Research Software Developer

Teams: Center for Federal Tax Policy
Job Locations: Remote
Annual Salary Range: $77000-103000

Job Overview

The Research Software Developer is focused on software development for modeling tax policy and the economy on Tax Foundation’s federal policy team. With a background in economics and public policy, the role will help drive the development, maintenance, and use of our Taxes and Growth model (TAG), as well as our other technical projects. TAG is a general equilibrium model used to simulate the effects of tax policies on the economy and on government revenues and budgets.

The position will play a central role in strengthening the technical infrastructure behind Tax Foundation’s federal tax policy analysis. This position combines software engineering, economic modeling, and public policy research to support the continued development of the Taxes and Growth model and related analytical tools. The role is ideal for someone who enjoys building reliable, well-tested software while working closely with economists and policy experts on real-world questions about tax policy, economic growth, federal revenues, and government budgets.

The Research Software Developer will also help improve the team’s technical workflows, including Python APIs, data pipelines, performance optimization, version control, continuous integration and deployment, and responsible use of artificial intelligence tools. The position requires strong collaboration with economists and developers, an ability to troubleshoot technical issues, and a commitment to producing high-quality code and documentation that make the team’s modeling work more accurate, efficient, transparent, and scalable.

Reporting

This position reports to the Director of Policy Analysis. Project priorities and assignments may also be guided by the Director of Model Development and the Vice President of Federal Tax Policy.

Essential Functions

  • Develop deep expertise in the TAG model and work with economists to add tax-policy modeling functionality.
  • Oversee continuous development and usage of Python APIs in TAG: maintain quality of codebase, train economists/developers, review code.
  • Assist economists with troubleshooting model runs and addressing related technical needs.
  • Design and implement well-tested data pipelines.
  • Maintain and improve continuous-integration-continuous-delivery (CICD) pipelines such as GitHub Actions.
  • Conduct performance analysis and enact optimizations.
  • Prudently use artificial intelligence tools to advance the team’s model development work, including feature generation, debugging, quality assurance, optimization and model simulation.
  • Manage other technical projects as needed by the Federal Policy team.

Minimum Education, Experience or Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, data science, or another quantitative discipline.
  • At least one year of experience using Python, including solid knowledge of the standard library.
  • Experience with data science libraries such as pandas and NumPy.
  • Experience using version control, especially Git, and comfort with bash scripting.
  • Experience collaborating with data-driven teams.

Additional Qualifications Preferred but Not Required

  • Experience researching and writing about public policy.
  • Experience working with and analyzing large datasets, including data from sources such as BEA and IRS.
  • Experience building large-scale models.
  • Experience with tax revenue estimation.
  • Experience with software development tools and technologies such as CI/CD, Travis, GitHub Actions, AWS, Docker, Pipenv, Flask, or React.
  • Experience effectively applying artificial intelligence tools in software development or modeling work.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no immediate supervisory responsibilities but may grow to include supervision of personnel and projects related to model development.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position. Regular work hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Some travel and extended hours may be required.

Travel

This position may involve occasional travel for organizational meetings and events.

Why Work at Tax Foundation?

At the Tax Foundation, you can educate the public, elevate public discourse, and improve public policy, all while having fun! In addition, Tax Foundation offers a competitive salary based on qualifications and experience. Benefits include HSA-based health coverage with employer contributions, a 401(k) retirement plan with 100% match on the first 5%, and we cover 100% of the premiums for dental and vision coverage and life/AD&D/LTD insurance. We offer 12 paid holidays and 15 vacation days per year and generous sick leave, plus our office is closed from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day. We also offer early-release Fridays.

Compensation

$77,000 – $103,000
 

How to Apply

Please use the link below to fill out our application form. You should upload a resume, as well as a cover letter that details your understanding and appreciation of Tax Foundation’s mission, your interest in this specific role, and your salary requirements.

Apply Here

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.