RAND Summer Associate Program - OPERATIONS RESEARCH, INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING/SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, MANAGEMENT SCIENCE, SUPPLY CHAIN, RISK ANALYSIS

Job Type:

Adjunct Staff (Fixed Term)

RAND is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization focused on improving policy and decision making through high-quality research and objective analysis. Our research is enriched through diverse, multidisciplinary teams that draw on a range of experiences and perspectives. We are committed to striving for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Research and analysis is enriched by diversity of talents, experiences, and perspectives. We welcome all applicants, including those who identify as part of historically marginalized groups.

Position Description

RAND's Summer Associate Program introduces outstanding graduate students in operations research, industrial and systems engineering, supply chain management, management sciences, applied statistics and quality control, risk analysis, organizational behavior, and other business related fields. RAND employs approximately 80 operations researchers, industrial and system engineers, and other researchers with supply chain, management or business-related degrees in Santa Monica, CA, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh, PA.

Summer Associates experience the following at RAND:

• Typically work at RAND for a 12-week period (60 work days) during the summer;

• Receive a bi-weekly paycheck during their assignment with RAND;

• Conduct research that can be completed during their time at RAND and present the results of this research to the RAND community via a 15-30 minute briefing at the end of their three-month assignment;

• Are closely mentored by one to two established RAND researchers;

• Are highly encouraged to network and interact with other researchers outside of their primary mentorship team and area of expertise;

• Are invited to attend a number of seminars from researchers both within and outside of RAND.

Please note: Our summer 2025 program will be a hybrid model including in person work at one of RAND’s four offices with remote flexibility or working fully remote from where you live.

In person positions are typically available in RAND's major U.S. offices—Santa Monica, CA; Washington, DC; Pittsburgh, PA; and Boston, MA. Office placement decisions depend on the availability of in-person mentorship.

Students must reside in the U.S. throughout their RAND summer assignment. International students who are planning to live in the U.S. during the summer of 2025 are eligible to apply. Any applicant who does not plan to live in the United States during the summer is not eligible for hire in the 2025 cycle.

Qualifications

The position is designed for full-time masters or doctoral students in operations research, industrial and systems engineering, supply chain management, management sciences, applied statistics and quality control, risk analysis, organizational behavior, and other business related fields. In order to qualify for the program, students must graduate on or after December 2025.

A keen interest in working on applied, policy-oriented research questions is necessary. Applicants are strongly encouraged to explore RAND's website (www.rand.org) for details on RAND's ongoing research portfolio. Unfortunately, we do not know in advance which projects may require Summer Associates.

Additional qualifications required:

• Excellent analytic skills;

• Proven ability in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods;

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English, both verbally and in writing;

• Ability to work effectively as a member of a multidisciplinary team;

• Strong commitment to RAND's core values of quality and objectivity;

• Proof of legal right to work in the United States is required upon hire;

• U.S. Citizenship is not necessary except when required for certain types of project work (e.g., the project contract requires it or the project work itself requires a security clearance)

• Residency in the U.S. (excluding U.S. territories) is required

Who is not eligible?

The program does not hire high school students, undergraduates, or postdoctoral fellows at this time. Graduate students who will graduate prior to the summer of employment are not eligible. The program typically does not consider master's degree students except in the Engineering, Computer or Information Science, and Operations Research disciplines.

Specializations of Interest

• Operations Research

• Industrial and Systems Engineering