Quantitative Research Associate

Stanford University

Job Number: 83609

Quantitative Research Associate


The Stanford University Graduate School of Education (GSE) is a top ranked school of education, known for its prestigious faculty, rigorous graduate degree programs, and its impact on the quality of education across the world. The GSE is committed to developing leaders in education research, practice and policy. Our community includes over 60 faculty, 400 students, 200 staff, 8,000 alumni and countless people from the local and global communities we work with and impact. The work environment is dynamic, deadline-driven, fast-paced, and energetic.






Job Purpose:






The John Gardner Center in the Graduate School of Education seeks a Quantitative Research Associate to be responsible for conducting quantitative research with an emphasis on policy-relevant and actionable topic areas. The Researcher will lead and contribute to descriptive, quasi-experimental, and experimental quantitative research: who will assist community partners in formulating research questions and conducting community driven studies resulting in policy briefs and other products (e.g., peer-reviewed articles) focused on topics related to youth development and education. They will also lead and contribute to quantitative research projects, conducting formative and confirmatory assessments of programs (e.g. community based, school district, state policy, etc.), including data collection, coding, analysis and writing reports and briefs. For all research and analyses, the incumbent will present research findings to community partners, researchers, and other stakeholders on a regular basis. They will supervise graduate level research assistants and potentially some staff; work collaboratively with other Gardner Center staff; and report to the Executive Director.

Core Duties*:

Conduct Quantitative Research and Other Analyses:


- Design studies in conjunction with the community and other partners.
- Collect data using a variety of quantitative methods.
- Contribute to data cleaning, verification and documentation.
- Contribute to discussions about coding and analysis schemes. Conduct analyses and draft resulting reports.

Work in partnership with community entities to design and conduct policy-relevant research related to youth development in a community setting:


- Collaborate with Gardner Center staff and community partners to identify key research needs in the community and design and carry out research that responds to these.
- Design research projects that respond to community questions and needs using a variety of tools, including the Gardner Center's Youth Data Archive; youth and adult surveys; secondary data analysis; and quantitative data collection and analyses.
- Conduct primary research and produce written products and presentations that are appropriate for community audiences and parallel materials that inform academic debates and audiences. Write, Present and Otherwise Communicate Research Findings to a Wide Range of Stakeholders and Entities:

-Write reports and briefs of findings for partners and broader academic field.
- Write and present academic articles, issue briefs, summaries, conference papers and other products to a variety of audiences.
- Meet with partners on an ongoing basis to review and evolve analyses. Work with Gardner Center Communications team on additional communications opportunities for analyses, including newspaper articles, blogs, panel discussions and more.



Participate actively as a collaborative member of the Gardner Center team, and connect the Gardner Center to the greater Stanford community and the broader research field:
- Attend regular staff meetings and retreats.
- Supervise graduate students and junior staff on specific projects.
- Where appropriate, contribute to grant development and report writing.
- Assist the Center in developing processes, tools, and products to enhance the future direction of the Center.
* Other duties may be assigned. Minimum Requirements: Education and Experience:
Advanced degree and five years of relevant experience in area of specialization or combination of relevant education, training, and/or experience. For jobs with financial responsibilities, experience managing a budget and developing financial plans. Experience developing program partnerships and funding sources.
Education and Experience Preferred:
A doctorate (or equivalent) in a relevant field (education, public policy, economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, or related field) is required as is capacity to oversee graduate students as they design, carry out, and write about their research projects.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: