Postdoctoral Applied Research Fellow

Blue Star Families; United States; Remote; USD 73,000; Full time

Job summary

A nonprofit organization focused on military family issues is seeking a Postdoctoral Applied Research Fellow to analyze datasets and conduct research. This full-time, one-year fellowship emphasizes applied research and collaboration with various partners. Ideal candidates will have a Ph.D. and proficiency in quantitative analysis. Competitive salary offered for this remote position.

Qualifications

• Strong background in social or behavioral sciences.
• Ability to analyze datasets and translate findings.
• Experience with IRB processes and ethical research.

Responsibilities

• Analyze military family-related datasets.
• Conduct program evaluations and trend analyses.
• Translate findings into policy briefs and community reports.

Skills

Quantitative analysis

Research methodology

Communication skills

Cultural humility

Education

Ph.D. in sociology, psychology, public policy or related field

Tools

R

SPSS

SAS

Google Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Title: Postdoctoral Applied Research Fellow

Department: Applied Research

Location: Remote/Virtual within the continental US

Reports To: Senior Director, Research & Evaluation

Direct Reports: No

Position Type: Full-time Fellow, 1 year term

Classification: Exempt

Pay: $73,000

This is a temporary, one-year fellowship program through November 2026.

Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. Each year, we support over 1.5 million military- and veteran-connected family members through a national network of 300,000+ members and local chapters in communities across the country.

Our mission is simple and bold: We make military life awesome for families.

We listen, share, partner, and act to deliver evidence-based, data-driven solutions that work for real people. We’re a lifestyle organization, a friend and neighbor, and a trusted partner. Our approach is collaborative, human-centered, and designed with the whole family in mind.

A Blue Star Family is one with an immediate family member — a spouse, parent, or child — actively serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Guard and Reserves. These families face unique challenges: frequent relocations, deployments, career disruption, and isolation. We respond with research-informed programs that create connection, build resilience, and foster a true sense of belonging.

We serve with urgency but build trust over time — because change happens at the speed of trust. Whether we’re driving spouse employment, supporting caregivers, or helping communities welcome military families, we strive for upstream solutions.

Who We’re Looking For:

• Bold thinkers. Fast movers. Smart collaborators. People who want to build, lead, and drive measurable change — and who care deeply about making an impact that matters.

What You’ll Do Here:

• Solve complex challenges with data, heart, and humility
• Build cross-sector partnerships that get things done
• Help military families feel at home wherever they live

If you're ready to work in a high-performance, mission-driven environment — and to make life better for those who serve — Blue Star Families is where you belong.

General Description

Blue Star Families is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow with a background in the social or behavioral sciences to research military and veteran family issues. This role emphasizes applied research on family systems, analyzing trends and patterns in existing datasets, and translating findings to inform programs, resources, and future studies.

A central focus of this position is longitudinal and trend analysis using more than 10 years of Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS) data, along with other datasets on military families. The MFLS is Blue Star Families’ annual, comprehensive survey that captures the experiences and challenges of military-connected families. Its findings guide national leaders, local communities, and philanthropic partners in shaping policies and support systems that improve the quality of life for service members and their families. To date, the MFLS has gathered responses from over 110,000 participants. Other datasets will include (but are not limited to) previously collected data on topics such as Military Spouse Employment, Financial Security, and Housing.

This fellowship is ideal for scholars eager to bridge rigorous academic research with practical, community-focused applications.

Key Job Functions

• Analyze large-scale quantitative and qualitative datasets, with a focus on MFLS data and other military family-related datasets.
• Conduct program evaluations, trend analyses, and policy-relevant research.
• Translate findings into policy briefs, community reports, data visualizations, and presentations.
• Contribute to peer-reviewed publications and professional conference presentations.
• Collaborate with nonprofits, government agencies, and academic partners on military family research.
• Stay current on research and policy issues affecting military and veteran families.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Experience, Skills & Background

• Ph.D. in sociology, psychology, public policy, social work, political science, economics, anthropology, or a related social science field.
• Proficiency in quantitative analysis (R, SPSS, SAS, or similar).
• Strong research methodology skills (survey design, program evaluation, longitudinal analysis).
• Demonstrated expertise or research in military/veteran families, family systems, or applied social science topics.
• Ability to translate research into actionable insights for policymakers and community stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills with both technical and general audiences.
• Familiarity with IRB processes and ethical research standards.
• Cultural humility and interest in learning military culture and systems.
• Proficiency with Google Suite and Microsoft Office
• Salesforce experience or ability to learn new software
• May be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary to carry out key job functions
• Some travel is required to attend meetings, trainings, events, etc., Limited out-of-town and overnight travel may be required

Desired Experience, Skills & Background

• Experience with qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups, coding) and software (NVivo, Atlas.ti, MaxQDA).
• Publications or presentations on military or family-related issues.
• Experience creating accessible data visualizations.
• Background in interdisciplinary or community-based research.
• Experience working with non-profit partner organizations.

Blue Star Families is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.