Research and Learning Scientist

TalkingPoints; Oregon; Híbrido; USD 120.000 - 130.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

401K match

Remote work flexibility

Mission-driven startup culture

Descripción de la vacante

TalkingPoints is a mission-driven education nonprofit seeking a Research and Learning Scientist to drive rigorous studies on how family–school partnerships improve student outcomes through at-home learning products. You will lead R&D across the research agenda from design to dissemination, collaborating across teams.

We value rigor, rapid iteration, and translating findings for product, partnerships, and fundraising, while leveraging AI tools and public datasets to inform strategy and practice.

Formación

• PhD in education, learning sciences, developmental or educational psychology, or related field.
• 8+ years of applied research experience including product, R&D, and funder-facing work.
• Learning science expertise in literacy and/or math, home learning, and families as learning partners.
• Expertise in mixed methods, experimental and quasi-experimental design, and measure validation, with honest communication of tradeoffs.
• A record of translating evidence for non-research audiences and delivering with little oversight.
• Proficiency in R, working knowledge of SQL and/or Sigma, comfort using AI tools, and experience with public education datasets and PII

Responsabilidades

• Drive research for at-home learning and personalized recommendation products, and contribute to studies across the research agenda.
• Apply learning science to product R&D by testing features that strengthen family practices and student learning.
• Advise on AI-powered family recommendations, including data signals and mapping to skills.
• Design and run mixed-method studies from rapid-cycle, descriptive, and correlational analyses to quasi-experimental designs and randomized trials.
• Manage, clean, and analyze quantitative and qualitative platform, partner, and public data (e.g., NCES, state systems).
• Develop and administer measures of family and educator outcomes linked to student outcomes.
• Turn findings into impact stories and strategic recommendations for product, partnerships, and fundraising.
• Represent our research with districts, funders, and external researchers; mentor other researchers as needed.

Conocimientos

Applied research experience

Learning science expertise (literacy/m

Mixed methods design

Evidence translation to non-research

R proficiency

SQL/Sigma knowledge

AI tools familiarity

PII/data handling

Educación

PhD in education or related field

Herramientas

R

SQL

Sigma

Descripción del empleo

About TalkingPointsTalkingPoints is an award-winning education technology nonprofit on a mission to unlock every student's potential by activating one of the most underutilized forces in education - families. We believe that when families and schools work together, students thrive - and we're building the tools to make that partnership possible for every family.Our platform helps schools reach and engage every family - including those historically underserved - through accessible, two-way communication in 150+ languages, along with data, insights, and supports that strengthen relationships and drive student success.Today, millions of educators and families are using TalkingPoints in their classrooms, schools, and districts across the U.S. to build stronger partnerships and improve outcomes for students. Our work is grounded in research and has been shown to meaningfully impact attendance, learning, and more.We partner with leading school districts nationwide and are supported by a strong community of philanthropic and strategic partners, including major foundations, technology leaders, and education organizations.TalkingPoints is at an exciting stage of growth and impact. As we continue to expand our reach and deepen our impact, we're looking for passionate, mission-driven team members who want to help schools and families succeed - together. Learn more atThe OpportunityThe Research and Learning Scientist drives rigorous, actionable research on how TalkingPoints improves student outcomes through family-school partnerships. They support R&D for our family learning products, making sure the home practices we promote match how children build literacy and numeracy skills. They also contribute to studies across our broader research agenda. Reporting to the Director of Research, they own projects from design to dissemination and work cross-functionally on a team that values rigor and rapid iteration.

You will:

• Drive research for our at-home learning and personalized recommendation products, and contribute to studies across the research agenda
• Support product R&D by applying learning science and behavior-change principles and testing whether features strengthen family practices and student learning
• Advise on AI-powered family recommendations, including which data signals to use, how they map to skills, where data is too thin to personalize, and how good the outputs are
• Design and run mixed methods studies from rapid-cycle, descriptive, and correlational analyses to quasi-experimental designs and randomized trials
• Manage, clean, and analyze quantitative and qualitative platform, partner, and public data (e.g., NCES, state systems)
• Develop and administer measures of family and educator outcomes linked to student outcomes
• Turn findings into impact stories and strategic recommendations for product, partnerships, and fundraising
• Represent our research with districts, funders, and external researchers, lead long-term district research partnerships, and informally mentor other researchers as needed

Who You AreRequired

• PhD in education, learning sciences, developmental or educational psychology, or a related field
• 8+ years of applied research experience, including product, R&D, and funder-facing work
• Learning science expertise in literacy and/or math, home learning, and families as learning partners
• Expertise in mixed methods, experimental and quasi-experimental design, and measure validation, with honest communication of tradeoffs
• A record of translating evidence for non-research audiences and delivering with little oversight
• Proficiency in R, working knowledge of SQL and/or Sigma, comfort using AI tools, and experience with public education datasets and PII

Nice to Haves

• Family engagement or attendance research expertise
• Evaluating AI-powered or personalized recommendation tools

Overall fit with our org culture - we look for team members who are:

• User and Mission-Oriented: we are devoted to our mission with empathy towards the communities we serve.
• All-in Together: we go above and beyond the job description, working together as a team.
• Agile & Action-Oriented: we get things done, knowing that our progress is urgent to our communities.
• Always Learning: we are always learning, with a growth mindset, to reach our full potential.
• Boldly Courageous: we take risks in order to achieve big things.
• Resourceful: we are creative, solution-oriented, and scrappy.

What We Offer

• An incredible opportunity to build a mission-driven, rapidly growing startup tech nonprofit
• 401K match
• Flexibility to work remotely
• Fun, smart, dynamic, motivated team focused on working together to transform family engagement to serve the families who need it most

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $130,000, commensurate with experience. The actual base compensation may vary depending on factors such as relevant experience, location, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. This range does not include bonuses, other forms of compensation, or benefits.

TalkingPoints is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all qualified individuals have an equal opportunity to contribute and succeed. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.