Job Title: Research and Policy Advisor *Hybrid Location*
Reports To: VP of Research and Policy
Department Research and Policy
FLSA Status: Exempt
Salary: $83,640 - $93,540
Summary
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) is dedicated to promoting sustainable economic growth, quality job creation, and improving the overall quality of life for Los Angeles County residents. Through collaborative economic development leadership, we advance growth across diverse industry sectors while enhancing the region's international trade capabilities and fostering innovation. The Research and Policy Advisor will play a critical role in shaping economic policy recommendations and conducting research that supports LAEDC's mission to strengthen the Los Angeles County economy. This position requires analytical expertise, policy knowledge, and the ability to translate complex economic data into actionable insights for stakeholders across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
LAEDC's Culture Of Belonging
LAEDC is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of belonging and connectedness. We recognize that, like the communities we serve, our team members bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives, which makes us stronger and more effective. LAEDC fosters an environment where every individual is valued and encouraged to express themselves freely. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer rooted in the dynamic fabric of Los Angeles County, and we remain dedicated to our mission by ensuring that anyone-regardless of background, origin, orientation, or life experience-can find a welcoming and supportive place on our team.
Key Responsibilities
Public Policy
- Analyze existing and proposed legislation and regulations affecting regional economic development
- Develop evidence-based policy recommendations to address economic challenges and promote inclusive growth
- Identify emerging policy issues that impact Los Angeles County businesses and workforce
- Draft position papers and policy briefs that align with LAEDC's economic development agenda
Public Administration
- Collaborate with city, county, and state government agencies on economic development initiatives
- Support implementation of economic development programs through research-backed strategies
- Evaluate effectiveness of public programs and interventions aimed at economic growth
- Provide technical assistance to public administrators on economic development best practices
Government Relations
- Represent LAEDC at public hearings, stakeholder meetings, and policy discussions
- Build and maintain relationships with elected officials, government agencies, business leaders, and community organizations
- Facilitate dialogues between diverse stakeholders to advance shared economic objectives
- Communicate complex economic concepts and research findings to non-technical audiences
- Engage with media outlets to promote LAEDC's research and policy positions
Internal Production Alignment
- Coordinate with LAEDC's research team to ensure policy recommendations are supported by robust data analysis
- Align research priorities with organizational goals and strategic initiatives
- Support grant applications and program evaluations with data-driven insights
- Integrate findings from LAEDC team into research agenda and policy recommendations
- Develop internal briefings to ensure organizational alignment on policy positions
- Align activities with LAEDC's mission, objectives, and strategic plan and participate in additional duties and organizational projects as assigned
- Embody and promote a culture of productive feedback, growth, and learning
Competencies
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:
- Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
- Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.
- Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goal and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed; Recognizes accomplishments to other team members.
- Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
- Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.
- Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Economics, Public Policy, Urban Planning, Public Administration, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience: Knowledge of California, Los Angeles County's economic landscape and policy environment
- Relational Ability: Experience in multi-stakeholder collaboration and relationship building
- Language Ability: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. Superior written and verbal communication skills with ability to present complex information clearly
- Math Ability: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. Excellent analytical and quantitative skills with proficiency in economic and statistical analysis
- Reasoning Ability: Strong understanding of economic development principles and practices Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
- Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams/Zoom, and PowerPoint. Proficiency with statistical software packages and data visualization tools
- Certificates and Licenses: N/A
- Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A
- Qualified Applicants: The LAEDC will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local Fair chance laws including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (FCIHO). The LAEDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For further information about LAEDC please visit our website at www.laedc.org.
Work Environment
This position will operate in a hybrid schedule. The employee will base work from the DTLA office 40% of the work week and additional time as needed with the option to work remotely on the remaining time. Employees are required to reside in the Los Angeles County Region. The organization will continue to assess the hybrid environment and adjust to meet programmatic needs accordingly.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to talk or listen. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision.
The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor.
Salary: $83640 - $93540 per year
