Senior Fiscal Researcher - Public Policy - Milwaukee, WI

SENIOR FISCAL RESEARCHER

Public Policy Forum

Milwaukee, WI
Positions reporting to occupant: None
Position reports to: President, Public Policy Forum

About the Public Policy Forum: 

Founded in 1913, the Public Policy Forum was established as a local good government watchdog and is now the region’s premier public policy think tank. The Forum prides itself on producing nonpartisan, credible and accurate information on public policy issues that impact the local community, the state, and nation. The Forum does not advocate on behalf of specific policies.The Forum is a financially stable organization led by a strong and engaged 60-person Board of Trustees consisting of business, government and community leaders from across Southeastern Wisconsin. The Forum currently is engaged in strategic planning with the broad goals of increasing its research capacity, broadening and strengthening its reputation in the community, and increasing the impact and awareness of its work.

Position description: 

The Senior Fiscal Researcher will play a key role in furthering the organization’s commitment to monitoring and improving the fiscal health and performance of governments and school districts in southeast Wisconsin. In particular, the researcher will be responsible for keeping track of and analyzing the finances of Greater Milwaukee’s largest local governments (e.g. the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, and Milwaukee Public Schools), and will be expected to develop and maintain contacts with key fiscal staff in those governments. Other activities will include serving as primary investigator on fiscal research projects (including data collection, analysis, communication of findings, and overall project management); writing annual budget briefs and lengthier research reports for publication on the organization’s web site and presentation to elected and civic officials; and assisting other researchers with fiscal analysis pertaining to research projects in various policy areas.

Responsibilities include:

• Monitor the financial activities of major local governments in Greater Milwaukee by accessing financial documents, attending government committee hearings, and cultivating/maintaining regular contact with fiscal officials.
• Design, plan, and implement fiscal research projects and write research briefs and reports.
• Contribute regularly to Forum’s public policy blog with posts on financial issues and insights related to local governments and school districts.
• Design qualitative and quantitative data collection instruments.
• Conduct data analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics.
• Prepare charts and graphs that describe and interpret findings of analyses.
• Contribute to editing and proofing of Forum publications.
• Clearly communicate each project’s purpose and objectives to members, potential funders, and other stakeholders.
• Cultivate/maintain contacts with potential funders, write grant proposals, develop project budgets. 
• Staff advisory and policy committees consisting of Forum Trustees and other stakeholders pertaining to local government finance projects.
• Apply writing, presentation and other communication skills to interact with Forum members and key policy audiences, including the media, elected officials, and government agency staffs.
• Represent the Forum in a professional manner as an attendee and presenter at community events, public meetings and hearings, and conferences. 

Qualifications: 

• Master’s degree in a related field. Preferred fields include public policy, public administration, public finance, accounting, statistics. Substantive work experience may be substituted.
• 2–4 years of related experience; direct experience in local government/school district finance or public sector administration strongly preferred. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of basic research principles and research design.
• Demonstrated knowledge of public finance issues related to southeast Wisconsin and local governments in general.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills including the ability to produce concise, high-level summaries and briefings.
• Knowledge of various analytic software, such as SPSS, Excel, and Microsoft Access
• Ability to work with a variety of stakeholders and audiences.
• Ability to work independently, as a member of a team, and as a leader and manager. The Forum values and works hard to maintain a productive, respectful, and collegial staff culture. All positions require a positive, “can-do” demeanor.
• Commitment to the Forum’s mission as a reliable, objective, nonpartisan research organization. 

Compensation: Total compensation package in the $60,000 to $70,000 range, depending on
experience. Those who lack the preferred levels of professional and/or academic experience but who
otherwise can demonstrate excellent policy research/writing skills, a strong interest in local
government finance, and an ability to learn on the job, may be considered for the title of "Researcher"
with downgraded responsibilities at a lower compensation package ($45,000 to $50,000 range).


Available benefits include generous health and dental insurance package, employer-paid life/disability coverage, employer-paid parking, and a matching 401(k) program after vesting. 

The Public Policy Forum is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
How to Apply: Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter via e-mail to Rob Henken,

President, at rhenken@publicpolicyforum.org.