(2028 Bachelor's/Master's graduates) Economics Consulting Analyst/Associate Intern (Summer 2027)

About Charles River Associates

Charles River Associates is a leading global consulting firm that provides economic, financial, and business management expertise to major law firms, corporations, and governments around the world. CRA advises clients on economic and financial matters pertaining to litigation and regulatory proceedings, and guides corporations through critical business strategy and performance-related issues. Since 1965, clients have engaged CRA for its combination of industry experience and rigorous, fact-based analysis that provide clear, implementable solutions to complex business concerns.

Practices Seeking Candidates

• Antitrust & Competition (Boston, Chicago, Oakland, Salt Lake City, Washington, DC) — Analysis and testimony in mergers and acquisitions, antitrust litigation, and global competition policy.
• Finance (Boston, Chicago) — Valuation issues (shareholder class actions, corporate valuation disputes) and matters focused on financial markets and institutions (alleged market manipulation, insider trading).
• Labor & Employment (New York, Tallahassee, Washington, DC) — In-depth analysis, expert reports, testimony, and advisory services for wage and hour litigation and pay equity disputes.
• Life Sciences / Litigation & Policy (Boston, Washington, DC) — Expert testimony on litigation issues; independent analysis of global, national, and regional policy issues for life sciences companies, government entities, and industry bodies.

Position Overview

The Summer Analyst/Associate Internship program mirrors the analyst experience to give you an understanding of CRA’s business and hands-on project work. Throughout the 8–10 week program, interns work alongside senior colleagues to deliver live client consulting projects within their practice area. The program includes professional development and wellness support, social events, and a collegial work environment. Successful interns will be offered a full-time position following graduation.

Responsibilities

• Conduct economic and industry research to build an understanding of a case’s issues.
• Perform financial and economic analyses or create valuation models to support case theories.
• Program, build models, and perform regression analyses using languages such as Excel, Stata, R, Python, SQL, or SAS.
• Develop familiarity with data sources that serve as input to analyses.
• Review and summarize analyst reports, client documents, and industry trade press.
• Assist in the production and development of research summaries, expert reports, and findings presentations.
• Ensure reliability of analysis through quality control review.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree candidates graduating December 2027 / Summer 2028 with an academic focus on quantitative research (Economics, Business, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related).
• Completion of an honors thesis, research apprenticeship, or research seminar program is highly desired.
• Demonstrated understanding of, and ability to explain, economic, financial, and/or accounting concepts, and quantitative and qualitative analysis methods.
• Experience in Excel, Stata, Python, R, SQL, SAS, ArcGIS/ArcPy, or cloud computing (Databricks/Spark, Google Cloud, Azure, AWS).
• Curious and analytical thinkers who bring creative approaches to non-standard problems.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Eagerness to learn new skills and programming languages.
• Demonstrated high level of initiative and leadership.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate, high-quality work.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration capabilities.
• Excellent time management and task prioritization skills.
• Clear and demonstrated interest in consulting through coursework, work experience, activities, or attendance at CRA recruiting events.

Additional Requirements

For China Competition projects, Mandarin language fluency in economic analysis and business settings is required. Candidates considered for these projects will undergo additional interviews during the final round to evaluate written (Simplified Chinese), verbal, and comprehension fluency in Mandarin for economic and business contexts.

Application Requirements

• Resume — include current address, personal email, and telephone number.
• Cover letter — describe your interest in CRA and how this role matches your goals; note any practice or location preference.
• Transcript — may be unofficial.
• Writing sample — independently authored, including your commentary on a quantitative analysis.

Benefits

• Robust skills development programs with a commitment to 100 hours of training annually (formal and informal).
• Training progression: research and analysis skill building, technical training, presentation skills, internal seminars, career mentoring, and performance coaching from an assigned senior colleague.
• Leadership and collaboration opportunities through internal firm development activities.
• Comprehensive total rewards program including a superior benefits package.
• Wellness programming supporting physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being.
• In-house immigration support for foreign nationals and international business travelers.

Work Location Flexibility

CRA expects individuals to spend 3 to 4 days a week on average working in the office, with specific days determined in coordination with your practice or team. This hybrid approach balances in-office collaboration, mentorship, and inclusivity with the benefits of periodic remote work.

Pay

For roles based in California and Washington, DC: a good-faith estimate of the base wage range is $30 – $37.50 per hour. Actual total compensation may also include benefits and bonus.