RESEARCH INTERN

Job Location: 1400 West Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Salary: $20.00 - $22.00 hourly

Grade: 4 | Closing Date: August 20, 2026

About the role

The Research Intern supports the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) Research Unit by assisting with workforce, education, and economic research projects. Under the guidance of Research Unit staff, this position contributes to data collection, analysis, literature reviews, visualization development, and research documentation that support workforce planning, program evaluation, and policy development. The intern will gain hands-on experience working with labor market information, administrative data, and applied research across multiple agency initiatives, including AI workforce research, Workforce Pell, economic development, and other strategic projects.

This position may offer the ability to work remotely within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures. The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

Responsibilities

• Assist with collecting, cleaning, validating, and analyzing workforce, education, economic, and administrative datasets to support research projects.
• Conduct literature reviews, policy research, and environmental scans on workforce, education, economic development, artificial intelligence, and labor market topics.
• Develop charts, tables, dashboards, maps, and other visualizations to communicate research findings for reports and presentations.
• Support the preparation of research reports, presentations, briefing materials, and technical documentation for internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist with research activities related to the Integrated Data System (IDS), AI workforce initiatives, Workforce Pell, labor market analysis, and other Research Unit projects.
• Perform data quality assurance, organize research files, document methodologies, and maintain research resources.

Requirements

• Analytical thought process, including ability to apply standard research methodologies, applied statistics, and use of data manipulation techniques.
• Skills in data analysis and visualization; problem-solving; writing and verbal communication.
• Ability to collaborate with others, present complex analytic concepts and findings; use data analysis and management software such as Python, R, or SAS.
• Pursuing a Bachelor's in Economics, Data Science, Political Science, Data Management, Statistics, or related field.

Benefits

• Sick leave
• Vacation with 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid Parental Leave: up to 12 weeks per year for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program)
• Health and dental insurance
• Retirement plan through the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), with enrollment eligibility effective after 27 weeks of employment
• Life insurance and long-term disability insurance
• Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.