Senior Economist

Google•Reston, VA

About The Position

A problem isn’t truly solved until it’s solved for all. That’s why Googlers build products that help create opportunities for everyone, whether down the street or across the globe. As a Program Manager at Google, you’ll lead complex, multi-disciplinary projects from start to finish — working with stakeholders to plan requirements, manage project schedules, identify risks, and communicate clearly with cross-functional partners across the company. Your projects will often span offices, time zones, and hemispheres. It's your job to coordinate the players and keep them up to date on progress and deadlines. Google's Economic Strategy team is a global infrastructure analysis unit that transforms the narrative around our data center and energy investments. We deliver economic intelligence to empower data-driven decisions, safeguard Google’s license to operate, and communicate the value of our investments to global markets and local communities. Our analysis optimizes the entire data center life cycle, strengthening negotiation positions and ensuring accountability for responsible growth. As a Senior Economist, you will bring analytical excellence to one of history's largest infrastructure expansions. You will move beyond traditional metrics to quantify the full value our data centers bring to US communities, including productivity gains and labor market analysis. This role shapes strategy, helping determine where to build next and articulating the economic value generated. You will work closely with site selection, public policy, and energy teams to ensure our growth is data-driven and mutually beneficial for Google and the communities we call home. Google Cloud accelerates every organization’s ability to digitally transform its business and industry. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google’s cutting-edge technology, and tools that help developers build more sustainably. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Econometrics, Public Policy, Statistics, or equivalent practical experience.
8 years of experience in economic consulting, corporate economic strategy, public sector economic development, or think tanks, with a specific focus on US regional economics, economic impact analysis, fiscal impact analysis, or utility economics.
Experience conducting economic impact studies (EIA), cost-benefit analyses, and labor market assessments for infrastructure or industrial projects.
Experience with economic modeling tools (e.g., IMPLAN, REMI) and statistical analysis software (e.g., R, Python, STATA, EViews, Matlab) to forecast regional economic outcomes.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, Engineering, Physics, Economics, or a related quantitative field.
Experience with tax policy analysis, including the evaluation of economic development incentives and fiscal impact modeling.
Familiarity with real estate economics, including land valuation, site selection metrics, and construction supply chain analysis.
Understanding of the US technology, and energy sector, including electricity pricing structures, grid infrastructure economics, and the interplay between energy policy and industrial development.
Ability to quantify intangible economic benefits, such as digital productivity gains and tech ecosystem growth.
Ability to translate complex econometric data into strategic insights for executive leadership.

Responsibilities

Design and execute economic impact models (direct, indirect, and induced) for US data center investments, quantifying job creation, Google Design Platform (GDP) contributions, and local tax business generation.
Conduct in-depth analysis on critical input costs, including long-term electricity price forecasting, real estate appreciation trends, and labor market tightness, to inform strategy.
Evaluate the fiscal impacts of projects on local municipalities to support fair and sustainable development agreements.
Develop novel frameworks to measure the wider economic benefits of data centers, such as regional productivity gains, digital infrastructure resilience, and the crowding-in of high-technology industries.
Create and maintain a centralized economic data program for the organization, translate complex technical insights into persuasive white papers, presentations, and policy briefs for internal leadership and external stakeholders.