Contract Economist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

About The Conference Board

Founded in 1916, The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers trusted insights for what’s ahead. Our agenda is simple: to help leaders navigate the biggest issues facing business and better serve society. We believe in innovative approaches that make you think- and act- differently. And everything we do reflects the input of our members and their real-world challenges.

We do this by delivering business insights. We connect senior executives across industries and geographies to share ideas, and our experts create fact-based research and consensus-driven policy statements to help leaders address their most important business issues.

Because we are independent, non-partisan, and non-profit our work is trusted. If you learned it at The Conference Board you can count on it.

What it’s like to work here:

While it’s serious work to operate a global business think tank, it’s also fulfilling — and fun! Our people enjoy what they do and know their ideas matter.

We encourage everyone to take personal ownership for outcomes: we collaborate, share a purpose and commit to each other and to our Members. It’s all about doing our very best - which means we succeed as our Members succeed - together we improve society.

The Conference Board invites all interested and qualified candidates to apply for employment opportunities. If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance with our online application system and would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please email Sarah Baylis at SBaylis@tcb.org or call at 212 339 0347. Please indicate your full name, contact information and the specific accommodation needed.

Position Summary:

The Senior Economist will lead The Conference Board Economy, Strategy and Finance Center's Labor Market Institute (LMI), reporting directly to the Chief Economist.

This is a high-visibility, Member-facing role requiring comfort interacting with a C-suite audience, deep technical and analytical expertise, and strong communication skills to deliver trusted insights on global and US labor market trends. The Senior Economist will lead the LMI, advancing research on labor dynamics, employment trends, and workforce implications for global and US business performance.

This role serves as both an intellectual leader and a spokesperson for The Conference Board's labor insights, through media appearances, publications, digital outputs, events, and Member briefings. Thought leadership focus includes topics critical to indicators production, deep understanding of the US labor market, and broad knowledge of global labor developments. The Senior Economist will serve as a core member of the Chief Economist's leadership team and manage a team of economists and analysts.

Accountabilities:

• Labor Markets Institute
  • Oversee the LMI, maintaining it as a center of excellence for labor market analytics and thought leadership.
  • Act as the organization's spokesperson on labor market topics and collaborate with other Centers to integrate labor themes into broader business insights.
  • Supervise the production and release of key labor market indicators and tools, including the Employment Trends Index and Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL).
  • Lead innovation in developing new labor market indices, data products, and tools with particular emphasis on regional, occupational, and sectoral analysis.
• General Responsibilities
  • Support the Chief Economist in shaping the global economic outlook, being an active participant at forecast meetings, and generating new research themes.
  • Present macroeconomic and labor market insights through short papers or series, webcasts, podcasts, media interviews, and business conferences.
  • Deliver high-quality, actionable briefings and analyses to Members, policymakers, and the media.
  • Manage and mentor economists, analysts, and data specialists under candidate's remit to ensure analytical rigor, efficiency, and professional growth.
  • Oversee vendor relationships and negotiate contracts to optimize cost efficiency and data quality.
  • Establish clear project timelines, maintain quality control, and ensure all deliverables meet organizational standards and deadlines.
  • Champion The Conference Board's five core values: Relevance, Openness, Innovation, Integrity, and Collaboration.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Economics or related field.
• Minimum 10 years in a data-intensive, research-oriented environment, with demonstrated expertise in global macroeconomics and labor markets.
• Deep knowledge of global economic dynamics, labor markets, and forecasting methodologies.
• Experience engaging with senior business leaders, policymakers, and the media.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and presentation abilities are tailored for executive audiences.
• Proven ability to manage teams, projects, and partnerships.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in statistical and econometric analysis (R, Excel, EViews, STATA, SAS, Python, Matlab).
• Comfortable using AI tools and machine learning to assist in ideation and production of outputs
• Experience in data visualization and communication.

What We Offer

The Conference Board is proud to embrace best practices in employee wellbeing. We offer a competitive total compensation package. As part of our benefits package, we offer flexibility with hybrid working capabilities, employer-sponsored learning and development, advancement opportunities, on-site health initiatives, a communal and collaborative working environment, and a strong sense of comradery with sports teams, clubs, and employee events.

The Conference Board does not discriminate. We are an equal opportunity employer/M/F/Vet/Disabled.