Sr. Research Analyst

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) is seeking a Sr. Research Analyst to support the work of understanding and developing Virginia's value proposition for companies across a wide array of target industries and subsectors. The Research Division is responsible for providing industry expertise and data analysis for economic development projects, while also contributing in-depth thought partnership and engagement with senior leadership of the organization and state government. This position will provide timely, thoughtful research analysis and analyses of Virginia's economic competitiveness, helping to determine how best to communicate insights to companies and clients in support of VEDP's goals of encouraging greater job growth and investment in Virginia to better the lives of the state's residents.

Responsibilities:

• Fulfilling data and analytical requests in a timely manner by tapping into the rich data resources maintained by the organization, as well as external resources
• Exercising data analysis and visualization skills to share the most compelling insights about Virginia's value proposition and competitiveness for each industry sector and company project
• Performing customized analysis on a wide range of economic and other data to support marketing efforts, as well as Agency Major Initiatives and special projects
• Developing industry expertise in a subset of VEDP's 13 target industries and participating in the maintenance and development of Virginia's Value Proposition for those industries
• Extracting, compiling, and analyzing economic data from multiple sources, as well as providing broader research support, for special public policy and programmatic initiatives

Skills:

• Proficiency with Excel and PowerPoint
• Strategic analysis and creative problem solving
• Knowledge of data analysis techniques and tools, including the ability to forecast trends from historical data
• Proven experience translating research results into effective written and oral presentations
• Strong communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills
• Ability to collaborate with various team members and stakeholders (e.g., other division staff, local and regional partners, other state agency partners)
• Existing knowledge of and experience using major economic data sources
• Strong motivation to sharpen analytical skills and to bring new and innovative ideas to the team (e.g., regarding new data sources, new analytical approaches)
• Knowledge of project management fundamentals and experience managing multiple projects
• Prior experience working with Salesforce CRM or other CRM software preferred, but not required
• Familiarity with Tableau, Python, SQL, R, Stata, SAS, SPSS, or other data and statistical analysis software preferred, but not required

Experience and Education:

• Bachelor's degree in social science (economics, public policy, or political science), business, statistics, mathematics, data analytics, accounting or a closely related field or equivalent work experience required
• Proven experience applying data analysis techniques and tools to answer research questions and solve problems
• Academic or professional experience in the fields of economic development or regional / urban planning preferred

Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. VEDP uses the E-Verify system and does not provide sponsorship.

All candidates must apply through our website https://www.vedp.org/careers. Applicants must provide a résumé and a short cover letter. Work samples may be requested of short-listed applicants. A valid driver's license is required. Salary commensurate with experience. Application deadline: March 24, 2023.

VEDP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or against otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities. It is VEDP's intent that its employment and personnel policies and practices conform to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Applicants requiring more information or requiring assistance may contact VEDP Human Resources at 1-804-545-5634 or vedphr@VEDP.org. TDD 1-800-828-1120.