Senior Applied Research & Data Visualization Lead

UCLA; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The UCLA Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL) seeks a Senior Research Associate to lead complex evaluation projects, shaping research designs, coordinating data collection, and performing advanced analyses across multisite settings.

You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, interpret findings, and develop recommendations for partners. Strong written and verbal communication, data visualization skills, and experience with utilization-focused evaluation are essential.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to assess priorities and coordinate workflows across projects in a high-paced environment.
• Ability to work independently and within a diverse research team.
• Strong data collection skills including survey design and coordination across multisite projects.
• Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for broad stakeholder groups.
• Willingness to learn and adopt new software and web-based tools.
• Advanced experience with Microsoft Office and project management tools.
• Knowledge of utilization-focused evaluation and participatory research.
• Experience with data visualization to convey complex findings clearly.
• Knowledge of child welfare, education, or related fields is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of data collection activities across multiple projects.
• Develop and apply advanced analytical methods to interpret data.
• Coordinate research activities and report progress to stakeholders.
• Prepare a wide range of reporting products for diverse audiences.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to translate findings into actionable recommendations.

Skills

Project coordination

Qualitative & quantitative methods

Data collection & management

Survey programming

Data analysis (Stata, SPSS, R)

Advanced writing

Stakeholder engagement

Cross-cultural collaboration

Utilization-focused evaluation

Visual design principles

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences

PhD in Social Sciences (Preferred)

Tools

Asana

Calendly

Slack

Alteryx

Knime

Tableau

Power BI

Python

D3

Job description

The UCLA Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL) seeks a Senior Research Associate to lead complex evaluation projects, shaping research designs, coordinating data collection, and performing advanced analyses across multisite settings.

You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, interpret findings, and develop recommendations for partners. Strong written and verbal communication, data visualization skills, and experience with utilization-focused evaluation are essential.