Economist Jobs in California

Location

San Francisco HQ; New York City Office

Address

1098 Harrison Street, San Francisco, California, 94103

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

Hybrid

Department

All DepartmentsData

Compensation

• Zone 1$190.8K – $262.8K

We believe that the way people interact with their finances will drastically improve in the next few years. We’re dedicated to empowering this transformation by building the tools and experiences that thousands of developers use to create their own products. Plaid powers the tools millions of people rely on to live a healthier financial life. We work with thousands of companies like Venmo, SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks to make it easy for people to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid’s network covers 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Founded in 2013, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Seattle, Washington D.C., Raleigh, London, and Amsterdam.

The Economics Team uses economic research and data science to deepen our understanding of economic, credit, and financial trends. We combine rigorous empirical analysis with clear communication to inform decisions across and beyond Plaid.

You will conduct applied economic research, develop reliable analytical methods, and turn complex findings into clear, useful insights. Working with economists and data scientists, you will own research projects from question framing and data preparation through validation and written communication. This is a hands-on role for an economist who enjoys working with large datasets, exercising sound judgment, and explaining evidence and limitations to a range of audiences. You will have opportunities to develop a research specialty and take on broader ownership as the team grows.

We're guided by our principles including impact, growing together, embracing openness and positivity, and inventing tomorrow; we're looking for leaders who are motivated by those same principles

Responsibilities

• Investigating economic questions and trends through rigorous empirical research, from framing the question through analysis, validation, and communication

• Working with large, complex datasets to develop reliable measures and reproducible analytical workflows

• Evaluating findings against established research and public benchmarks, assessing data quality and representativeness, and clearly communicating uncertainty and limitations

• Applying econometric and time-series methods to test hypotheses, assess robustness, and distinguish meaningful patterns from noise

• Writing clear research briefs and presenting findings to technical and nontechnical audiences; partnering with colleagues across research, data science, and the business to identify useful questions and inform decisions

Qualifications

• PhD in economics or a related empirical field, or a Master's plus 4+ years of relevant applied experience, with strong empirical training. Exceptional candidates completing their PhD in 2027 are welcome; relevant research includes applied macroeconomics, household or behavioral finance, fintech, and financial regulation

• Proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience independently analyzing large, complex datasets and building reproducible analytical workflows

• Strong econometric and time-series modeling skills, with experience applying these methods to economic questions and assessing robustness

• Excellent writing for non-academic audiences, demonstrated through policy memos, market commentary, or research briefs. You can explain and defend your methods, findings, and limitations to technical and nontechnical audiences

• Sound research judgment: you distinguish evidence from interpretation, communicate uncertainty, and scope claims to what the data supports

• Nice to have: experience conducting applied economic research in fintech, finance, a research institute, or a public-sector organization; prior ownership of a recurring research publication

Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!

Plaid is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Plaid is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance with your application or interviews due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations@plaid.com.

Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.