Policy Research Analyst

Company: Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury
Location: Nashville
Posted on: February 18, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Policy Research Analyst *As a note, this position has an activity that must be completed by candidates to be considered. Details and instructions are included at the bottom of the posting. Position The Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) is committed to producing objective and accurate research, evaluation, and analysis to inform public policy discussions and decisions in the Tennessee General Assembly. The work of OREA helps support the TN General Assembly and thereby supports the broader mission of the Comptroller's Office, to make government work better. We are looking for a Research Analyst who will be responsible for producing publications for the General Assembly on education policy issues and on other policy issues related to state and local government. To qualify for consideration, an applicant should have graduated from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree in a field requiring knowledge of research methodology, or a Bachelor’s degree with at least one year of relevant research experience. Other combinations of education/experience, if evaluated as equivalent, may qualify an applicant for consideration. To perform this job successfully, the candidate should possess the ability to produce publication-quality written text. The candidate should also possess a basic knowledge of the function and structure of state and local governments, of the legislative process, and of general research methodology. The candidate should have the ability to deal tactfully and professionally with the public, co-workers, and members of the General Assembly. Successful candidates will be able to express ideas and present information clearly and concisely and have organizational skills to maintain documentation of activities. Knowledge of statistical methods and the ability to use spreadsheets for analysis are also desirable. For examples of OREA publications, please visit our website at: https://www.comptroller.tn.gov/OREA/. Major responsibilities for this position will include: Working individually and in a team environment to analyze complex issues in a variety of topic areas. Collecting and analyzing data. Conducting interviews. Developing and administering surveys and compiling survey results. Producing detailed publications including text, graphs, tables, and exhibits. Responding to requests for information from legislators, the Comptroller of the Treasury, and other officials. Monitoring legislative committees and analyzing the fiscal impact of legislation. The Office of Research and Education Accountability has set a long-term goal to become one of the best public policy research, evaluation, and analysis organizations in the United States. Join us as we aim for organizational excellence. Compensation The Comptroller’s Office offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package that includes twelve days each of annual leave and sick leave, insurance plans, pension retirement plan, 401(k), college fee waivers, and much more. About Our Office The Office of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury is responsible for the audit of state and local governmental entities and participates in the general financial and administrative management and oversight of state government. The Office is led by Comptroller Jason E. Mumpower, a constitutional officer who is elected by the Tennessee General Assembly. In the Comptroller’s Office, we strive to deliver on our mission to make government work better. We believe our success as an office depends on finding opportunities for employees to accomplish our office’s goals and answer challenges to make things better. We want every member of our team to be excited to come to work every day and be challenged. Through dedicated hard work and commitment, every Comptroller’s Office employee accepts personal responsibility to accomplish our mission and uphold it. Equal Opportunity Employer Pursuant to the Comptroller of the Treasury’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the Office is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the Comptroller’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, sexual orientation, transgender and gender identity status, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws. NOTICE This position requires a criminal background check. You may be required to provide information about your criminal history to be considered for this position. Candidate Activity This assignment includes one required section and three optional sections. Applicants are highly encouraged to complete the optional exercises. If you do not have the past experience necessary for an optional exercise, please state so in a brief response. Applicants who do not have past experience related to an optional section are still encouraged to apply, as OREA seeks to hire applicants with a wide range of skillsets. Candidates must use their own words for these exercises. Any submissions that are found to be plagiarized in any way will not be considered. REQUIRED EXERCISE : State law requires the Office of Research and Education Accountability to review and study the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship Act of 2023. Review the study requirement as written in law, below, and formulate a research plan for OREA’s first evaluation of the program. Limit your research plan to two pages. TCA 49-4-701. Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship Act of 2023 (k) The office of research and education accountability (OREA), in the office of the comptroller of treasury, shall review and study the pilot program created in this section and the Tennessee Future Teacher scholarships awarded through the pilot program to determine the effectiveness of the scholarships in increasing the number of licensed educators in this state. The study must be conducted in the third and fifth year of the pilot program and four (4) years after the program terminates on July 1, 2028. The OREA shall report its findings and conclusions of each study to the speakers of the senate and house of representatives and to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives by December 31 each year a study is conducted. OPTIONAL EXERCISE 1 : If you have past experience creating and following a research plan, or evaluating data, please explain, including any problems encountered and how you addressed them. Limit your response to one to two paragraphs. OPTIONAL EXERCISE 2 : If you have past experience using STATA or another statistical analysis software, please explain. Limit your response to one paragraph. OPTIONAL EXERCISE 3 : Background: Senator John Doe sent the following email to the Comptroller: “I keep hearing that schools in my district are having trouble keeping teachers employed. Turnover seems to be a big problem. Can someone in your office tell me how many teachers in my district quit in the 2024-25 school year? Thank you.” For the purpose of this exercise, Senator Doe’s fictitious district includes Macon, Smith, DeKalb, and Cannon counties. The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) publishes teacher retention data on its website. There may be additional data on TDOE’s website that is informative. Exercise : Prepare a one-page memo that answers Senator Doe’s question. Include a separate document that explains considerations you made in preparing the one-page memo for Senator Doe. Powered by JazzHR uKB3XvIuMN

Keywords: Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, Franklin , Policy Research Analyst, Science, Research & Development , Nashville, Tennessee