Research Associate II - Chicago, IL, United States - U of C NORC

Description

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Research Associate II to join The Bridge in our Chicago – Hyde Park office. The Research Associate will work with research teams within the Bridge to support research projects focused on LGBTQ+ communities, arts, and culture, and advancing equity in social science research. The ideal candidate must have experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods, strong skills in data analysis and data-visualization/communication, and strong verbal and writing skills. Experience with community based participatory, and equitable research is welcome. The Research Associate's primary responsibilities include supporting research teams to design and implement research and evaluation projects. Secondary responsibilities include writing, creating, and posting social media and e-newsletter content about both research practices, so social media management experience is a plus.

Applicants will be based in our Chicago, IL Hyde Park office on the University of Chicago campus, with a hybrid office/work from home schedule.

The Bridge is a community of researchers and programs covering a variety of substantive domains and exemplifying NORC's commitment to the highest standards of academic excellence and research innovation. The Bridge brings substantive expertise and collaborative infrastructure to theoretically driven and multimodal research. The Bridge collaborates with multi-disciplinary research from the University of Chicago and other research institutions by collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data; providing methodological and statistical expertise; and facilitating pre- and post-award management. The Bridge's researchers also have the tremendous opportunity to apply what they have learned in practical settings. The Bridge's research staff works jointly with social scientists, physicians, and other experts in an open, cooperative working environment. Topical areas of focus across the Bridge include early childhood care and education (ECE), healthy aging, arts and culture, and equity research.

• Provide support to senior level research staff on work involving research design, data collection, data processing, analysis and/or report writing
• Manage department social media, including developing social media strategies, content creation, and social media analytics.
• Clean and code data to prepare it for analysis
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative data analyses, including using administrative, survey, interview, and focus group data.
• Prepare literature reviews, and written descriptions of data collection methodologies and procedures
• Assist in design of questionnaires and other quantitative or qualitative data collection instruments
• Merge and clean lists of emails and metadata prior to survey launches
• Program and test quantitative surveys on professional survey platforms, including the use of screening questions, skip logic, and piping
• Plan and conduct project activities including survey development and programming, training planning and administration, data collection preparation and data quality monitoring, conducting site visits, interviews, focus groups, and technical panel meetings
• Prepare reports and memos, and develop slides, data charts, and tables for presenting study findings
• Assist in creating presentations for client meetings and conferences
• Preparation/drafting of client reporting deliverables, including monthly or annual progress reports
• Assist with business development activities, supporting all aspects of proposal efforts including drafting subsections of proposals, compiling data, and drafting charts or exhibits
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in social sciences required. Master's degree preferred. Training in public policy, political science, public health, economics, statistics, developmental psychology, sociology, or education is a plus. Degrees in other subjects may be considered if other relevant skills apply
• At least 18 months of research experience in social science, psychology, economics, education, political science, public policy, health, arts and culture, or related fields
• Interest in education, health, or arts and culture; experience in schools, early childhood education programs, health care settings, or arts and cultural organizations a plus
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative research, including working with large datasets, conducting data quality review, and data analysis; literature reviews, environmental scans, interviewing, focus groups and observation
• Experience as social media manager, including content creation and use of analytics
• Facility with survey programming on platforms like Qualtrics or Forsta
• Strong command of statistical packages, such as SPSS, STATA, or R; and/or command of qualitative analysis software, such as Dedoose or MaxQDA
• Strong ability to set up statistical tabulation using software (e.g, Wincross)
• Strong proficiency with MS Office software, including Excel
• Strong report writing skills
• Outstanding interpersonal and critical reasoning skills
• A strong orientation toward working in teams and coordinating work with others
• Ability to prioritize work and manage multiple assignments
• Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

The pay range for this position is $61,000 - $70,000.

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC's comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC's Approach to Equity and Transparency

Pay and benefits transparency helps to reduce wage gaps. As part of our commitment to pay equity and salary transparency, NORC includes a salary range for each job opening along with information about eligible benefit offerings. At NORC, we take a comprehensive approach to setting salary ranges and reviewing raises and promotions, which is overseen by a formal Salary Review Committee (SRC).

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we're known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

NORC is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that values and actively seeks diversity in the workforce. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other legally protected characteristics.

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