Economic Research Analyst
Who we are and what we do:
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Developments’ mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth.
The Economic Research Analyst position resides in the Center for Economic Research in Tennessee (CERT). CERT is a small team of research professionals that provides key research to support informed decisions and strategic competitiveness in Tennessee economic and community development. CERT’s research agenda is focused primarily on: 1) Corporate decision-making, 2) Project & incentive evaluation, 3) Performance metrics, and 4) Trend analysis.
The Economic Research Analyst is responsible for professional statistical analytics and research work that supports internal processes and programs with the department:
- Compiles and analyzes data to provide answers to research requests; creates custom reports, as needed, to respond to requests
- Utilizes knowledge of federal and state resources to study topics in economic and community development and to perform intensive statistical analysis of key economic, financial and socioeconomic indicators Metrics requiring concentrated analysis include job growth, unemployment, occupational and industry metrics, and educational attainment
- Responds in a timely fashion to custom business and community research requests
- Provides analytical support to fulfill TNECD’s legislative requirements by identifying supply and demand, expenditures, and trends Creates graphical representations of outcomes produced by data analysis
- Consults with internal and external stakeholders and acts as a liaison/contact person and disseminates information to other state, federal, local, and contract agencies; reviews literature on designated subject area; reports progress to management, client, or other individuals, groups, or organizations; presents project results to stakeholders
- Supports the department in maintaining accurate information on current and prospective Tennessee businesses within ECD’s Client Relationship Management (CRM)
Required Experience:
- Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in economics, mathematics, statistics, applied statistics, other social/behavioral sciences, business, business administration, public policy or other related fields
- Minimum two years full-time professional work in field related to research and analysis, such as statistical research, market research, business or economic analysis, public policy research, or other related fields. Master’s degree may be substituted for full time work experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Working knowledge of federal economic datasets
- Strong oral and written communication skills. Writing sample may be required
- Mastery of Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, Outlook)
- Demonstrated background with impact analysis and various statistical/data modeling programs
- Knowledge of SQL
- Aptitude with a CRM software system
- Proficiency in Tableau, Python, R, and/or GIS software
- Strong critical thinking and analytical skills
- Ability to work as part of a small team
- Strong time management skills