Associate Economist

DEPARTMENT: Public Policy

POSITION OBJECTIVE: Coordinate with Economists to develop and present economic research, policy analysis, presentations, and commentaries on a wide variety of factors related to agricultural commodity market outlook and agricultural policy.

REPORTS TO: Chief Economist

LOCATION: Washington, DC; eligible for telework flexibility 2 days/week

PAY RANGE: $70,000 - $80,000 annually

DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Actively follow current and emerging issues in conservation and sustainability, including outlook and analysis, energy and eco-service markets, and conservation programs.

• Assist in generating general market outlook analyses and presentations related to agricultural markets.

• Collaborate with the Economics Team to provide weekly economic analyses, commentaries and social media posts for AFBF and state Farm Bureau staff, volunteer leaders and interested stakeholders in the food and agricultural industry.

• Analyze and compile public data needed to maintain databases and assist in conducting analyses on agricultural commodity markets and generate easy-to-understand charts, presentations and infographics based on collected data.

• Coordinate with the Economics Team to provide economic presentations to Farm Bureau staff and members, government, and other stakeholder groups in the food and agricultural sector.

• Represent Farm Bureau with Public Policy staff at professional conferences and other functions to explain Farm Bureau policy positions and gain knowledge about policy issues and market trends.

• Collaborate with the Economics Team to respond to media and other inquiries concerning the economic aspects of Farm Bureau policy work.

• Work with various AFBF task forces, study groups, staff committees, working groups and AFBF meeting activities to provide economic input.

• Maintain professional competence by attending and participating in professional meetings, seminars and other activities to improve individual skills and abilities.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Economists work directly with a wide range of AFBF and state Farm Bureau staff, state Farm Bureau volunteer leaders, other industry leaders, government officials, members of the media and other stakeholders in agricultural commodity markets on subject matter developments, proposed regulations and policies or international initiatives.

EDUCATION OR TRAINING REQUIRED:

• Master’s Degree or higher in Agricultural Economics or similar field

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED:

• Microsoft Office skills including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Access, and Outlook

• Knowledge of agriculture and related databases necessary to analyze timely questions on subjects important to the industry such as NASS Quickstats, FAS GATS etc.

• Knowledge of agricultural markets, production systems, market structures, risk management, production data management and other factors affecting the economics of farmers and ranchers in the United States

• Experience in public speaking

PREFERRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/TRAINING/SKILLS:

• 2-3 years of agricultural economics experience and/or commodity market analysis
• Experience making data visualizations, e.g., Tableau, ArcGIS
• Experience using data analysis packages such as MatLab, R, SAS, SPSS or Python

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Moderate travel
• Public speaking
• Ability to work some nights and weekends

BENEFITS:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) and Pension Plans
• Group Term Life Insurance, supplemental coverage available
• Paid Time Off and Sick Leave
• Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Education Reimbursement Program

TO APPLY:

Please submit a cover letter and resume to humanresources@fb.org.