Principal Education Researcher, Teaching Quality / WWC Practice Guide

Overview:

SRI Education seeks a Principal Education Researcher to lead proposals and projects that engage with communities of educators and policymakers to understand their needs for evidence, conduct systematic evidence reviews, and communicate actionable findings from those evidence reviews to educators and policymakers.  The position requires an advanced degree in social sciences or a related field, expertise in study design, and a proven track record in writing successful research proposals for U.S. federal agencies and experience with research clearinghouses with a preference for the U.S. Department of Education What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). Must have a commitment to improving education for all learners.

We are happy to have candidates join us in our office locations. We have offices in Arlington, VA, and Menlo Park, CA, and have clusters of employees in the Boston area as well as Denver/Boulder, CO.  We will also consider 100% remote candidates.

Lead collaborative project teams to identify needs of policymakers and educators; design, conduct, and review rigorous research and large-scale program evaluations in K–16 education; and effectively communicate findings to policymakers and educators:

• Function as Principal Investigator, co-Principal Investigator, or equivalent, assuming primary responsibility for client management and communication
• Lead or manage a task lead to form and convene expert panels of researchers, educators, and policy makers who advise project work and development of policy and practice recommendations informed by systematic evidence review results
• Lead or manage a task lead to review, assess, and rate the rigor of studies that evaluate the effectiveness of educational practices, policies, or programs in keeping with WWC standards
• Lead or manage a task lead to apply state-of-the art statistical methods to distill actionable findings from systematic evidence reviews
• Lead or manage task lead in production and dissemination of various products to inform policymakers and educators about how best to implement policy and educator practice recommendations including through practice guide reports, webinars, and fact sheets
• Lead business development and proposal writing efforts
• Develop and monitor project budgets

Support organizational professional growth through collaboration with and mentorship of colleagues with diverse expertise:

• Develop new skills through ongoing project-embedded mentorship and professional development opportunities
• Support technical writing and work products of early career researchers

• PhD in social sciences or related policy fields with strong methodological training and 5 years related experience OR a similar master’s degree and 8 years research experience
• Coursework in statistical methods for causal inference or other methods commonly used within education research (e.g., qualitative evaluations, experimental and quasi-experimental design, multi-level modeling, meta-analyses, Bayesian analyses)
• Prior experience as task lead or above for a federal evidence review clearinghouse, such as the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research, HHS’s Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness, or the WWC
• Success leading projects funded by federal contracts typically with budgets of at least $1,000,000
• Experience leading successful proposals to federal agencies (e.g., the Department of Education), including writing technical proposal narratives and developing competitive budgets
• Experience leading teams to apply, assess, or summarize findings from rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed methods designs
• What Works Clearinghouse certification in group design standards version 5.0
• Prior experience generating well-structured, clear, and concise verbal and written communications about research design and results to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Capacity to support multiple projects simultaneously and change focus as priorities shift through use of strong organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams to problem solve and ensure high quality through attention to detail and consistent with client requirements
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion both in research and in the workplace
• Asset orientation towards the capabilities of diverse learners of all ages

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Experience leading successful proposals or projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) contracts typically with budgets of at least $1,000,000
• Experience in design, execution, and analysis of randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, meta-analyses, or national cross-site evaluations of education or other social interventions

In your cover letter please include information about your training and experience in the relevant content and research method areas described in the research position. Please note that candidates who proceed to the interview stage will be asked to provide writing samples and conduct a job talk.

About SRI:

SRI Education (SRI Education / Learning), a division of SRI International, is helping federal and state agencies, school districts, major foundations, nonprofit organizations, and international and commercial clients tackle some of the most complex issues in education to help students succeed. Our mission is to reduce barriers, optimize outcomes, and ensure educational equity for all children, youth, and families. We do this by conducting high-quality research, supporting use of data and evidence, helping to strengthen state and local systems, and developing tools that improve teaching and accelerate and deepen learning. Our work covers a range of topics: early learning and development, disability and inclusion, supporting multilingual learners, student behavior and well-being, teaching quality, digital learning, STEM and computer science, and literacy and language arts, and college and career pathways. We believe diversity in our organization and project teams leads to better and more equitable research and technical assistance, resulting in improved outcomes for all.

SRI International, founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, is an independent, nonprofit research center. Serving government, industry, and foundation clients, we invent solutions that solve the most challenging problems today and look ahead to the needs of the future. As a nonprofit research institute, we are driven by impact, not shareholder value. SRI employs about 2,100 people worldwide, including scientists, engineers, technologists, policy researchers, and corporate and support staff; many are recognized leaders in their fields.

SRI is committed to creating and celebrating a diverse workplace that recognizes and values differences and reflects the communities where our employees live and where our clients operate. This includes valuing differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, body type/physical appearance, disability/differently abled and work styles, or any other legally protected category. 

The salary range is: $130,000 -$160,000 annually. Salary ranges will vary and are based on several factors, including geographic location, market competitiveness and equity amongst internal employees in similar roles. Positions may also qualify for the annual Performance Based Compensation program.

SRI also has a competitive benefits package, to view details please go to https://www.sri.com/resources/benefits/. SRI is an independent nonprofit research institute headquartered in Menlo Park, CA, with a rich history of supporting government and industry. We create and deliver world-changing solutions for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future. For nearly 80 years, we have collaborated across technical and scientific disciplines to discover and develop groundbreaking products and technologies and bring innovations and ideas to the marketplace.