Assistant Researcher Senior

23850BR

Social Welfare

Position Overview

The KU School of Social Welfare (KUSSW) seeks a full-time Assistant Researcher Senior to assist with program research, evaluation and data management for small and large-scale initiatives. This position will specialize in research and evaluation, data science projects, and social innovation work that supports initiatives’ missions to optimize the well-being of children, youth, and families. KUSSW works with diverse community partners, including federal, state and community-based organizations, in their work to secure funding, bring key partners to the table, orchestrate large-scale data efforts, and conduct research, cost analysis, research and evaluation. We are looking for individuals who are passionate about impacting social change for good.

The person in this position will promote healthy and thriving communities by contributing to research and evaluations of new or existing programs. The successful applicant should have experience in social sciences or a related field, prior experience working with community stakeholders, collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting quantitative and qualitative data, and sharing findings with partners outside of the academic community. The applicant should also be able to facilitate continuous quality improvement (CQI), actively troubleshoot problems that may arise, and quickly develop and implement solutions. Experience working on issues related to maternal and child health is helpful. This position is contingent upon funding.

Job Description

40%    Research and Evaluation Project Coordination 

• Ensure that the projects meet the goals and objectives of the funder in cooperation with federal, state, and local partners
• Track and coordinate deliverables, work plan, and timelines for timely and high-quality completion and of work
• Plan, prepare, and facilitate meetings involving internal staff and external partners
• Serve as point of contact between KUSSW and federal/state/local partners related to research and evaluation projects
• Support partner programs in accessing, understanding, and using their data and research and evaluation findings
• Supervise student hourlies, graduate students, or research assistants in carrying out research activities

30%    Data Management, Analysis, and Reporting

• Assist with managing and securing program data
• Collaborate with programs under guidance from project leaders to identify and implement data collection protocols and tools
• Identify, prepare, and support data files, syntax, and analysis for evaluation and research projects, including advanced statistical analyses as appropriate
• Assist with data formatting, processing, and analysis using Excel, SPSS, R, and other applications
• Contribute to design, implementation, and maintenance of data-informed reports and analytics solutions including data visualizations and dashboards for different audiences (e.g., community stakeholders, policy makers, scholars)

20%    Research Methodology and Synthesis

• Participate in the development and design of evaluation and research plans
• Conduct multi-faceted evaluation and research projects as part of a team
• Provide synthesis of research literature and/or evaluation and research project findings.
• Assist with preparing charts, tables, graphs, and written summaries of research and evaluation data and findings using excel and other data visualization applications
• Assist senior researchers with preparation of written research and evaluation reports and manuscripts for publication, serving as a co-author as appropriate

10%    Other duties 

• Special projects and other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

Some in-state travel required (5%).

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree and three years of related experience.

Minimum of one year of experience managing complex data, including primary data collection and administrative datasets.

Minimum of one year of experience analyzing data and visualizing data to inform practice or programmatic learning as demonstrated by work experience.

Excellent written communication skills as demonstrated by application materials and previous work history.

Excellent organizational skills and experience working independently and as part of a team, as demonstrated in application materials and work experience.

One year of experience using statistical analysis software, such as SPSS, SAS, Stata, or R.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in Social Science or related field

1-2 years of experience in studying children and/or youth and/or families, as demonstrated in application materials.

1-2 years of experience communicating research and facilitating collaboration between stakeholders and community partners, demonstrated by application materials.

One year of experience using Microsoft Access or other relational database management system.

Additional Candidate Instruction

A complete online application consists of the following:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Writing sample
• Contact information for up to three references

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Review of applications begins on November 21st  and continues as needed to collect a pool of qualified applicants. 

Advertised Salary Range

Minimum $48,000

Application Review Begins

21-Nov-2022

Anticipated Start Date

12-Dec-2022

Primary Campus

University of Kansas Lawrence Campus

Employee Class

U-Unclassified Professional Staff

Work Schedule

Standard M-F during the hours of 8am -5pm

Conditions of Employment

Contingent on Funding

Work Location Assignment

Telework

Disclaimer

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university’s programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Director of the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).