Job Description

Department

UEI Consortium Research Porter

About the Department

As one of the first schools of social work in the United States, the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice has shaped the field for more than 100 years. As part of the University of Chicago, the Crown Family School shares the University's core values and distinctive intellectual culture. Crown Family School faculty, staff, and students focus on identifying solutions to complex social problems through research, training, and direct community engagement. Guided by an interdisciplinary tradition, Crown Family School scholars conduct innovative research to address interconnected social challenges such as educational inequality, health disparities, crime and violence, poverty, and child and family welfare—working at multiple scales, from individual to policy-level interventions. More than 10,000 Crown Family School graduates in the US and globally hold leadership positions in academia, at nonprofits, in business, and at governmental agencies. The Crown Family School is the home of four academic centers: These include the Susan and Richard Kiphart Center for Global Health and Social Development, Chicago Center for HIV Elimination (CCHE), the Kersten Institute for Urban Education, and the Center for Climate, Health, and Society (CHAS). More information may be found at https://crownschool.uchicago.edu/.UChicago Consortium is seeking a Senior Research Analyst with strong quantitative research skills that will inform policy and practice and a passion for doing meaningful work to help schools become more equitable. This position will work on both LDG and other Consortium projects. The Senior Research Analyst will be able to serve as an investigator on studies, developing research plans, carrying them out, working with a team, writing up results for academic and practice audiences, and presenting findings. The successful candidate will have a commitment to education, be deeply curious, and be willing to learn new methods and topics. The Consortium is particularly interested in candidates with experience in quasi-experimental methods and expertise in measurement in the areas of adolescent development, structures and policies that shape development, psychometrics, and/or measurement of student experience/learning conditions. Experience working in interdisciplinary and cross-methodological contexts is a plus.

The Senior Research Analyst position requires someone who is able to independently handle multiple concurrent tasks and work in a highly collaborative environment. The Senior Research Analyst will demonstrate expertise with conducting rigorous analyses of quantitative data and will have opportunities to share findings and work with many audiences, including other scholars and researchers, non-profit leaders, school practitioners, district administrators, and local policymakers. The ideal Senior Research Analyst candidate has experience successfully conducting and completing independent research, translating research, demonstrating strong communication and project administration skills, and demonstrating cultural literacy in their work.

This position is in-person for the first six months and offers a hybrid option after six months.

This is a grant funded position, with a grant end date of 5/31/2028. If a funding extension or additional funding is not secured, the position will end upon the grant expiration date.

Responsibilities

• Take a leadership role in designing and implementing quantitative (e.g., quasi-experimental and descriptive) research studies with a focus on student experience surveys and school culture and climate surveys.
• Serve as an Investigator on projects and be responsible for leading and managing research projects.
• Identify and apply appropriate research techniques with independent judgment.
• Produce translational research products aimed at practitioners and policymakers.
• Prepare reports and manuscripts for publication in academic journals.
• Play an active role in designing research studies, writing grant proposals and grant reports.
• Engage and communicate with a wide range of educational stakeholders.
• Develop ongoing relationships with partners, including funders, policymakers, individuals in Chicago schools, the University of Chicago, and state and national educational research organizations.
• Mentor junior staff.
• Presents research findings at meetings and conferences, as well as to funding agencies. Conducts literature reviews.
• Provide advice on methods to colleagues.
• Contribute to the intellectual capacity of the organization and to creating a positive, collaborative environment.
• Uses subject matter and best practices knowledge to perform lab and/or research-related duties and tasks. Works independently to assist with project design.
• Guides data collection, evaluation and analysis. Designs and manages databases. Writes reports, articles and manuscripts.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s/doctoral degree in education, public policy, economics, sociology, or other relevant social science or mathematical discipline strongly preferred.

Experience:

• Significant experience using quasi-experimental methods to analyze large-scale data.
• Experience with conducting applied education research.
• Authorship on scholarly articles and/or research or evaluation reports.

Preferred Competencies

• Knowledge and demonstrated use of quasi-experimental methods.
• Advanced skills in SAS, Stata, and/or R.
• Cleaning large-scale data sets.
• Working with large-scale data with over 25,000 responses.
• Passion for improving educational outcomes and supporting actionable uses of research evidence.
• Commitment to understanding and improving outcomes for students of all backgrounds and experiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to work independently, in collaboration as a team member, and in a supervisory role.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.

​Working Conditions

• This position is in-person for the first six months and has an option to be hybrid after six months.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Writing Sample (required)
• 3 references (required)

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$83,000.00 - $90,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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