Senior Research Associate, Survey - Higher Education Team

LE002 The Hanover Research Council LLC; United States; Remote; USD 54,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO + holidays

401K matching

Health & dental benefits

Wellness discounts

Community service opportunities

Snacks in office

Job summary

Hanover Research seeks a Senior Research Associate, Survey Design and Analysis in Higher Education. You will design, program, and analyze survey instruments for colleges and related organizations, collaborating with Research Directors to deliver actionable insights.

You will apply QA controls, responsibly use AI-enabled tools, and craft clear narratives and visuals to support client decision‑making. A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a related field is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a related discipline preferred.
• Professional or academic survey research experience preferred.
• Strong written English and QA capabilities.
• Experience with AI-enabled tools and ethical evaluation of outputs.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Design and refine higher education survey instruments.
• Write clear, unbiased survey questions.
• Program surveys in Qualtrics with advanced logic.
• Apply data quality controls across the survey lifecycle.
• Incorporate AI tools while validating outputs.
• Manage multiple projects to tight deadlines.
• Analyze survey data using segmentation and descriptive statistics.
• Produce charts and summaries for client decision‑making.
• Collaborate with Research Directors and Content Directors.
• Support continuous process improvements.

Skills

Qualtrics programming

Survey design

Data analysis

AI in research

Education research context

Education

Bachelor's/Master's in Economics, Business, Psychology, Education, Sociology, Statistics, Mathematics or related

Tools

Qualtrics

Job description

Senior Research Associate, Survey Design and Analysis - Higher Education

The Senior Research Associate will work closely with Research and Content Directors, and other analysts on survey research projects that deliver actionable insights in addressing clients’ research questions. In this role the analyst will draw on logical and critical thinking skills to create high-quality survey instruments and will develop their knowledge of survey tools to program instruments with extreme accuracy. They will also analyze survey results to craft a compelling narrative that supports clients’ decision-making on pressing education needs. Our clients include colleges, universities, and related organizations. This position allows for the swift development and refinement of a comprehensive set of market research skills and provides the opportunity to develop a relationship with a young and rapidly‑growing enterprise. We expect all employees to be intellectually curious, ambitious, and interested in assuming increasing levels of responsibility. This position will report directly to the Director of Higher Education Survey.

Higher Education Survey Team works on a wide variety of project types, including:

• Brand Awareness & Perception
• Prospective Student & Program Demand
• Stakeholder Satisfaction
• Alumni Outcomes & Engagement
• Tuition Sensitivity

Responsibilities

• Design and refine higher education survey instruments that translate client research objectives into analytically sound, decision-oriented data.
• Write high-quality survey questions that are clear, unbiased, logically structured, and aligned with higher education research best practices.
• Program standard and complex surveys in Qualtrics, including advanced skip logic, quotas, piping, and embedded data, ensuring fidelity to the survey document and internal QC standards.
• Apply data quality controls throughout the survey lifecycle (e.g., screening logic, attention checks, speed flags, open-end review).
• Thoughtfully incorporate AI-enabled tools into research workflows to improve efficiency and support research activities, while independently reviewing and validating AI-generated outputs.
• Manage multiple survey projects under tight deadlines, producing outputs that require minimal revision while adhering to standardized templates and workflows.
• Analyze survey data using established analytical plans, including segmentation logic, cross-tabulation, and descriptive statistics.
• Produce clear, accurate charts, tables, and summaries that support higher education decision-making and align with standardized deliverables.
• Collaborate with Research Directors and Content Directors to ensure alignment across survey design, analysis, and reporting.
• Contribute to continuous process improvement by adopting new tools, templates, and analytical approaches that increase efficiency and consistency across projects.

Qualifications

• Strong command of written English, with demonstrated ability to write, edit, and QA survey instruments and analytical outputs.
• Advanced proficiency with Qualtrics survey programming, including complex logic and troubleshooting.
• Demonstrated experience analyzing survey data and translating results into clear visual and written outputs for applied research audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively and responsibly use AI-enabled tools, coupled with strong judgment in evaluating the accuracy, quality, and appropriateness of AI-generated content.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work in a deadline-driven, fast-paced research environment.
• Experience with higher education research contexts (e.g., institutional research, assessment, enrollment, student experience, alumni, or employer studies) strongly preferred.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills, with consistent adherence to standards and documentation.
• Ability to accept feedback constructively and iterate efficiently within standardized workflows.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across research and client-facing teams.

Education Requirement

A Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in Economics, Business, Psychology, Education, Sociology, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related discipline is preferred.

Experience Requirement

Professional or academic experience conducting research or survey design and analysis is strongly preferred.

Location

USA Remote Office is located in Arlington, VA #Remote #LI-Remote

Benefits

• Starting at 18+ days Paid Time Off
• 14 paid holidays including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, Indigenous People’s Day, and personal holidays
• 401(K) employer matching program
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits package
• Health and wellness packages with discounts to local gym
• Community service opportunities
• In-office snacks and beverages

Compensation

Hanover Research strives to create compensation and benefits programs that are competitive, equitable and fair.

The compensation range for this role at the company is $53,800 - $65,000.

Please note that the base salary offered is contingent on the candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Our base pay range is determined by the role and the market. Hanover believes in supporting our team’s overall well‑being now and in the future. We provide retirement benefits and 401K matching to help you plan ahead, wellness benefits to keep you healthy, medical coverage to lift you up if you or your dependents get sick, and paid time away to rejuvenate.

Hanover Values

• Business Building – We build our business quickly and intelligently and we help our clients do the same
• Thought Leadership and Innovation – We strive constantly to deliver better information in a better way
• Service – To our clients and our community, service is our guiding principle
• Leadership and Mentorship – Our talent is our greatest asset, and we hope to help our people be their best
• Firm Citizenship – We are optimists who believe there are endless possibilities for our company and ourselves

Equal Employment Opportunities

Hanover Research provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, familial status, genetic information, or status with regard to public assistance, or membership or activity in a local human rights commission, any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. You can learn more on our Equal Employment Page.