Research Associate I

University of North Carolina Charlotte; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 62,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute seeks a Research Associate I to coordinate Gambrell-funded initiatives and advance applied, engaged research with staff, faculty, and community partners. You will contribute to project design, data collection and analysis, and disseminate findings through reports and data visualizations.

A Master’s degree in the social sciences is required, with experience in social science research, community engagement, and proficiency in SAS, R, or STATA.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in the social sciences or related field required.
• Experience conducting social science research projects preferred.
• Proven ability to engage with community partners and stakeholders.
• Strong data collection, management, and analysis skills required.
• Familiarity with Census/ACS data is a plus.
• Proficiency in SAS, R, or STATA for program evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate Gambrell-funded initiatives through the Urban Institute.
• Develop, conduct, and translate applied and engaged research with staff, faculty, and community partners.
• Disseminate findings through reports, articles, and data visualizations.

Skills

Statistical analysis

Data visualization

Community engagement

Project coordination

Qualitative analysis

SAS

R

STATA

Tableau

R Shiny

Education

Master's degree in the social sciences

Tools

SAS

SPSS

R

STATA

Tableau

R Shiny

Job description

Research Associate I

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

• If there is a document you feel is relevant to this position that you would like reviewed with your resume and application, you may upload it to the "Other Documents" section of the Applicant Documents.
• The finalist will be subject to a Criminal Background Check and/or a Motor Vehicle Report
• The Search Committee will not contact references without first verifying permission with the finalist.
• Please ensure your resume reflects the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences to support your answers to the supplemental questions.
• UNC Charlotte Benefits Information: https://hr.charlotte.edu/benefits/benefits-overview/

Position Information

• Position Number 006943
• Vacancy Open to All Candidates
• Working Title Research Associate I
• Position Designation EHRA Non-Faculty
• Employment Type Time Limited - Full-time
• Months per Year 12
• Work Schedule Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
• Hours per week 40
• FLSA Status Exempt
• Division Academic Affairs
• Department UrbanCORE (Adm)
• Work Location Sycamore
• Salary Range 62,115-68,000
• Primary Purpose of Department

  The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute (UI) is the primary applied research and public service arm of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Its mission is to meet the community research and technical support needs of the state's urban and developing areas. A primary geographic focus of the Institute's activities is the Charlotte Region, the 14-county area surrounding the City of Charlotte, the largest city in the Carolinas.

• Primary Purpose of Position

  The primary purpose of the position is to coordinate Gambrell-funded initiatives through the Urban Institute, including the Faculty & Student Fellows programs. The position also develops, conducts, and translates applied and engaged research with a range of stakeholders including staff, faculty, and community partners. This position helps carry out the Institute's public service mission by conducting community-based research projects on behalf of local organizations from across the region. This also includes disseminating findings from the Institute's research as well as that of others to the public through reports, articles, and data visualizations.

• Summary of Position Responsibilities

  This position will work on social science research projects. The employee will conduct day-to-day activities for multiple UI research projects, and take an active role in project design and review across the institute. This includes community and client engagement, project planning and project administration, data collection and management, statistical analysis, qualitative analysis, data visualization, and preparing publications and reports and related communication products.

• Minimum Education/Experience
  • Master's degree in the social sciences including urban planning, sociology, social work, public health, education, geography, public policy, or other social science field
• Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills and Experience
  • Experience conducting social science research projects
  • Experience with maintaining relationships with community partners and other community engagement activities
  • Experience with data collection and management, statistical and qualitative analysis, and reporting
  • Familiarity with large databases at the national, state, and local levels, such as Census and American Community Survey
  • Track record of effectively working independently with minimal direct supervision
  • Experience with statistical analysis software (e.g., SAS, SPSS, R, or STATA) for program evaluation models, multivariate and other analyses
• Preferred knowledge and expertise:
  • Knowledge and expertise in one or more of the following areas: Education, Housing & Homelessness, Public Health, Youth Development, Career & Workforce Development, Economic Development, Urban & Regional Planning, Public Policy, Public Administration, Social Welfare
• Substantive methodological expertise in one or more of the following areas:
  • Ability to collect, analyze, and visualize secondary data using a variety of sources (local administrative data, Census data, and other federal and state data sources) and techniques (descriptive and inferential, spatial analysis, mapping)
• Preferred skills:
  • Strong cultural awareness and sensitivity (also known as cultural humility in the literature), and a curiosity to learn about backgrounds and contexts other than their own and to consider implications for research and analysis
  • Strong organizational as well as oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills
  • Data visualization - Ability to convey data to a variety of audiences as well as use software like Tableau or R Shiny.
  • Proficiency in SAS, R, or STATA
• Special Notes to Applicants
  • If there is a document you feel is relevant to this position that you would like reviewed with your resume and application, you may upload it to the "Other Documents" section of the Applicant Documents.
  • The finalist will be subject to a Criminal Background Check and/or a Motor Vehicle Report
  • The Search Committee will not contact references without first verifying permission with the finalist.
  • Please ensure your resume reflects the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences to support your answers to the supplemental questions.
  • UNC Charlotte Benefits Information: https://hr.charlotte.edu/benefits/benefits-overview/
• Posting Open Date 10/15/2026
• Posting Close Date 11/15/2026
• Open Until Filled No
• Proposed Hire Date 12/01/2026
• If time-limited please indicate appointment end date 12/31/2029

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
   • UNC Charlotte Website
   • HERC Job Board
   • Inside Higher Education
   • Mitratech Circa (formerly known as Local JobNetwork)
   • Another Website
   • Agency Referral
   • Advertisement/Publication
   • Personal Referral
   • Other
2. Where did you learn about this posting?

   (Open Ended Question)

3. * Do you have a Master's Degree in the social sciences including urban planning, sociology, social work, public health, education, geography, public policy, or other social science field?
   • Yes
   • No

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Resume / Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover Letter / Letter of Interest
3. Contact Information for References

Optional Documents