Senior Research Associate

Centre for Science of Student Learning; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Centre for Science of Student Learning (CSSL) in Bengaluru is seeking a Senior Research Associate with a strong foundation in psychometrics and quantitative analysis to support design, analysis, and interpretation of large-scale student assessments. You will conduct item- and test-level analyses and translate results into actionable insights for education stakeholders.

Responsibilities include ensuring data quality, applying statistical and psychometric methods, and contributing to analytical

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Statistics, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Education Measurement, Economics, Data Science, or related fields.
• 3–5 years of analytical or research experience.
• Strong proficiency in R and/or Python for statistical analysis.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychometric analyses using CTT and IRT.
• Analyze large-scale assessment datasets with R/Python.
• Develop reproducible analysis scripts and maintain documentation.
• Create analytical summaries and visualizations for reports.
• Collaborate with research leads, content teams, and field teams to deliver outputs.

Skills

R for statistics

Python for statistics

Psychometrics

IRT

Multivariate analysis

Factor analysis

Large-scale data handling

Analytical thinking

English communication

Education

Master’s degree in Statistics, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Education Measurement, Economics, Data Science, or related fields

Tools

R

Python

Job description

Set up by Fulbright alumni, Centre for Science of Student Learning (CSSL) is South Asia’s leading research based educational assessment organization working towards quality improvement in schools and school systems. Our mission is to build capacity for high quality assessments and research into the science of student learning. CSSL works with the Ministry of Education, Govt of India, Niti Aayog and more than 16 state governments such as Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. CSSL regularly partners with the World Bank, UNICEF, UNESCO, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Tata Trusts, Central Square Foundation, several NGOs and CSR. CSSL also works with the National Assessment Organizations of Nepal and Maldives to build their capacity for learning assessments and improve student learning outcomes. CSSL currently has worked with more than 9 million students and 1 million teachers in India and abroad.

Vyjayanthi Sankar, the founder and executive director, is a Fulbright Humphrey Fellow and Ashoka Fellow. She is recognised as a leading Education, Assessment and Management expert who pioneered large scale assessments across South Asia. Vyjayanthi regularly advises governments in Eastern and Southern Africa, South-east Asia and South Asia on Learning Assessments.

WHY US

Many companies may provide you a job, but very few give you the opportunity to create something meaningful not only for you but that impacts lives around you at scale. We believe that we have the opportunity of a lifetime at CSSL – to address some of the most challenging problems of education - and to put our own ding on the universe!

If this resonates with you and you think you have the necessary skill sets and would like the opportunity of a lifetime to explore, grow and stretch yourself to your fullest potential, then this may be the right place for you!

The growth potential for the right candidates is immense as the company is growing fast in both the academic space and social emotional arena as a leading provider internationally.

Role Summary

We are looking for a Senior Research Associate with a strong foundation in psychometrics and quantitative analysis to support the design, analysis, and interpretation of large-scale student assessments. The role involves conducting item- and test-level analyses, contributing to rigorous research studies, and translating complex analytical outputs into clear, decision-relevant insights for education stakeholders.

Key responsibilities include ensuring data quality and analytical rigor, applying appropriate statistical and psychometric methods, and contributing to analytical frameworks that inform policy decisions, program design, and implementation improvements across education systems. The role also offers opportunities to work on the measurement and analysis of social-emotional and life skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct psychometric analysis using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT)
• Analyze large-scale assessment datasets using R, ensuring data quality and consistency
• Develop reproducible analysis scripts, maintain documentation, and follow version-controlled workflows
• Create analytical summaries, visualizations, and inputs for technical and non-technical reports
• Collaborate with research leads, content teams, and field teams to support timely and accurate delivery of analytical outputs

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Statistics, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Education Measurement, Economics, Data Science, or related fields
• 3–5 years of relevant analytical or research experience

Required Skills

• Strong proficiency in R and/or Python for statistical analysis
• Working knowledge of psychometrics and educational measurement
• Understanding of Item Response Theory (IRT), multivariate analysis, and factor analysis
• Ability to work with large, real-world datasets
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Clear written and verbal communication in English.

Preferred

• Experience with large-scale educational assessments
• Familiarity with R
• Prior exposure to education systems or social-sector research

Why Join

• Work on meaningful, system-level education problems
• Learn and apply rigorous measurement science in real contexts
• Collaborative, meritocratic, and research-driven environment