Researcher - CIRCLE, Tisch College - Tufts University

The Johnathan M Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University is a national leader in civic education and engagement that sets the standard for higher education’s role in advancing the greater good. The only university wide college of its kind, the Johnathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life studies and promotes the civic and political engagement of young people at Tufts University, in our communities, and in our democracy.

CIRCLE, the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, is a non-partisan, independent research organization focused on youth civic engagement in the United States. CIRCLE conducts extensive research on youth participation and leverages that research to improve opportunities for all young people to acquire and use the skills and knowledge they need to meaningfully participate in civic life. CIRCLE is especially concerned with understanding, addressing, and ultimately eliminating the systemic barriers that keep some young people marginalized from and underrepresented in civic life.

This is a 24 month limited term position with possibility of extending. Please submit a cover letter when applying.

The quantitative researcher will contribute to the execution of all phases of research & evaluation projects and technical assistance activities, including the core activities of quantitative research and analyses. They will be directly involved in the communication and dissemination of data driven insights to various stakeholders within the field of civic engagement. While most of their work will be focused on research activities, they will also be an active participant in supporting outreach and partnership management for the projects they support. Working with the team, they will create data collection instruments, manage data workflow processes, and conduct empirical quantitative analyses. This person will contribute to data cleaning, data quality checks and documentation. Responsibilities include supporting lead researcher and data analyst on projects focused on voter registration and civic engagement in higher education, management and analysis of large quantitative data sets, desktop research and literature reviews, and report production. The researcher will work on multiple projects simultaneously and support CIRCLE’s overall operations.  

Basic Requirements:

• Knowledge and skills as typically acquired through completion of a Bachelor’s degree or demonstrated competencies in relevant skills
• Three (3) years of related experience in research, data analysis, or program evaluation.
• Proficiency using a statistical software package or programming language; R is the preferred platform at CIRCLE.
• Experience with basic descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Knowledge of logic models, research design, multivariate statistics, hypothesis testing and basic linear regression.
• Foundation in quantitative methods and ability to design and conduct quantitative research and analyses based on research questions. General understanding of qualitative methods preferred.  
• Effective verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience with data visualization, developing and maintaining data management systems, and communicating research findings to diverse audiences.
• Keen attention to details and ability to manage multiple project deliverables and timelines.
• Ability to work independently within basic guidelines and parameters.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective collaborative working team relationships.
• Proactive problem solving and critical thinking/analysis skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from varied backgrounds and to interact with external partners of diverse backgrounds, views, and positions.    

Preferred Qualifications:

• Passion for using research to achieve equity in civic opportunities through systemic changes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects.
• Demonstrated experience with managing external stakeholder relationships; broad understanding of higher education and election administration in the U.S is a plus. 
• Experience working with large datasets, querying tools, and programming language such as SQL and/or Python.
• Demonstrated commitment to research practices and methodologies that center equity and inclusion.

     
Special Work Schedule Requirements:
This is a hybrid position – you are expected in the office 3 days per week and remote 2 days.