Senior Research Associate

California Housing Partnership

Senior Research Associate conducting affordable housing research and policy analysis for California Housing Partnership. Collaborating with teams to implement key research and policy evaluations.

Posted 6/24/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $100,000 - $110,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

PythonSQL

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Conduct quantitative and qualitative research and author, co-author, and contribute writing and research to policy briefs, data tools, analyses, and articles.
Develop and maintain Python-based workflows that automate data collection, cleaning, integration, quality assurance, and updates of large housing, demographic, economic, and geospatial datasets.
Design, maintain, and document updates for the Partnership’s public-facing data tools, dashboards, and research products.
Conduct quantitative and spatial analyses using Python, SQL, and/or GIS to evaluate housing affordability, housing need, preservation opportunities, and other policy issues.
Contribute to the ongoing development of new quantitative and qualitative research methods to support our research agenda and in response to the needs of our partners.
Respond to inquiries from government agencies, jurisdictions, nonprofit developers, and research institutions.
Represent the Partnership through presentations to working groups, regional conferences, and other external settings.
Provide data, technical assistance, and other information to the CEO and Director of Policy Advocacy to help the Partnership advance its policy agenda.
Stay current with pertinent literature, developments, and data visualizations around issues of demographic change, housing supply, affordability, inequality, mobility, and equitable growth.
Plan and execute segments of research/policy projects in consultation with and under the general supervision of senior staff.
Perform routine administrative functions (e.g., submission of timesheets, participating in performance evaluations, etc.).

Requirements

What you’ll need

At least four (4) years of experience in affordable housing research, policymaking, or advocacy work, or substantially equivalent experience.
Bachelor's degree in a directly related field, such as public policy, political science, sociology, etc., may substitute for up to one (1) year of direct experience.
Master's degree in a directly related field, such as public policy, political science, sociology, etc., may substitute for up to two (2) years of direct experience.
Commitment to addressing the housing needs of low-income Californians and advancing racial equity through housing policy and research.
Intermediate Python skills.
Intermediate quantitative data analysis skills.
Intermediate spatial analysis skills with ArcGIS or QGIS.
Strong organizational skills.
Strong writing skills.
Intermediate Proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
Able and willing to travel within California.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Health, Dental, Vision, Life, and Long-Term Disability Insurance
Health Related Pre-Tax Reimbursement Account
Employee Assistance Plan
403(b) Retirement Plan
Hybrid Work and Flexible Schedule Arrangements
Sabbatical Leave
Commuter Benefits and more!

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

PythonSQLGISquantitative data analysisspatial analysisdata collectiondata cleaningdata integrationdata quality assurancedata visualization

Soft Skills

organizational skillswriting skillscommunication skillspresentation skillscollaborationresearch skillsanalytical skillsproblem-solvingadaptabilityattention to detail