Social Science/Humanities Research Associate III

University of Texas; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Social Science/Humanities Research Associate III to lead research and administrative operations at the Population Research Center. You will collaborate with a team of postdocs, graduate students, and undergrads to advance interdisciplinary cognitive science projects.

You will design SOPs, conduct data analysis, and supervise student researchers while coordinating with partners and funders to advance learning and behavioral design initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., Psychology, Education, Cognitive Science, Data Science, Information Science, Public Health, Computer Science).
• At least 4 years of experience in a research lab (Psychology, Education, or related), including conducting human subjects research.
• Background in data science, including quantitative analysis with statistical software (e.g., R, Python, SPSS, or Stata) and building and maintaining data infrastructure.
• Background in research administration, such as scheduling, record keeping, purchasing, or compliance.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with experience leading a team.

Responsibilities

• Familiarize with design and data of the Center’s research projects (e.g., Learning to Innovate, Cultures of Learning).
• Develop and implement SOPs for data collection, coding, file management, and QA across projects.
• Conduct data analysis from cleaning to descriptive/inferential statistics and prepare results for reports.
• Train and supervise undergraduate researchers in coding observational and behavioral data.
• Coordinate the research team, delegating tasks and deadlines to keep projects on track.
• Manage day-to-day administrative operations including scheduling and communications.
• Manage IRB protocol submissions, amendments, renewals, and compliance, including international sites.
• Support grant and budget administration with department staff.
• Onboard/offboard personnel and maintain Center documentation and website content.
• Serve as liaison to collaborators and funders and provide progress updates.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Data analysis

Data infrastructure

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

R

Python

SPSS

Stata

Job description

Job Posting Title: Social Science/Humanities Research Associate III — Hiring Department: Population Research Center — Position Open To: All Applicants — Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 — FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA — Earliest Start Date: Immediately — Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2027 — Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS

Job Details

General Notes This position is currently funded for 1 year from start date. What benefits do I receive with UT? The university offers an impressive benefits package. For more details on benefits, please see: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards. For more information about the College of Liberal Arts, please visit: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/. 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: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/resources-for-faculty-staff/staff-leadership-academy/. For more information on college staff professional development, please visit: https://wikis.utexas.edu/display/larc/Staff+Professional+Development+Fund.

Purpose

The Social Science/Humanities Research Associate III will work with Dr. Legare and a team of postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate research assistants to lead the research and administrative operations of the Center for Applied Cognitive Science (CACS). CACS is a multi‑disciplinary center that advances global cognitive science by connecting researchers in the biological, cognitive, social, and educational sciences with practitioners, designers, and community partners, harnessing insights about how the mind works to advance the science of learning and design more effective behavioral and social change interventions. The Center conducts interdisciplinary, comparative research using mixed methodologies that emphasize community engagement and international development. Its work spans public health, education, cognitive science, and child development, and includes projects such as Learning to Innovate (jointly funded by UKRI/ESRC and NSF), the NSF AccelNet‑funded Cultures of Learning global network, ed tech collaborations, and museum‑university‑community research partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Become deeply familiar with the design and data of the Center’s research projects, including Learning to Innovate, the Cultures of Learning network, and ed tech collaborations
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures for data collection, coding, file management, and quality assurance across projects, including cross‑cultural and community‑based studies
• Conduct data analysis for ongoing studies, from data cleaning through descriptive and inferential statistics, and prepare results for reports, presentations, and publications
• Train and supervise undergraduate research assistants, in collaboration with graduate students, in coding observational and behavioral data (e.g., video of parent‑child interactions)
• Coordinate the research team, delegating tasks and setting deadlines to keep projects on track
• Manage day‑to‑day administrative operations, including scheduling, record keeping, and internal and external communications
• Manage Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol submissions, amendments, renewals, and compliance, including for international research sites
• Support grant and budget administration with department staff, including purchasing, reimbursements, and expense tracking
• Onboard and offboard personnel and maintain Center documentation, shared resources, and website content
• Serve as primary liaison to collaborators and funders—including museum, school, health, ed tech, and international partners—providing progress updates and attending project meetings

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., Psychology, Education, Cognitive Science, Data Science, Information Science, Public Health, Computer Science)
• At least 4years of experience in a research lab (Psychology, Education, or related), including conducting human subjects research
• Background in data science, including quantitative analysis with statistical software (e.g., R, Python, SPSS, or Stata) and building and maintaining data infrastructure
• Background in research administration, such as scheduling, record keeping, purchasing, or compliance
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with experience leading a team
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., Psychology, Education, Cognitive Science, Public Health, Data Science, Information Science, Computer Science) with 2years of related experience
• Experience with cross‑cultural, community‑based, or international research
• Experience preparing IRB protocols and managing research compliance
• Experience with grant administration or budget tracking in a university setting
• Advanced proficiency in statistical programming (e.g., R and/or Python), including data pipelines and reproducible analysis workflows

Salary Range

$50,000+depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

Typical Office/Lab Environment. Occasional work will be done at community partner sites (e.g., museums and schools)

Required Materials

• Resume/CV3work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

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 20hours 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) and we provide 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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Comments and Inquiries

Email comments to [e-mail]. For questions or concerns regarding equal opportunity only, contact Equal Opportunity Services.

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