Research Assistant

Research Assistant | Water Policy

About MPC

Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) is dedicated to shaping a better, bolder, more equitable future for everyone. Since 1934, this independent, nonpartisan organization has served metropolitan Chicago's communities and residents to change perceptions, reimagine conversations, and defy the status quo. Through thoughtful collaboration with communities, businesses, and governments, MPC is a bold change-maker, addressing the region's toughest planning and development challenges. We believe that strong partnerships rooted in respect and trust are critical to creative and effective problem-solving.

MPC is a values-driven workplace, and we are seeking to expand our team. Successful team members are curious and collaborative with strong communication and project management skills who recognize the connections between our core areas of work and seek to affect meaningful change. Central to living our values is embracing MPC's organizational commitment to an anti-racist, anti-oppressive workplace and centering equity in strengthening our internal policies and practices. 

Description

Research assistants play an important role at MPC, offering support for our projects by researching, writing, and learning about planning policy in the region. Research Assistants at MPC have exposure to a broad range of regional policy issues and the opportunity to connect with a variety of planning agencies, community groups, and officials. Compensation for research assistant positions is $18 per hour. MPC also provides a $35/month transportation subsidy. We welcome students with federal work-study and those seeking course credit to apply.

MPC is seeking a Research Assistant (RA) with skill sets in public finance, policy analysis, and qualitative research. The RA will support MPC's water policy portfolio, with a focus on analyzing the costs and benefits of regionalization for water systems and procurement of water-related infrastructure and services, such as lead service line replacement.

This independent contractor position requires a time commitment of 20 hours per week. It will start in October 2025 and run through May 2026. Specific dates are to be determined based on the candidate's availability.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct foundational research to build a regional and state-level understanding of the financial challenges and opportunities facing public water systems.
• Contribute to MPC's evolving Water Policy agenda and the organization-wide Equitable Public Resources project.
• Address initial research questions, including:
  • Identify factors driving elevated cost of lead service line replacement and other critical water system issues in the Chicago region.
  • Assess how other Great Lakes communities are reducing infrastructure costs through procurement, financing, or policy reforms.
  • Analyze how regionalization could accelerate infrastructure investments, address backlogs of maintenance, and improve operations in response to climate risks.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

MPC seeks an individual who thrives in a collegial work environment, is proactive, and can manage multiple priorities. Given the nature of our work and the demands associated with hybrid working models, the Research Assistant will need to be a nimble and creative team member with emotional intelligence, compassion, patience, and communication skills to test and embrace new ways of working. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, research-minded, and able to interpret budget documents to extract and organize key insights.

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Education & Experience

• Experience conducting qualitative research and interviews.
• Experience collecting, cleaning, and analyzing public sector data.
• Experience distilling complete information into key insights.
• Strong project and time management skills.
• A bachelor's degree in environmental science, public policy, political science, public finance or other relevant fields is preferred. Enrollment in a postgraduate degree is desirable. Depth and length of experience with similar work may be substituted for formal or degree certification.

Working Environment

MPC is a collaborative organization.  This is a hybrid position in which employees work at least twice a week from our Chicago Headquarters, with remote work offered up to three days a week.

How to apply:

Please submit the following materials:

1) A cover letter articulating your specific interest in the role and what you will bring to it or a short and relevant writing sample

2) Your résumé; or CV

Application Deadline: October 21, 2025 | 4:00 PM

No phone calls please.

For more information on MPC, please visit our website:  MPC is an equal opportunity employer.

EEOC/Diversity Statement: 

MPC is an equal opportunity employer. We stay true to our mission by celebrating the differences among us. We are committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our workplace and encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and abilities to apply. We will not tolerate harassment, discrimination, or retaliation of any kind and we promote a climate of mutual respect for our employees.