Research Data Specialist

California Department of Finance
Sacramento, CA
Date Posted:  June 15, 2020
Closing Date:  July 12, 2020

POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Under the general direction of the Chief of Economic Research and the Research Data Manager, the Research Data Specialist I/II/III assists with reviews of regulatory impacts from California agencies proposing new regulations, forecasts economic variables for use in the California state budget, and analyzes economic policy issues of interest to the administration. The topics span all areas of state regulations, such as insurance, environmental policies, health care, and worker safety, among others. The economic forecast and the policy analysis provided by the unit inform the state budget and other decisions taken by the Governor. The Economic Research Unit is responsible for the official economic forecasts for California, and the Chief Economist is the state’s recognized economic expert.

In addition to forecasting economic variables and commenting on impact assessments, general duties include advising departments on how to model regulatory impacts, including data issues, model selection, and framing of analysis. The incumbent is also responsible for tracking regulatory packages, coordinating with budget analysts within Finance, maintaining contacts with regulatory staff in other departments, and assisting as needed with other economic analysis within the Economic Research Unit.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Graduation from college with a degree in economics or a related field and significant work experience, or completion of coursework in a Master’s or PhD program in economics or a related field.
  • Knowledge of economic models and their application.
  • Experience in state-level macroeconomic forecasting.
  • Ability to communicate complex issues to the general public, and explain economic concepts to program staff in other areas, in written and oral form.
  • Ability to quickly absorb new material and make recommendations on how to assess economic impacts.
  • Ability to exercise a high degree of initiative and independence of action.
  • Ability to work on multiple projects and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to develop and maintain effective cooperative working relationships.