Reason’s Transportation Policy Team:
Reason Foundation envisions a transportation system that adheres to free market principles, is free of unnecessary government intrusion, and is supported by users. Our transportation policy team supports decision makers at the federal, state, and local levels by researching and implementing highway, transit, aviation, freight rail, high-speed rail, land use, and regulatory policy. Common transportation aspects our team examines are funding, finance, operations, and planning. We accomplish these objectives through policy research, technical support, and thought leadership.
Despite rapid change, the country’s approach to transportation has not changed much in the last 50 years. Our Interstate highway network is 50 years old. Yet we have no realistic plan to rebuild it. Mass transit agencies have built many miles of new fixed-rail capacity and yet mass transit ridership continues to fall. Deregulation of aviation and freight rail have led to safer, cheaper travel but some political leaders want to reregulate these modes. Waterborne transportation is hindered by operational restrictions and outdated governance. The advent of electric vehicles, hybrids, and more fuel efficient conventionally-powered vehicles requires a replacement highway funding source. Finally, the U.S. continues to lag in the usage of innovative procurement and financing tools such as public private partnerships. In short, there are plenty of problems to solve.
About the Opening:
The Transportation Policy Analyst will work with the Transportation Team to provide policy research and data-driven analyses that supports our role creating sound transportation policy. The position involves researching, summarizing, and analyzing transportation policy with a focus on but not limited to state government. This includes researching and writing commentaries, op-eds, policy briefs, and policy studies. This person will also assist with collecting, combining, and modeling spreadsheets and datasets. The ideal candidate is a team player who is quantitatively oriented, exceptionally resourceful, willing to tackle large projects independently, enjoys problem solving, and pays close attention to detail. On a typical day, you might start by examining transportation policy news at a state and local level. After that you might write a commentary on the users-pay/users-benefit principle. Then, you might research new modes of mobility. Finally, you might attend a hearing on expanding the use of public private partnerships.
Primary Responsibilities Include:
- Researching and summarizing various components of state and local transportation policy and operations to support our research and implementation efforts.
- Writing policy studies, policy briefs, op-eds, and commentaries for Reason.org and other outlets.
- Compiling and analyzing spreadsheets and datasets and communicating findings to team members and other stakeholders.
- Tracking legislative reform efforts in various states and producing regular reports for the transportation policy team.
- Tracking and recording various outputs for the transportation policy team including legislative meetings, written deliverables, commentaries, and other outputs.
- Participating in coalitions that advance Reason Foundation’s transportation policy agenda at the state level
- Other duties as assigned.
- Some (up to 25% of the time) travel is required.
Desired Experience & Qualifications:
- Strong writing and communication skills and an ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-experts.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Strong Microsoft Word and Excel skills
- Knowledge of statistical analysis, a programming language such as R, database management, and geographic information systems is preferred, but not required.
- Working knowledge of state legislative processes and practices.
- Curiosity and self-motivation to learn new things and tackle difficult technical problems you may have never dealt with before.
- General alignment with Reason Foundation’s mission to advance a free society by developing, applying, and promoting libertarian principles, including individual liberty, free markets, and the rule of law
Location:
- Location is negotiable; remote or work from Reason’s offices in Washington, D.C. or Los Angeles.
- Reason policy analysts are currently located in the following regions: Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Mobile, Phoenix, San Francisco, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa Bay, and Washington, D.C.
Please send your resume, cover letter, and a writing sample in a single pdf to jobs@reason.org