What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Program Director position at The Conference Board?
POSITION SUMMARY
The Senior Economist is responsible for The Conference Board consumer related research and is the main spokesperson on the topic. As a member of the Economics Department he / she is the primarily serving the Consumer Dynamics Center, which The Conference Board operates in conjunction with Nielsen.
Incumbent develops project plans for projects in those areas, conducts research and oversees their implementation. He / she utilizes strong statistical, economic and writing skills in providing analysis and written text for publications of the Board. Engagement with TCB members and Nielsen clients through presentations, briefings and webcasts is an important component of the position. The senior economist provides information services to The Conference Board's staff and responds to external inquiries from media.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
Reports to the Chief Economist, North America, and works closely with the leaders of the Consumer Dynamics center and other economists in the economics department.
PRINCIPAL DIRECT ACTIVITIES
- Responsible for The Conference Board's consumer related research.
- Acts as senior person in teams consisting of (1-2) researchers, RA's and interns who are assigned to those projects.
- Works with the leaders of the Consumer Dynamics center to serve TCB members and Nielsen clients, by supporting the planning and leading the execution of the research plan.
- Further develops the research relationship with Nielse, which is The Conference Board's partner in the Consumers Dynamics center. Specifically, the Center makes frequent use of proprietary datasets from Nielsen which serves as the basis for research projects.
- Acts as the main spokesperson on and presenter consumer related research topics. That includes interacting with media, councils, members, Nielsen clients and others.
- Makes presentations other Conference Board economic research topics, including the economic outlook, as requested.
- Keeps abreast of subject specialty, research methodologies, technical enhancements, and other information dissemination techniques.
- Other duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS
A PhD or MA in Economics with a strongly quantitative emphasis is required, as well as a minimum experience of 3-5 years in an applied research environment. An in-depth knowledge of and experience of consumption and consumer related topics is preferred. Incumbent should have demonstrated communication and writing skills, excellent quantitative skills, experience working with large datasets and surveys, familiarity with general macroeconomic data, the ability to organize and interpret data, and strong attention to details. Knowledge of software / statistical packages, such as STATA, SAS, R and E-Views etc.; programming experience is required. Incumbent must have experience with working in a team environment, work well under pressure, and meet deadlines. Some experience with project and people management is desirable.