Job Description
Position: Staff Economist
Description:
The American Sugar Alliance invites applications for a Staff Economist (employee). The successful candidate will work under the supervision of the American Sugar Alliance (ASA) Executive Director, who in turn reports to and is managed by the Executive Committee of the American Sugar Alliance, who represent growers and processors of sugarbeet and sugarcane.
About ASA:
The American Sugar Alliance is a national coalition of sugarbeet and sugarcane producers, including sugar farmers, sugar processors, sugar refiners, sugar suppliers, sugar workers and others dedicated to preserving a strong U.S. sugar industry. The American Sugar Alliance works to ensure that sugar farmers and workers in the U.S. sugar industry survive in a world of heavily subsidized sugar. Only through a united effort can these dedicated Americans continue to offer a plentiful, secure and reasonably priced sugar supply. The American Sugar Alliance provides the backing and support to meet this national need (see more information at https://sugaralliance.org).
Position Responsibilities:
- Monitor world and U.S. sugar trade and prepare daily summaries of relevant developments.
- Provide economic and trade policy support for ASA and ASA’s trade-law advisors to help ensure effective sugar trade and commodity policies.
- Analyze and model agricultural and trade policies affecting the U.S. sugar industry.
- Develop and provide presentations on sugar policy.
- Write fact sheets, talking points to explain sugar policy issues.
- Assist with management of research projects with external consultants.
- Assist with the maintenance of ASA’s economics chart library.
- Assist with industry events.
Other duties depending on experience:
- As needed, support the sugar industry and defend/promote sugar policy at hearings, briefings, conferences, and other government meetings.
- Assist with Congressional and Executive Branch testimony and formal submissions on domestic and trade policy issues.
- As needed, support the sugar industry and defend/promote sugar policy:
- at Congressional hearings, briefings,
- at Executive Branch hearings,
- at domestic and international sugar industry conferences,
- in response to press inquiries working with ASA staff, at the USDA/USTR Agricultural Trade and Advisory Committee, and
- at international meetings, such as ISO, WTO, FTAA, etc.
Required Qualifications:
- Experience with Executive Branch agencies, Legislative Branch committees, and/or commodity groups and commodity analysis.
- Familiarity with Title I of the farm bill and/or trade agreements, such as USMCA.
- Familiarity with USDA reports and data, such as WASDE reports, SMD reports, Quickstats, PSD, and GATS.
- Ability to estimate parameters and summarize data.
- Concise, persuasive oral and written communicator.
- Ability to explain complex economic concepts to non-economists.
- Proficiency with MS Office (Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, PPT).
Preferred Qualifications:
- Economics degree (or related field) at the PhD level, or equivalent experience.
- Relationships with key people at USTR, USDA (FAS), Senate Finance Committee and/or House Ways and Means Committee staff.
- Relationships with the representatives of the other commodity groups in the U.S. and understanding of their positions on trade.
- Advanced modeling skills (for example, in commodity supply-demand forecasting and/or trade modeling).
- Experience engaging with stakeholders through presentations, briefings, extension style outputs, or other applied communication activities.
- Experience working with farm-level data, trade data, crop insurance administrative data, or large agricultural policy datasets.
- Experience producing applied policy analysis, extension publications, or short-form economic commentary targeted to producer, stakeholder, or policymaker audiences.
- Experience with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
Travel:
- Attend and assist with ASA’s annual summer meeting.
- Other travel as necessary to economics meetings and/or other industry meetings.
Compensation:
- Base salary to be determined, based on experience.
- Benefits include health, life and disability insurance, retirement contribution, and parking.
Location of Office:
- ASA maintains an office at 2101 Wilson Blvd, Suite 610B, Arlington, VA. This is located at the Courthouse Stop of the Metro's Orange Line.
- Complies with ASA policy regarding telework.
Potential Timeline:
- Applications received prior to August 1 preferred.
- Target start date for new hire is 2026-Q3/Q4.
Submit Applications via email (only) at:
American Sugar Alliance
2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 610-B Arlington, VA 22201
Email: careers@sugaralliance.org