Research Associate, Education Systems
Overview
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Crystal City, Virginia, AIR is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research on important social issues and delivers technical assistance and capacity building services domestically and internationally in health, social development, education, and workforce to a growing roster of clients and partners. Our mission is to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world.
AIR is seeking a Research Associate to join AIR’s Education Systems and Policy practice area focused on economic evaluations of educational and social programs and policies. This position can be remote or located out of any of the following AIR locations once offices are fully reopened: Crystal City, VA, Rockville, MD, Austin, TX, Waltham, MA, Chicago, IL, or Chapel Hill, NC.
Responsibilities
- Coordinate activities for research projects and support project management, including developing and tracking project timelines, activities, and deliverables; and preparing submissions for IRB and data governance review
- Assist in primary and secondary quantitative data collection in support of economic evaluation projects such as development of interview protocol and surveys, conducting interviews and notetaking, administration of surveys, and gathering extant cost data
- Clean, code, and analyze survey, interview, observation, and extant data using the appropriate scientific approaches and software (e.g., Microsoft Excel, STATA, R, etc.)
- Prepare documents, portions of reports, briefs, charts, and graphs that describe and interpret findings of analyses
- Provide management support to medium to large proposals by tracking complex tasks, collecting and reviewing documents, coordinating meetings, coordinating activities with the contracts office and finance office, developing budget assumptions and drafting text
- Communicate effectively, orally or in writing, with clients, staff, and other stakeholders
- Work well in team-based projects and proposals on multiple projects with intersecting timelines
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree and 3+ years of experience or Master’s degree with a specialization in Educational Administration, Education Policy or Social Sciences (Economics, Public Policy, Sociology, etc.)
- Project management experience
- Experience conducting quantitative and/or qualitative data collection and analyses
- Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite and some familiarity with statistical applications (STATA, R, etc.)
- Ability to work as a member of a cohesive team and independently initiate tasks to solve issues
- Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and intersecting deadlines
- Clear written and oral communication skills
Disclosures:
AIR requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a legally required exemption from AIR, as a condition of employment. AIR will ask candidates to verify their vaccination status only after a conditional offer of employment is made. Applicants should not provide information about their vaccination status or need for exemption prior to receiving a conditional offer of employment from AIR.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.
AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks.