Transportation Economist

High Performance Technologies, Inc. (HPTech) is an infrastructure-centered firm focusing on practice, research, policy, and technology transfer. HPTech was established in 2003 with the primary purpose of serving the U.S. federal government at their facilities and project sites. Our uniqueness lies in our ability to integrate physical sciences, social sciences, engineering, planning, and policy when developing and delivering infrastructure solutions.

HPTech has an immediate opening for a Transportation Economist. This position will support the economic evaluation of long-standing federal transportation research programs and laboratories. The Transportation Economist will develop and apply benefit-cost analysis (BCA), life-cycle economic analysis, return-on-investment (ROI) analysis, and related methods to quantify the economic value and impacts of laboratory research, technical assistance, technology development, deployment, and adoption. The position will work closely with engineers, laboratory managers, researchers, program managers, and other stakeholders to identify defensible cost and benefit inputs, develop transparent assumptions and analytical models, conduct sensitivity and uncertainty analyses, and communicate findings to support research investment and program evaluation decisions.

Responsibilities

Develop and conduct benefit-cost analyses for transportation research laboratories, research programs, and individual research products and technologies.
Develop economic evaluation frameworks that identify and quantify research and deployment costs and benefits, including improvements in pavement, bridge, and infrastructure service life, maintenance and rehabilitation schedules, agency costs, user costs, safety, productivity, and other measurable impacts, as applicable.
Develop transparent analytical models and structured datasets to estimate present values, net benefits, BCRs, ROI, and other economic performance measures over appropriate analysis periods.
Apply discounting, life-cycle economic analysis, sensitivity analysis, scenario analysis, and uncertainty analysis to evaluate the robustness of economic findings and key assumptions.
Identify, compile, validate, and document economic inputs from laboratory records, technical literature, agency data, published unit-cost sources, stakeholder interviews, and other defensible sources.
Collaborate with engineers, laboratory managers, researchers, and program staff to translate technical research outcomes and technology adoption pathways into measurable economic benefits while avoiding unsupported attribution.
Prepare technical reports, memoranda, presentations, tables, and visualizations that clearly communicate economic methods, assumptions, limitations, and findings to technical and management audiences.

Qualifications

An advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in economics, transportation economics, applied economics, engineering economics, public policy, operations research, civil/transportation engineering with substantial economics coursework, or a closely related field.
At least 5 years of related work experience after receiving the Ph.D. degree or 8 years of experience after receiving the master’s degree.
Demonstrated experience conducting benefit-cost analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, ROI analysis, life-cycle economic analysis, or related economic evaluations of transportation, infrastructure, research, technology, or public-sector programs.
Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including demonstrated ability to develop transparent economic models and proficiency in programming and coding using Python, R, or comparable analytical programming languages.
Demonstrated knowledge of discounting, present-value analysis, sensitivity and scenario analysis, uncertainty analysis, and methods for monetizing transportation and infrastructure benefits and costs.
Ability to conduct benefit-cost analyses when available data are limited or obtained from multiple sources, including the ability to identify data gaps and develop transparent, technically defensible assumptions and sensitivity scenarios.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain economic concepts, methodologies, assumptions, and results to engineers, researchers, program managers, and other non-economist stakeholders.
Experience evaluating transportation research programs, infrastructure technologies, pavement or materials research, or federally funded research and development programs preferred.
Experience conducting economic evaluations for federal agencies, research laboratories, or engineering and scientific research programs, particularly FHWA or other U.S. Department of Transportation Operating Administrations, preferred.

The position is based in McLean, VA.

Candidates must be authorized to legally work in the United States.

For timely consideration, please apply online by October 9, 2026.

Employment Application