Undergraduate Research Assistant

Start Date: May 2023
End Date: TBD
Hours per Week: 10-20 hours
Hourly Wage: $15
Location: Flexible

The School of Government (School) works to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government. The Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at the School works to enhance the ability of governments and other organizations to provide environmental programs and services in effective and financially sustainable ways. The EFC reaches local communities through interactive training and technical assistance. In addition, the EFC works with decision-makers to assess and improve environmental finance policies at a regional or state level.

In support of our mission, the EFC seeks to hire an undergraduate research assistant(s) to help conduct rate surveys and complete applied research on EFC projects. Conducting rate surveys will be the primary task but additional research opportunities may be made available depending on the student’s skills and interests.

Duties include:
• Help conduct water and wastewater rate surveys.
• Enter water and wastewater rates into database and conduct QA/QC on data.
• Data analysis and visualization
• Independent research to support EFC projects under the mentorship of Project Directors
• Help writing reports, case studies, and blog posts for non-academic audiences
• Become familiar with water, wastewater, and stormwater utility terminology and correspond with colleagues who are subject matter experts

Education Requirements:
Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in a relevant field, including but not limited to public administration, public health, planning, environmental management/studies, environmental engineering, public policy, business administration, finance, information science, or political science.

Role requirements:
• Able to work independently and produce results, especially while working remotely
• Ability to communicate professionally
• Excellent Excel and strong data management skills
• Strong interest in learning more about environmental finance or public finance

Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to Tenika McMillan, Assistant Director of the Environmental Finance Center at tmcmillan@sog.unc.edu. This position is open until filled and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

The University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.