Job Description

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) is seeking a full-time, in-person research assistant to work with scholars in its Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies department who specialize in civic life and law. The anticipated start date for this position is late August.

Responsibilities for this position include assisting with research, writing, and editing for op-eds, reports, podcasts, and book projects related to American civil society, philanthropy, family policy, and religious liberty. This position is also responsible for supporting the production of a monthly podcast, along with planning and executing conferences and events. Duties include short-term and long-term projects, as well as providing administrative support.

Desired skills for this position include excellent organizational, research, and writing abilities; a keen eye for detail; and a demonstrated interest in American civil society, culture, and law. A background in independent research and data analysis related to urban planning is useful. A bachelor’s degree in political science, sociology, religious studies, history, or a related field is required.

Qualified candidates should submit a resume, cover letter demonstrating their interest in AEI’s mission, academic transcript, and 500-word writing sample on a topic related to American civil society, culture, or law with their online application.

Responsibilities

• Research and Editing:
  • Provide research and editing support for scholars’ long-term book projects and short-form writing (e.g., op-eds, articles, and reports).
  • Use online resources, scholarly databases, and libraries to conduct primary- and secondary-source research. This includes gathering and critically evaluating sources and writing memos analyzing specific works or scholarly literatures.
  • Provide substantive- and copy-editing along with bibliographic support for scholars’ writing.
  • Coordinate small-scale and major long-term research projects.
  • Coordinate the production of a monthly podcast.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
• Administrative Support:
  • Provide communication and administrative support related to scholars’ work between various AEI departments, including Government Relations, Academic Programs, Coalitions, Development, and Media Relations.
  • Manage logistical and administrative tasks related to scholars’ activities, including scheduling, processing expense reimbursements, posting content on the AEI website, tracking scholar output, and planning and staffing public-facing events and conferences, private meetings, and roundtables.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions at AEI

• The employee is regularly expected to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard. This job requires close-up vision for computer work.
• The employee must be able to lift up to 30 pounds.
• The employee must be able to work in a confined area.
• Moderate noise (e.g., from computers, phones, printers, and light traffic) is expected.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities associated with this position.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree at the start date is required.
• 0–2 years of previous applicable full-time work experience; previous internship experience is strongly preferred.
• Candidates should have:
  • Previous internship or full-time work experience in research, writing, editing, and quantitative analysis (experience with podcast production is a plus);
  • Strong oral and written communication skills;
  • Excellent organizational skills and the capacity to manage multiple overlapping project timelines;
  • Demonstrated interest in American civil society, philanthropy, family policy, and religious liberty, along with a familiarity with current events;
  • Proficiency in performing administrative and logistical coordination tasks;
  • Attention to detail, demonstrated capacity to work independently, and a high level of initiative; and
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of R, STATA, and geospatial analysis and visualization tools (ArcGIS, QGIS, etc.) is a plus.

BenefitsAEI offers generous benefits, including 18 days of paid leave (15 days of paid annual leave and 3 personal/floating holidays); 12 days of paid sick leave; paid family leave; medical and dental coverage, in addition to a health savings account; medical and dependent care FSA; a tuition assistance program of up to $5,200; life and disability insurance at no cost to employees; and a 403b retirement plan with a contribution from AEI, among other benefits. For more information, you can see a full summary of our benefits at https://www.aei.org/jobs/benefits/.

Compensation is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: scope and responsibilities of the position; a candidate's full-time, applicable work experience; key skills and qualifications; as well as internal and external market considerations. The salary range for this full-time, exempt position is $50,000 - $54,000. Salary is just one component of AEI’s total compensation package for employees.