Senior Economist (Hybrid)

Who We Are

Join a team that puts its People First! Since 1889, First American (NYSE: FAF) has held an unwavering belief in its people. They are passionate about what they do, and we are equally passionate about fostering an environment where all feel welcome, supported, and empowered to be innovative and reach their full potential. Our inclusive, people-first culture has earned our company numerous accolades, including being named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for eleven consecutive years. We have also earned awards as a best place to work for women, diversity and LGBTQ+ employees, and have been included on more than 50 regional best places to work lists. First American will always strive to be a great place to work, for all. For more information, please visit www.careers.firstam.com.

What We Do

We are seeking a Senior Economist to join our team in Washington, D.C. This role is ideal for an economist who combines rigorous economic analysis with strong data and technology skills, intellectual curiosity, and an interest in public policy and industry issues.

The Senior Economist will conduct applied economic research and quantitative analysis using First American's proprietary and external data, develop analytical models and frameworks, and translate complex findings into clear insights for a range of internal and external audiences. The role will work across disciplines and partner closely with economists, data scientists, Government Affairs, business leaders, and other stakeholders on research and analytical initiatives that inform business, industry, and policy discussions.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable developing an empirical model, working with large and complex datasets, evaluating an economic or policy question, and communicating the implications clearly in writing or in a presentation.

What You'll Do:

• Conduct rigorous economic and quantitative research on issues relevant to First American, the title and real estate industries, and broader business, risk, operational, and policy questions.
• Develop, implement, validate, and interpret economic, statistical, forecasting, and predictive models to support research, strategic analysis, and business decision-making.
• Work directly with large, complex, and proprietary datasets, using SQL and other analytical tools to extract, validate, transform, and analyze data for research and business applications.
• Apply economic reasoning, statistical methods, and data science techniques to identify relationships, trends, risks, and emerging issues and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Independently investigate ambiguous or unfamiliar business, economic, and policy questions by formulating hypotheses, identifying relevant data sources, and developing appropriate analytical approaches.
• Partner closely with data scientists, data engineers, and technical teams to access, understand, and leverage data across modern data and cloud environments.
• Collaborate with Government Affairs and other internal stakeholders to provide objective, data-driven economic analysis related to industry, regulatory, and public policy issues.
• Translate complex quantitative findings into clear conclusions, recommendations, research briefs, presentations, and written materials for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Evaluate external research, public data, economic literature, regulatory developments, and industry information to develop well-supported analytical perspectives and recommendations.
• Present research findings and analytical insights to senior leaders, business partners, and other stakeholders, tailoring communication to a variety of audiences.
• Develop clear documentation of analytical methods, assumptions, data sources, model results, and limitations to support transparency, consistency, and repeatability.
• Manage multiple analytical and research projects simultaneously while exercising sound judgment, intellectual curiosity, and critical thinking in ambiguous or evolving problem areas.
  

What You'll Bring:

• Master's or PhD in Economics, Applied Economics or a closely related quantitative discipline preferred.
• Candidates with a bachelor's degree and substantial relevant applied economic and quantitative experience may also be considered.
• Typically 5 or more years of relevant professional experience in economic analysis, applied research, econometrics, quantitative analytics, data science, policy analysis, or a related field.
• Experience in financial services, insurance, housing, real estate, government, public policy, or another highly regulated or data-intensive industry is helpful but not required.
• Demonstrated ability to frame complex or ambiguous business, economic, or policy questions and develop rigorous analytical approaches to address them.
• Experience working directly with large, complex, and raw datasets using SQL and statistical programming languages such as Python or R, including data extraction, validation, transformation, and analysis. Strong SQL proficiency is required. Familiarity with modern cloud-based data and analytics environments such as AWS, Snowflake, Databricks, or similar platforms.
• Familiarity with GitHub or similar version control tools preferred.
• Prior coding experience and use of code version control systems is a plus.
• Comfort using AI-enabled analytical and productivity tools to support research, coding, data exploration, and synthesis, with appropriate judgment around data quality, confidentiality, and validation of results.
• Hands-on experience developing, evaluating, and interpreting statistical, econometric, forecasting, predictive, or machine learning models to address real-world business, risk, operational, or policy questions.
• Familiarity with modern data platforms, cloud-based analytical environments, and data workflows; ability to work effectively with data scientists and technical teams.
• Ability to independently explore unfamiliar datasets, assess data quality and limitations, and determine appropriate analytical methods.
• Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, including the ability to distinguish correlation from causation, evaluate competing explanations, and identify the limitations of an analysis.
• Interest in public policy, regulation, financial or insurance markets, housing, real estate, or related industry issues.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to turn complex economic and quantitative analysis into concise, persuasive, and accessible written materials.
• Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences and senior leaders.
• Ability to synthesize information from quantitative analysis, academic or industry research, public data, and policy or regulatory materials.
• Strong attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and sound analytical judgment.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across economics, data science, policy, legal, business, and other functional areas while also working independently.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, competing priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Location Requirement

This position is based in Washington, D.C. and requires regular in-person work in the Washington, D.C. office multiple days per week.

 

Pay Range: $141,000.00 - $188,000.00 Annually

 

This hiring range is a reasonable estimate of the base pay range for this position at the time of posting. Pay is based on a number of factors which may include job-related knowledge, skills, experience, business requirements and geographic location.

 

What We Offer

By choice, we don’t simply accept individuality – we embrace it, we support it, and we thrive on it! Our People First culture is inclusive for all employees - not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's the key to our success. We are proud to foster an authentic and inclusive workplace For All. You are free and encouraged to bring your entire, unique self to work. First American is an equal opportunity employer in every sense of the term.

Based on eligibility, First American offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401k, PTO/paid sick leave and other great benefits like an employee stock purchase plan.