Research Assistant, Learning Supports

American Institutes for Research; United States; Hybrid; USD 34,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

American Institutes for Research (AIR) seeks a Research Assistant to support its Learning Supports program. The role covers literature reviews, data preparation, analysis, and dissemination across multiple projects, with travel and collaboration across teams.

Ideal candidates will have a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and strong communication and organizational skills, plus familiarity with NVivo, R, or Stata. Remote work within the U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in the social sciences or related field.
• Knowledge of or experience with research methodologies and data collection approaches.
• Experience with or interest in learning communication tools and strategies.
• Experience with or interest in learning software such as NVivo, R, or Stata for data analysis is preferred, but not required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews to support research projects and proposal development activities.
• Prepare and clean data for analysis, including renaming variables and generating derived variables.
• Code and review studies for research synthesis and evidence review projects.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses and contribute to reporting findings.
• Support recruitment and engagement of schools and districts in studies.

Skills

Literature reviews

Data cleaning

Data analysis

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social sciences

Tools

NVivo

R

Stata

Job description

US-Remote | US-VA-Arlington | US-NC-Chapel Hill | US-IL-Chicago | US-CA-Sacramento | US-TX-Austin

AIR is seeking a Research Assistant for its Learning Supports program. This position will support a growing portfolio of research focused on improving student learning outcomes, including projects related to instruction, education technology, leadership development, and supports for special populations such as English learners and students with disabilities. The ideal candidate will bring enthusiasm for communicating about project and organizational initiatives and contributing broadly across program activities. The position will support multiple projects simultaneously and requires strong collaboration, communication, and organizational skills.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR's U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories. Candidates must be willing to travel.

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities for the position include:

• Conduct literature reviews to support research projects and proposal development activities.
• Prepare and clean data for analysis, including renaming variables, generating derived variables, and reviewing datasets for errors and missing values.
• Code and review studies for research synthesis and evidence review projects.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses and contribute to the reporting and interpretation of findings.
• Support efforts to recruit and engage schools and districts in research studies, including conducting outreach, building relationships, and coordinating recruitment activities.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for schools and teachers, providing ongoing communication and coordination related to study data collection activities.
• Develop and maintain spreadsheets, databases, and tracking tools to support project activities.
• Support business development efforts by researching funding opportunities, conducting literature reviews, and contributing to proposal development.
• Assist in identifying, reviewing, and developing scholarly materials that communicate research findings.
• Prepare research products, presentations, and communication materials for delivery and dissemination.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in the social sciences or a related field.
• Knowledge of or experience with research methodologies and data collection approaches, such as research synthesis screening, survey design, structured interviews, observations, and focus groups.
• Experience with or interest in learning communication tools and strategies, including social media platforms.
• Experience with or interest in learning software programs such as NVivo, R, or Stata for data analysis is preferred, but not required.

Skills

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in data collection, analysis, and report preparation.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to collaborate efficiently in a virtual work environment.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with project stakeholders and external partners.

Disclosures

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locs, and twists), creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition (e.g., cancer), sex, gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, genetic information, or military or veteran status. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to [e-mail] or call 202.403.5000.

AIR’s Total Rewards Program , is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers the anticipated annual salary as listed. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and external equity with competitive markets. Please note this is the annual salary range for candidates that are based in the United States.

Anticipated Hourly Rate Range

$25 - $28 USD

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in American Institutes for Research’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.