Research Specialist

Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University; University (FL); On-site; USD 44,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University is seeking an entry-level research specialist. In this role, you will support an interdisciplinary team conducting studies on the American Jewish community, manage undergraduate assistants, and handle survey data.

You will need a bachelor's degree, excellent communication skills, and familiarity with the US Jewish community. The position offers a salary range of $44,000–$50,000, depending on skills and experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in social sciences or a related field.
• Highly organized and detail oriented.
• Strong team player.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Desire and ability to learn new skills quickly.
• Comfort with technology.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Familiarity with the US Jewish community.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary support contact during survey administration.
• Field emails and phone calls from organizations and survey respondents.
• Oversee the coding of qualitative survey data.
• Train and manage a team of part-time undergraduate research assistants.
• Manage data collection of online surveys.
• Assist in developing, programming, and testing survey instruments in Qualtrics.
• Assist with reports and presentations, making charts, figures, and slides using Excel and PowerPoint.
• Conduct literature searches and write short summaries.

Skills

Highly organized and detail oriented

Strong team player

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills

Desire and ability to learn new skills quickly

Comfort with technology

Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel

Familiarity with the US Jewish community

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or related field

Job description

The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) at Brandeis University is seeking a research specialist to provide support for an interdisciplinary, forward-thinking team of researchers and scholars who conduct quantitative and qualitative studies of the American Jewish community. This is an entry-level position with room for growth.

CMJS fosters a nurturing environment that prioritizes personal and professional development, encourages intellectual exploration and creative thinking, and offers graduate-level courses and the benefits of a leading liberal-arts university.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary support contact during survey administration.
• Field emails and phone calls from organizations and survey respondents.
• Oversee the coding of qualitative survey data.
• Train and manage a team of part-time undergraduate research assistants who work on coding, follow-up calling, and other research support tasks.
• Manage data collection of online surveys.
• Assist in developing, programming, and testing survey instruments in Qualtrics.
• Assist with reports and presentations, making charts, figures, and slides using Excel and PowerPoint.
• Work with the full research team on other tasks as needed.

Other Responsibilities

• Schedule and conduct phone interviews with respondents.
• Potential travel opportunities to conduct observations.
• Conduct literature searches and write short summaries.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in social sciences or a related field.
• Highly organized and detail oriented.
• Strong team player.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Desire and ability to learn new skills quickly.
• Comfort with technology.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Familiarity with the US Jewish community.

Preferred but not required

• Training in quantitative methods and statistics.
• Experience conducting telephone and/or in-person interviews.
• Data visualization skills.
• Knowledge of non-English languages including Hebrew, Russian, and/or Spanish.

Salary Range

$44,000–$50,000, depending on skills and experience.

Apply

Send a cover letter and resume to Masha Lokshin ([e-mail]).