Research Assistant​/Associate; Junior​/Assistant​/Associate Specialist - California Policy Lab

Research Assistant/Associate (Junior/Assistant/Associate Specialist) - California Policy Lab

Institute for Research on Labor and Employment / VC Res Organized Research Units / UC Berkeley

Position overview

Position title: Research Assistant/Associate

Salary range: The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. A reasonable full-time salary estimate for this position is $65,000-$95,000.

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: June 2026

Position duration: 1 year with the possibility of extension based on funding and performance

Application Window

Open date: April 22, 2026

Most recent review date: Friday, May 8, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Tuesday, Jun 30, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The California Policy Lab (CPL) generates research insights for government impact. Through hands-on partnerships with government agencies, CPL performs rigorous research across issue silos and builds the data infrastructure necessary to improve programs and policies that millions of Californians rely on every day. We work on California's most urgent issues, including homelessness, poverty, criminal justice reform, and education inequality. CPL-Berkeley is a center within the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE).

The Research Assistant/Associate is a critical member of CPL research teams working on policy issues such as criminal justice, education, employment, health, and the social safety net. The Research Assistant/Associate will apply a variety of data analysis and statistical modeling approaches to large datasets in real-world settings. They will collect and clean and prepare data for analysis, collaborate in research design and model development, and implement studies via advanced data analysis, all while working on multiple research projects concurrently.

Specifically, the Research Assistant/Associate will be responsible for preparing and analyzing large datasets, primarily from government sources; applying knowledge of multiple statistical software packages and statistical analysis methods; helping to design and implement rigorous research designs, including randomized control trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies; preparing graphs, tables, and other displays of research results; preparing reports and presentations; and developing other policy-relevant deliverables, including academic publications.

The Research Assistant/Associate will contribute to a growing practice of advanced analytical solutions to provide data-driven research and technical assistance to governmental partners. We seek applicants who are confident bridging the gap between academic researchers and government policymakers, and who want to carry out joint research agendas with CPL partners The position works directly with leading social policy researchers at UC Berkeley and UCLA, state and local government agency staff, as well as the leadership team at CPL.

Responsibilities include:

• Analyzes sensitive individual-level administrative data; prepares and summarizes information; recommends and implements statistical approaches.
• Cleans, links, and prepares data sets, primarily from government sources, for analysis, using STATA or another, similar language (e.g., SAS, R, SPSS, Python).
• Communicates with government partners about data requests and other data issues.
• Collaborates on the design, documentation, testing and implementation of research studies, largely using quantitative methods and methods designed to assess causal impact.
• Prepares graphs, tables, and other displays of the results of research and analysis. Assists with preparation of manuscripts and presentations, including gathering references, copyediting, and confirming internal consistency.
• Researches and summarizes academic and applied research.
• Assists the Executive Director and Research Director with…