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Economist/Senior Economist/Economic Advisor – Financial Economics

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago · Chicago, IL · Full time

Posted Aug 27, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

What is your research agenda for the next three to five years?

What they are checking: Whether they have a productive, independent pipeline aimed at leading journals.

Tell me about a time a referee or colleague strongly challenged your work. How did you respond?

What they are checking: Whether they handle criticism productively in a collegial research environment.

How would you explain your research to a non-economist audience, such as business leaders in the Seventh District?

What they are checking: Whether they have the excellent communication skills the posting requires.

How would you work with research assistants to keep a project moving?

What they are checking: Whether they can mentor and manage research support effectively.

What would you do

How would your research inform a policy briefing for the Bank President before an FOMC meeting?

What they are checking: Whether they can connect academic work to practical monetary policy questions.

You have one day to prepare a short memo on a surprising jobs report. How do you approach it?

What they are checking: Whether they can produce fast, clear policy analysis alongside long-term research.

About the work

Walk us through your job market paper or your most important recent paper. What is the main contribution?

What they are checking: Whether they can explain their research clearly and defend its contribution to macroeconomics.

What do you see as the biggest weakness in current models of inflation dynamics?

What they are checking: Whether they have a well-reasoned view on open questions in prices and business cycles.

How do you think about identifying the effects of monetary policy shocks?

What they are checking: Whether they understand identification methods and their limits, which matter for policy analysis.

How do you see heterogeneity across households or firms changing how we understand the transmission of monetary policy?

What they are checking: Whether they engage with current debates in macroeconomics relevant to central banking.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

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The full job description

As published by Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Company Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Economist/Senior Economist/Economic Advisor – Financial Economics G1 – General Financial Markets G2 – Financial Institutions and Services G3 – Corporate Finance and Governance G5 – Household Finance The Economic Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago invites applications for an Economist or Senior Economist or Economic Advisor position on the Finance team. The Bank will consider applications from seasoned candidates with a strong publication record in finance and economics journals and at least 3 years of experience in an academic or similar research setting. Successful candidates will be expected to conduct independent research that is published in leading academic journals, provide in-depth analysis for Bank policy briefings, and contribute to the mission of the Bank. Excellent communication skills are required. The research staff at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is a collegial group of economists with expertise in a variety of fields. The Chicago Fed provides an excellent research environment together with substantial support for research and competitive benefits. Salaries are commensurate with experience and level of achievement. The Federal Reserve Banks are committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and job applicants in compliance with applicable law and to an environment where employees are valued for their differences. More information on the Economic Research Department is at: http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/research/index.cfm Applicants should submit: 1-Cover letter 2-CV 3-Contact information for three references Important Note : When asked to upload your resume on the Workday Portal, you must upload all supplementary application documents. There will not be an additional prompt to upload documents 1,2, & 3. You must upload them on the same page where you upload your resume. Failure to do so will postpone the review of your application. What we offer: • The expected starting salary range for the Economist position is between $165,000 and $290,000 annually in addition to annual performance-based discretionary bonuses. Final salary and offer will be determined based on the applicant’s relevant experience, skills, internal equity, and alignment with geographic and other market data. • The expected starting salary range for the Senior Economis t position is between $210,000 and $320,000 annually in addition to annual performance-based discretionary bonuses. Final salary and offer will be determined based on the applicant’s relevant experience, skills, internal equity, and alignment with geographic and other market data. • The expected starting salary range for the Senior Economist & Economic Advisor position is between $220,000 and $400,000 annually in addition to annual performance-based discretionary bonuses. Final salary and offer will be determined based on the applicant’s relevant experience, skills, internal equity, and alignment with geographic and other market data. • The Chicago Fed offers benefits to support overall health and financial security. Learn more about our benefits here: https://www.chicagofed.org/careers/thebenefits • A continuous learning environment with opportunities to gain new skills and grow your career. Additional Requirements: • This position has additional screening requirements due to the information accessed while performing the job. These additional screenings would be initiated at the time of offer acceptance and can take approximately two months to be completed. The screening covers areas such as education/employment verification, criminal history, credit history, and reaches out to your references and people that know you well. • This position requires access to confidential supervisory information and/or FOMC information, which is limited to "Protected Individuals" as defined in the U.S. federal immigration law. Protected Individuals include, but are not limited to, U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. permanent residents who either are not yet eligible to apply for naturalization or who have applied for naturalization within the requisite timeframe. Candidates who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents may be eligible for the information access required for this position and sponsorship for a work visa, and subsequently for permanent residence, if they sign a declaration of intent to become a U.S. citizen and meet other eligibility requirements. In addition, all candidates must undergo applicable background checks and comply with all applicable information handling rules, and all non-U.S. citizens must sign a declaration of intent to become a U.S. Citizen and pursue a path to citizenship. • As a condition of employment, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago employees must comply with the Bank’s ethics rules, which generally prohibit employees, their spouses/domestic partners, and minor children from owning securities, such as stock, of banks or savings associations or their affiliates, such as bank holding companies and savings and loan holding companies. If you or your spouse/domestic partner or minor child own such securities, and would not be willing or able to divest them if you accepted an offer of Bank employment, you should raise this issue with the recruiter for this posting, who can provide you contact information for our ethics official if necessary. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. Full Time / Part Time Full time Regular / Temporary Regular Job Exempt (Yes / No) Yes Job Category Economics/Research Family Group Work Shift First (United States of America) The Federal Reserve Banks are committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and job applicants in compliance with applicable law and to an environment where employees are valued for their differences. Always verify and apply to jobs on Federal Reserve System Careers ( https://rb.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/FRS ) or through verified Federal Reserve Bank social media channels. Privacy Notice

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