Survey Programmer II - social science survey research

National Opinion Research Center - NORC; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Job summary

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Survey Programmer II to join the IT Data, Architecture, and Intelligent Systems Department in Chicago. The role focuses on technical design and programming of NORC questionnaires, with involvement in code reviews and cross-functional teamwork.

This hybrid position requires in-office presence in the Chicago Loop. The candidate will design, program, test surveys across multiple platforms, and contribute to process improvements while supporting client

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required.
• At least four (4) years of experience in all phases of survey questionnaire development and/or programming with CATI/CAPI/CAWI programming survey engines such as Unicom Intelligence (formerly IBM SPSS Dimensions/MR Interview), Voxco, Confirmit/Forsta Plus, Decipher or Blaise.
• Experience with SDLC (Survey Development Life Cycle), including requirements, design, implementation, build and release, and production support.
• Familiarity with social science research or survey methodology and/or market research.
• Understanding of key business functions in survey data collection, including sample management and telephone scheduling concepts.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong math, logic, and analytical skills.
• Familiarity with HTML, CSS & JavaScript.

Responsibilities

• Design, program, and test survey solutions to project specifications.
• Script surveys on one of our four platforms depending on data collection mode and project needs.
• Conduct design walk-throughs and code reviews.
• Contribute to and maintain process improvements.
• Work on cross-functional project teams.
• We will train the right candidate with sufficient general survey programming skills and experience on NORC's preferred survey engines.

Skills

Bachelor degree

Survey programming

SDLC familiarity

HTML CSS JS

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Survey methodology

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Voxco

Unicom Intelligence

Decipher

Forsta Plus

Blaise

Qualtrics

Dooblo

Job description

JOB SUMMARY

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Survey Programmer II to join our IT Data, Architecture, and Intelligent Systems Department and take a role in the technical design and programming of NORC questionnaires. The Survey Programmer II will also be involved in code reviews, walk-throughs, and work on cross-functional teams.

This role will be dedicated to working on NORC's client projects.

Location: This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago Loop office, with a minimum of six days per month in the office.

Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

DEPARTMENT

NORC's Data, Architecture, and Intelligent Systems group provides technology services to our staff and clients. Given the critical role technology plays in our day-to-day lives, we are committed to providing professional, high-quality solutions in order to further our collective goal of advancing social science research.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design, program, and test survey solutions to project specifications.
• Script surveys on one of our four platforms depending on data collection mode and project needs.
• Conduct design walk-throughs and code reviews.
• Contribute to and maintain process improvements.
• Work on cross-functional project teams.
• We will train the right candidate with sufficient general survey programming skills and experience on NORC's preferred survey engines.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required.
• At least four (4) years of experience in all phases of survey questionnaire development and/or programming with CATI/CAPI/CAWI programming survey engines such as Unicom Intelligence (formerly IBM SPSS Dimensions/MR Interview), Voxco, Confirmit/Forsta Plus, Decipher or Blaise.
• Experience with SDLC (Survey Development Life Cycle), including requirements, design, implementation, build and release, and production support.
• Familiarity with social science research or survey methodology and/or market research.
• Understanding of key business functions in survey data collection, including sample management and telephone scheduling concepts.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong math, logic, and analytical skills.
• Familiarity with HTML, CSS & JavaScript.

PREFERRED SKILLS:

• Working knowledge of Voxco or Unicom Intelligence (MR Interview) programming, as well as work experience in an environment favoring those solutions.
• Familiarity with other survey tools such as Qualtrics or Dooblo.
• Understanding of survey methodology, including content development, data concerns, respondent engagement, reducing respondent burden, and interviewing techniques.
• Familiarity with SQL commands and relational databases.

NICE TO HAVE BUT NOT REQUIRED:

• Knowledge of other programming languages, such as PowerShell, VBScript, Python, or C#.
• Practical use of Git for source control and Jira for issues tracking.
• Experience with automation tools, such as Rundeck, Jenkins, or other schedulers.
• Familiarity with SAS, SPSS, or other dataset management platforms.

Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The pay range for this position is $75,000 to $95,000.

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC's comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC is committed to equity and transparency in its pay practices. We publish salary ranges and benefit information for every job. The listed hiring range reflects what we, in good faith, expect to pay at the time of posting, though actual compensation may vary and may be adjusted over time. A candidate's placement within the range depends on factors such as competencies, education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs.

WHAT WE DO

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

WHO WE ARE

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we're known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

EEO STATEMENT

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.

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