Education Researcher - Early Childhood Equity

Overview

SRI Education is committed to using insights from rigorous research and evaluation to better support young children and their families.  Our team has a long history of ground-breaking work at the intersection of early childhood policy, research, and practice. We are seeking to hire an Education Researcher to help our team continue to build more equitable systems of early learning throughout the United States.    

This opportunity is in our Center for Learning & Development where we conduct research and evaluations to improve policies and programs for children, youth, and families—from community services and school partnerships to statewide early childhood programs and federal special education and disability policies.

The Early Childhood Program at SRI’s Center for Learning & Development helps policymakers, funders, and practitioners improve the implementation and effectiveness of these programs and policies through its early childhood education research services and products. The program also supports accountability efforts to verify that public and private funds are invested wisely.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate on, design, and conduct rigorous and equitable research and large-scale program evaluations related to early childhood education
• Design quantitative and qualitative studies and data collection instruments that examine implementation, impact, and cost
• Apply an equity lens to and engage diverse perspectives in our work
• Participate in and lead, as appropriate, mixed-methods data collection and analysis
• Lead and conduct analyses of extant student, teacher, and school data
• Develop and lead, as appropriate, analyses of student, teacher, and school data
• Write reports, policy papers, and articles for clients, policymakers, and practitioners in a collaborative environment
• Present study findings to relevant audiences
• Contribute to or lead, as appropriate, business development and proposal writing efforts
• Become a project leader
• Grow professionally and develop new skills through ongoing project embedded mentorship and professional development opportunities
• Mentor junior researchers to support their professional development and goals

Qualifications

• PhD in research program in social sciences or related policy fields OR a similar Master’s degree and 5 years related experience
• Prior experience with multiple research methods (e.g., large-scale surveys, experimental research/group design, case study methods)
• Prior experience generating well-structured, clear, and concise verbal and written communications on research and project activities for a broad range of audiences
• Capacity to support multiple projects simultaneously and change focus as priorities shift through use of strong organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to problem-solve and ensure high-quality work through, for example attending to details and project requirements
• Experience with analytic software such as R, Stata, SAS, SPSS, or Dedoose
• Expertise and experience in one or more of the following specialties within early learning
  • Educational technology
  • STEM
  • Teacher quality
  • Assessment development
  • Multilingual learners
  • Early childhood mental heath
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in research and the workplace
• A desire to work in a collaborative environment, successful demonstration of diplomatic communication style, communicating with a range of stakeholders
• Willingness to travel for data collection efforts as needed

Candidates with the following qualifications are preferred:

• Prior experience working on projects for federal agencies and organizations like the Administration for Children and Families, Institute for Education Sciences, Office of Special Education Programs, or National Science Foundation
• Research, professional, or volunteer experience in the U.S. public PreK–16 education system or informal learning environments working with Black or African American, Latino, Latinx, or Hispanic students, or students and families with limited financial means
• Ideal candidates will have a focus on early childhood (pre-K) math research, specifically
• Strength in quantitative research, with experience in mixed-method research as well
• Established track record of successfully working on deadline, results oriented work style

In your cover letter please include information about your training and experience in the relevant content and research method areas described in the research position. Please note that candidates who proceed to the interview process will be asked to provide writing samples and /or deliver a job talk.

The salary range is: $75,500 -$120,000. Salary ranges will vary and are based on several factors, including geographic location, market competitiveness and equity amongst internal employees in similar roles. Positions may also qualify for SRI's Pay for Outstanding Performance program or the annual Performance Based Compensation program. SRI also has a competitive benefits package, to view details please go to https://www.sri.com/resources/benefits/.

SRI International, an over 75-year strong pioneering research institute, has a rich history supporting government and industry. Our innovations have created new industries, billions of dollars in market value and lasting benefits to society. SRI is organized around broad disciplines and capabilities, with research and development divisions and labs to groups who excel at identifying new opportunities, developing products and creating custom solutions. Our organization is driven by impact - delivering unique solutions for the world's important challenges and transforming ideas into reality for clients and partners.

Salary : $75,500 - $120,000