Senior Researcher, Employment & Economic Opportunity Program – Part-Time

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Assist project teams in gathering and sharing valid and reliable data on the international comparison of U.S. education.

• Provide technical assistance and coordinate research, operational, and analytic efforts for international large-scale assessments and surveys, including TIMSS, PISA, and TALIS.

• Supervise study activities across instrument development and review, study operations, data quality assessment, analysis, reporting, and dissemination.

• Contribute to the development, analysis, and interpretation of international education statistics and research outcomes.

• Convert technical information into clear and actionable insights for a variety of audiences.

• Oversee daily project operations in roles such as principal investigator, project director, or task lead.

• Guide collaborative project teams, timelines, staff assignments, budgets, and deliverable expectations.

• Identify research challenges and design applied research studies accordingly.

• Utilize subject-matter expertise to design and execute impactful research initiatives.

• Create study designs that align research questions with methodologies and analytic approaches.

• Lead and contribute to research proposals for federal, state, foundation, and other entities.

• Develop innovative solutions to practical applied-research challenges.

• Direct data collection and analysis efforts.

• Oversee qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, including interview protocols, focus group guides, and surveys.

• Supervise field-based data collection activities, including interviews, observations, focus groups, and document reviews.

• Conduct or supervise data analysis using suitable tools and techniques.

• Communicate progress and findings of the study effectively.

• Prepare reports, briefs, visualizations, and other materials for clients and stakeholders.

• Represent AIR in a professional manner during client interactions and manage client and stakeholder relationships.

• Cultivate collaborative working relationships and contribute creatively to project teams.

⛳️ Requirements

• PhD in a related field (e.g., Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Public Policy, or a similar discipline) with 3+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.

• Strong understanding of implementation science.

• Ability to conceptualize large ideas and develop corresponding work plans and timelines.

• Experience in contract research and/or evaluation organizations.

• Familiarity with data collection methodologies, such as structured interviews, observations, and survey research.

• Proficiency in quantitative and/or qualitative analytic software packages like Stata, R, Excel, NVivo, and Access.

• Experience managing project and/or task teams on research and evaluation initiatives.

• Proven ability to build and sustain client and partner relationships.

• Experience with business development, including grant and proposal writing.

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, communication, negotiation, presentation, professional development, facilitation, and client management skills.

• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy in writing.

• Ability to collaborate effectively in a virtual work setting.

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis; employment-based visa sponsorship is not available.

• May need to meet specific residency requirements based on project work.

• Selected candidates must adhere to child safeguarding standards and complete reference and background checks.

🏝️ Benefits

• AIR’s Total Rewards Program.

• Equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer.

• Reasonable accommodation for disabilities during the employment process.

• Drug-free work environment.