About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Scientific & QA.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Role overview

Confidential Client is hiring an entry-level Public Policy Researcher to join a Regulatory, Policy, and Economics team supporting federal clients. This hybrid, full-time role (available Summer 2027) provides direct experience with federal rulemaking, regulatory analysis, public comment management, and drafting materials used in agency rulemakings. The role is based in South Waltham, MA (hybrid) with a preferred headquarters option in Reston, VA.

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What You’ll Do

• Participate on short- and long-term engagements to support federal clients in designing and implementing regulations and policies
• Support agency efforts to collect, manage, and analyze public comments on proposed rulemakings
• Assist in drafting and editing reports, regulatory documents, and client deliverables
• Synthesize information from rulemaking documents, literature, and technical reports
• Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data to support recommendations
• Prepare presentations and written summaries for internal teams and clients
• Provide regular verbal and written progress updates to project staff
• Interact with clients to discuss analyses and findings

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Basic qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, government, environmental science, natural or physical science, political science, or a related field
• U.S. Citizenship is required per federal contract requirements
• Ability to obtain and maintain a government security clearance
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and Adobe

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Preferred qualifications

• Understanding of the federal rulemaking process and regulatory lifecycle
• Demonstrated analytical and organizational skills; attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Experience synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence into clear recommendations
• Team-oriented approach and professional client communication skills
• Time-management strategies and the ability to ramp up quickly on varied tasks

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Compensation & location

• The position is full-time, hybrid from the South Waltham, MA office (with Reston, VA as a preferred headquarters option).
• Pay range (full-time): $50,386 — $85,656 per year. Final pay considers experience, skills, location, and contract terms.

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Additional information

• Applicants must apply directly; third-party or bot-submitted applications may not be considered.
• Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs. Contact the hiring organization for assistance.
• Confidential Client is committed to a fair interview process. If AI tools are relevant to an accommodation request, candidates should notify the client in advance.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.