Survey Operations Lead — Research Assistant/Associate

Wayne State University; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care

Dental

Vision

Retirement plan

Tuition assistance

Vacation & sick leave

Long-term disability

Long-term care insurance

FSA

Job summary

Wayne State University is seeking an experienced Survey Research Operations Manager to oversee large-scale multi-mode surveys at our Detroit campus. You will translate study designs into practical data collection plans and manage timelines, recruitment, and incentives across mail, web, phone, and in-person modes.

You will supervise staff, coordinate with external partners, ensure ADA compliance, and produce clean datasets with analyses and reports for Center leadership.

Qualifications

• Degree in social science research with coursework in methods.
• 2–5 years experience managing survey operations in academic setting.
• Excellent command of English; bilingual in Spanish or Arabic a plus.
• Strong knowledge of social science research methods and data collection procedures.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with data processing software and statistics.

Responsibilities

• Report to the Center Director and Managing Director daily.
• Translate study designs into practical data collection plans (sampling, recruitment, incentives).
• Develop and update project workplans; manage timelines and field activities.
• Coordinate with state agencies for ADA compliance of survey materials.
• Oversee printing houses and external partners; ensure quality control.
• Prepare samples and rebalancing for several surveys; manage follow-ups.
• Monitor CATI lab samples; oversee data collection progress.
• Produce clean survey datasets and conduct statistical analyses; create reports.
• Provide regular updates to the survey team and Center leadership.
• Oversee deployment across mail, web, phone, and in-person modes to maximize reach.
• Implement QA/QC, ensure data integrity and IRB compliance.
• Assist in hiring, training, and supervising survey staff; support quality control.
• Assist in grant proposals and literature reviews; plan data collection procedures.
• Assist in preparing articles for refereed journals.

Skills

Project management

Data analysis

Communication

Multitasking

Education

Master’s degree preferred

Ph.D. in progress preferred

Degree in social science research

Tools

SAS

SPSS

Excel

Access

DBase

Remark

CATI programming

Job description

Wayne State University is seeking an experienced Survey Research Operations Manager to oversee large-scale multi-mode surveys at our Detroit campus. You will translate study designs into practical data collection plans and manage timelines, recruitment, and incentives across mail, web, phone, and in-person modes.

You will supervise staff, coordinate with external partners, ensure ADA compliance, and produce clean datasets with analyses and reports for Center leadership.