Research and Evaluation Associate
- Employer
- University of Utah
- Location
- Fort Douglas, UT
- Closing date
- Dec 4, 2023
Research and Evaluation Associate
Job Summary
The Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit University of Utah research center administered within the College of Education. The UEPC bridges research, policy, and practice in public schools and higher education, and is committed to increasing educational equity, excellence, access, and opportunities for all children and adults. The UEPC informs, influences, and improves the quality of educational policies, practices, and leadership through research, evaluation, and technical assistance. We are committed to supporting the understanding of whether educational policies, programs, and practices are being implemented as intended, whether they are effective and impactful, and how they may be improved, scaled-up, and made sustainable.
Job Summary
The UEPC is seeking a full-time Research Associate to join our research and evaluation team. Specifically, the UEPC seeks an experienced researcher/evaluator who can lead projects, design research/evaluation plans and data collection tools, coordinate data collection efforts, conduct complex analyses, prepare reports and other deliverables (e.g., briefs, presentations, etc.), build relationships with clients, facilitate client meetings, and contribute to the research and evaluation work for the Center. We have a deep portfolio of research and evaluation projects in K12 and higher education that range from small short-term projects with community-based organizations to multi-year projects with local, state, and federal grant programs. We partner with clients and colleagues in Utah, the region (e.g., Idaho, New Mexico, Wyoming), and nationally. Staff at the UEPC are a collaborative, high-performance team who have diverse professional experiences and expertise. We work with a variety of clients whose programs aim to maximize opportunities to serve students, families, educators, leaders, policymakers, and communities. As a self-funded research-based center, the UEPC is a project-based organization. Our work requires staff to work both independently and collaboratively in a manner that ensures our work is high quality, timely, relevant, and rigorous. We believe in and support ongoing professional learning and growth opportunities. As part of the University of Utah, we offer competitive benefits and access to resources.
Responsibilities
Serve as a lead team member to coordinate and carry out research and/or evaluation tasks for multiple, concurrent projects using appropriate approaches and frameworks.
Collaborate as a team member to design studies, including by conducting literature reviews and developing data collection, analysis, and reporting/communication plans.
Develop and pilot research and evaluation instruments (e.g., survey instruments, observation protocols, focus group protocols, and interview protocols).
Administer surveys and conduct observations, focus groups, and/or interviews.
Manage project data, including both quantitative and qualitative data.
Wrangle and analyze quantitative data using standard statistical approaches (e.g., means comparisons, regression, factor analysis) and common statistical packages or programming languages.
Report research and evaluation results in user-friendly, accessible formats that meet clients' needs, including by creating presentations, written reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, briefs, white papers, and/or data visualizations of research and evaluation results.
Assist with grant writing efforts and/or scopes of work for proposed projects.
Work collaboratively with others, meet project deadlines, manage competing priorities, and offer and respond to feedback.
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications Earned master's degree in education, sociology, psychology, public policy, or an applied social science.
Three years of full-time experience leading and conducting program evaluations (or related research projects), needs assessments, policy analyses, and/or strategic planning projects with increasing independence and responsibility in projects.
Expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent critical thinking, analytic, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to complete tasks for multiple, concurrent projects accurately and on time.
Experience writing written evaluation and research reports.
Ability to give and receive feedback to improve research and evaluation deliverables.
Understanding of local, regional, and/or national issues and policies affecting PK-16+ education.
Preferences
PhD/EdD in education, sociology, psychology, public policy, or an applied social science.
Experience working in or evaluating out-of-school time, community schools, and other cross-sector partnership efforts.
Five or more years of experience in conducting and reporting evaluation and research.
Experience administering and managing surveys, particularly in Qualtrics.
Experience working with large datasets.
Experience working with a programming language (R strongly preferred).
Experience in project management.
Experience applying for research and evaluation grants.
Experience working in a K12, higher education, or an organization that works with K12 or higher education organizations.
Special Instructions
Please include in application materials: A detailed cover letter that describes your interest and relevant research and evaluation experience and expertise for this position.
CV or Resume.
Two research or evaluation products (e.g., reports, briefs, slide decks, visualizations, or similar products) that represent your individual contributions in a lead or primary project role.
Requisition Number: PRN36766B
Full Time or Part Time? Full Time
Work Schedule Summary:
Department: 01323 - Utah Education Policy Center
Location: Campus
Pay Rate Range: 70,000 to 120,000
Close Date:
Open Until Filled: Yes
To apply, visit https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/154695
jeid-930b942574cb3445bb8eee934eb8ba14
Job Summary
The Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit University of Utah research center administered within the College of Education. The UEPC bridges research, policy, and practice in public schools and higher education, and is committed to increasing educational equity, excellence, access, and opportunities for all children and adults. The UEPC informs, influences, and improves the quality of educational policies, practices, and leadership through research, evaluation, and technical assistance. We are committed to supporting the understanding of whether educational policies, programs, and practices are being implemented as intended, whether they are effective and impactful, and how they may be improved, scaled-up, and made sustainable.
Job Summary
The UEPC is seeking a full-time Research Associate to join our research and evaluation team. Specifically, the UEPC seeks an experienced researcher/evaluator who can lead projects, design research/evaluation plans and data collection tools, coordinate data collection efforts, conduct complex analyses, prepare reports and other deliverables (e.g., briefs, presentations, etc.), build relationships with clients, facilitate client meetings, and contribute to the research and evaluation work for the Center. We have a deep portfolio of research and evaluation projects in K12 and higher education that range from small short-term projects with community-based organizations to multi-year projects with local, state, and federal grant programs. We partner with clients and colleagues in Utah, the region (e.g., Idaho, New Mexico, Wyoming), and nationally. Staff at the UEPC are a collaborative, high-performance team who have diverse professional experiences and expertise. We work with a variety of clients whose programs aim to maximize opportunities to serve students, families, educators, leaders, policymakers, and communities. As a self-funded research-based center, the UEPC is a project-based organization. Our work requires staff to work both independently and collaboratively in a manner that ensures our work is high quality, timely, relevant, and rigorous. We believe in and support ongoing professional learning and growth opportunities. As part of the University of Utah, we offer competitive benefits and access to resources.
Responsibilities
Serve as a lead team member to coordinate and carry out research and/or evaluation tasks for multiple, concurrent projects using appropriate approaches and frameworks.
Collaborate as a team member to design studies, including by conducting literature reviews and developing data collection, analysis, and reporting/communication plans.
Develop and pilot research and evaluation instruments (e.g., survey instruments, observation protocols, focus group protocols, and interview protocols).
Administer surveys and conduct observations, focus groups, and/or interviews.
Manage project data, including both quantitative and qualitative data.
Wrangle and analyze quantitative data using standard statistical approaches (e.g., means comparisons, regression, factor analysis) and common statistical packages or programming languages.
Report research and evaluation results in user-friendly, accessible formats that meet clients' needs, including by creating presentations, written reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, briefs, white papers, and/or data visualizations of research and evaluation results.
Assist with grant writing efforts and/or scopes of work for proposed projects.
Work collaboratively with others, meet project deadlines, manage competing priorities, and offer and respond to feedback.
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications Earned master's degree in education, sociology, psychology, public policy, or an applied social science.
Three years of full-time experience leading and conducting program evaluations (or related research projects), needs assessments, policy analyses, and/or strategic planning projects with increasing independence and responsibility in projects.
Expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent critical thinking, analytic, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to complete tasks for multiple, concurrent projects accurately and on time.
Experience writing written evaluation and research reports.
Ability to give and receive feedback to improve research and evaluation deliverables.
Understanding of local, regional, and/or national issues and policies affecting PK-16+ education.
Preferences
PhD/EdD in education, sociology, psychology, public policy, or an applied social science.
Experience working in or evaluating out-of-school time, community schools, and other cross-sector partnership efforts.
Five or more years of experience in conducting and reporting evaluation and research.
Experience administering and managing surveys, particularly in Qualtrics.
Experience working with large datasets.
Experience working with a programming language (R strongly preferred).
Experience in project management.
Experience applying for research and evaluation grants.
Experience working in a K12, higher education, or an organization that works with K12 or higher education organizations.
Special Instructions
Please include in application materials: A detailed cover letter that describes your interest and relevant research and evaluation experience and expertise for this position.
CV or Resume.
Two research or evaluation products (e.g., reports, briefs, slide decks, visualizations, or similar products) that represent your individual contributions in a lead or primary project role.
Requisition Number: PRN36766B
Full Time or Part Time? Full Time
Work Schedule Summary:
Department: 01323 - Utah Education Policy Center
Location: Campus
Pay Rate Range: 70,000 to 120,000
Close Date:
Open Until Filled: Yes
To apply, visit https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/154695
jeid-930b942574cb3445bb8eee934eb8ba14
Get job alerts
Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.
Create alert