[Hiring] Research Assistant/Sr. Research Assistant @CHILD TRENDS INCORPORATED

Role Description

Child Trends is seeking a Research Assistant or Sr. Research Assistant in its Early Childhood research area. Research Assistants are expected to work on multiple projects simultaneously to support project teams. Under the supervision of Early Childhood staff, the Research Assistant supports social science research projects by:

• Helping to gather data and other information from study participants and stakeholders
• Helping to develop project materials and data collection tools
• Administering surveys and questionnaires, conducting interviews, and compiling results
• Helping organize meetings and taking notes
• Performing other duties as necessary

The Early Childhood team at Child Trends studies programs and systems affecting young children from birth through early elementary school. Our team is committed to methodologically sound research that accurately represents the populations and communities our findings affect.

This position requires strong writing and organization skills, logical thinking, great attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to ethics and equity in research and the workplace. The ideal candidate will have experience conducting research projects and be knowledgeable about designing and conducting research rooted in equitable principles.

Typical Responsibilities and Duties:

• Recruit and follow-up with study participants, and schedule interviews, focus groups, and meetings
• Take notes during meetings with clients or other project stakeholders and summarize notes to distribute to team, clients, and others
• Assist with administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, distributing participant incentives, tracking project budgets, preparing progress reports, and mailings
• Conduct data collection through observations, interviews, surveys, and other methods as needed
• Support literature reviews on specified topics by collecting relevant research and synthesizing information according to instructions
• Tabulate and maintain study data; assist with data entry; clean data and perform quality checks; develop tables and graphs
• Process and conduct basic analyses of quantitative data using Stata/R or other statistical packages
• Analyze qualitative data using tools such as Dedoose or NVivo and basic thematic coding methods
• Organize project files and track important project deadlines

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in one of the social sciences, and the demonstrated ability to perform beginning level research in a social science field
• Strong detail-orientation, written and verbal communication skills, and experience with literature reviews
• Excellent writing skills, including the ability to clearly communicate complex information for general audiences
• Excellent task management and organizational skills
• Strong communication skills to support a collaborative working environment
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Strong critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to both provide and take direction
• Two to three years of applied research experience outside of college courses may be considered for a Senior Research Assistant position

Requirements

• Experience with early childhood research or policy (desired, but not required)
• Experience conducting research in applied settings (desired, but not required)
• Ability to speak Spanish and conduct research in Spanish (desired, but not required)
• Experience with a statistical package such as Stata and/or R (desired, but not required)

Benefits

• This is a salaried position; salary will either be $53,000 or $62,000 depending on which role is offered
• This position is eligible for benefits; for more info please visit our career page

Work Arrangement

• This is a full-time position with some flexibility in schedule; specific needs should be discussed during the interview process
• Flexible remote; Child Trends may require additional setup time in certain states
• We currently do not support work outside the US; all candidates must be authorized to work in the US to be considered

Background Investigation

Jobs that involve interactions with children and positions that rely on high levels of trust to perform duties are subject to a background check at the time of hire, with roles being offered contingent upon results. A criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate or current employee from employment; however, any convictions related to the responsibilities and requirements of the position may do so.

Application Deadline

Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. Position will be closed once filled.

How to Apply

Please follow the “apply” link to submit your application. Please upload your resume/CV and cover letter as well as a brief writing sample, and three professional references.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Child Trends provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Child Trends does not require or request applicants’ salary. Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact [email protected].