Project Researcher

Research Project Administrator

The Project Researcher will be part of a growing team at the USC EdPolicy Hub at the USC Rossier School of Education. The “Hub” collaborates with Southern California schools, education systems, and community colleges to co-design and conduct relevant research that will help partners navigate challenges and improve outcomes and equity for students across the region through research and evidence.

In pursuit of this end, the Hub both conducts cutting-edge research on critical topics for the field and develops research networks that can answer questions for and better support education leaders throughout the region. The Project Researcher will be a critical part of our team, helping education leaders in the region learn what’s working and what’s not.

We are seeking an independent, organized Project Researcher to support the research work of the Hub who is motivated by our mission of improving education outcomes for all students in Southern California. 

Principal duties and responsibilities:
The Project Researcher will typically work across 1-3 projects with faculty and senior researchers at USC and (sometimes) other institutions.  Specific responsibilities include:

• Responsible for subject recruitment, data collection, scheduling of study-related activities and follow-up of enrolled

• Interviews subjects and codes findings

• Organizes, schedules, and/or tracks assessments/surveys/activities to meet research objectives and study protocol compliance

• Drafts sections of reports, correspondence and other materials, as needed or required.

• Collects data for research studies following established data collection and management procedures.

• Conducts literature reviews and background research as needed

• Performs descriptive analyses on data collected for study

• Writes up findings and drafts sections of Hub reports

• Facilitates education agency personnel in unpacking findings from analyses

Basic Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, economics, education policy, social science, or a related field. Three years of related experience, up to two of which may be relevant coursework or experience gained as a student.

• Previous research experience or data experience as part of a team (for instance through a research assistantship or a job).

• Previous experience with interviewing and qualitative data collection.

• Experience with Stata or R.

• Fluency in Spanish preferred.

• Master’s degree strongly preferred.

Any applicant wishing to be considered for this position must indicate that they meet all of the basic requirements in either the cover letter or resume.

This position is a term appointment for one year from the date of hire, with a strong possibility of continuation.

The salary range range for this position is $78,000-$85,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Applications should be submitted via usccarreers.usc.edu and should include the following:

• Resume

• A cover letter (Our system will allow you to add additional documentation by clicking the “upload” button in the same section where you attach your resume.)

Minimum Education: Master's degree, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 3 years, Combined education/experience as substitute for minimum experience Minimum Field of Expertise: Directly related education and project administration experience in specialized field represented by project.