Research Associate

University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Research Associate to advance research on higher education policy and social stratification. The role focuses on handling state administrative data, performing data cleaning, and producing policy-relevant research for academics and policymakers.

The position requires a Ph.D. in a relevant field, strong Stata skills, and a track record of publishing quantitative education or social science research.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Education, Social Sciences, or related field.
• 3 years of experience working with state administrative data, including cleaning and producing derived data files from raw data files.
• Research experience using a variety of statistical methods to examine effects of education policy and practices.
• Strong programming skills in Stata.
• Experience publishing quantitative research in education and/or social science journals.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Responsibilities

• Data cleaning and management
• Data analysis and research design
• Produce scholarly research, including articles, research reports, and presentations
• Project management and organization, including collaborating with research team and directing the efforts junior team members
• Collaborate on grant writing
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Stata

Data cleaning

Data analysis

Research design

Education

Ph.D. in Education, Social Sciences

Tools

Stata

Job description

Job Posting Title:

Research Associate

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Hiring Department:

Population Research Center

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2027

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

This position is available from beginning July 15th, 2026, but there may be flexibility in starting date and is funded for 1 year.

What benefits do I receive with UT?
The university offers an impressive benefits package. For more details on benefits, please see: prospective/benefits and current/services/my-total-rewards.

For more information about the College of Liberal Arts, please visit: .

Our college seeks to build a supportive, growth-minded community and cultivate outstanding and courageous leaders. For more information on the college staff leadership academy, please visit:

resources-for-faculty-staff/staff-leadership-academy/.

For more information on college staff professional development, please visit:

display/larc/Staff+Professional+Development+Fund.

Purpose

The Research Associate is expected to work on research projects related to higher education policy and social stratification in higher education. The projects will require in-depth experience working with state administrative data and other largescale education data sets, including experience cleaning and merging raw data files, and a track record producing research findings of interest to policymakers, practitioners, and academic audiences.

Responsibilities

• Data cleaning and management
• Data analysis and research design
• Produce scholarly research, including articles, research reports, and presentations
• Project management and organization, including collaborating with research team and directing the efforts junior team members
• Collaborate on grant writing
• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Education, Social Sciences, or related field
• 3 years of experience working with state administrative data, including cleaning and producing derived data files from raw data files
• Research experience using variety of statistical methods to examine effects of education policy and practices
• Strong programming skills in Stata
• Experience publishing quantitative research in education and/or social science journals

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience using Texas Education Research Center data (state administrative data from Texas)
• Demonstrated expertise and/or credentials in statistics and data sciences
• Demonstrated expertise in higher education policy

Salary Range (REQUIRED)

• $80,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Typical Office Environment
• Remote work allowable within Texas

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor; please note that finalists for this position will be required to have three letters from professional references-minimum of 2 external to UT Austin--attesting to candidate's record of independent research
• Letter of interest
• Example Stata code (do file) for cleaning largescale administrative data
• Writing sample: Example scholarly publication, preferably published in peer-reviewed education or social science journal

Employment Eligibility

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer,complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

Compliance

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.

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