization, including linear programming, through coursework or applied projects.
• Familiarity with partial or general equilibrium models, emissions projections, or marginal abatement cost analysis.
• Experience using Git or GitHub, writing reusable analytical scripts, or developing reproducible reports and visualizations in R Markdown, Quarto, R Shiny, Tableau, or similar tools.
• Experience working with geospatial data or public datasets such as USDA agricultural statistics, Forest Inventory and Analysis data, EPA emissions inventories, or energy statistics.

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EEO & Pay Equity Statements

For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is available here.

RTI accepts applications to our job openings from candidates with criminal histories or conviction records in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

For Applicants in Massachusetts Only: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States. RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer.

At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance.

Hiring Salary Range