Senior Research Associate, Public/Private Ventures

Posted by on January 30, 2011

Senior Research Associate, Public/Private Ventures

Posted on: January 19, 2011

Primary Purpose of Position
The Senior Research Associate position will oversee and lead projects in the research department. He or she is expected to manage large qualitative and quantitative research projects; analyze data; write reports, support development efforts; and support junior staff in learning qualitative and quantitative research, analysis and writing methods.

Specific Duties
The Senior Research Associate’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
• Leading and managing large research projects;
• Working collaboratively with P/PV staff across projects;
• Collecting and analyzing data;
• Writing formal P/PV publications interpreting these analyses;
• Presenting research findings at conferences and meetings;
• Helping to develop new research projects;
• Supervising Research Assistants and Assistant Research Associates;
• Leading development efforts; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge and Skill
• Ph.D. plus 2 to 3 years’ experience in a research-based field of social science or an M.A. plus 5 to 6 years’ experience in a research-based field of social science;
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative setting and juggle various high-priority projects;
• Familiarity with various qualitative and quantitative analysis methods and software packages;
• Extensive experience developing research instruments, including semi-structured interviews and surveys;
• Extensive experience conducting field interviews, focus groups and program-based observations;
• Experience designing multi-year, multi-site research projects;
• Ability to conduct and write compelling literature reviews;
• Rich substantive knowledge of various US social/youth programming efforts and social issues;
• Experience analyzing key findings and sharing results with a wide range of audiences, both verbally and in writing;
• Ability to draw public policy implications from research findings; and
• Ability to represent P/PV externally and navigate politically sensitive issues with grace, competence and compassion.

Problem Solving/Decision Making
• A high level of skill in teasing apart and weaving together complex theoretical concepts and programmatic strategies related to social issues.
• Ability to simultaneously see the big picture and the details within it, and quickly learn about new fields of interest.
• Ability to balance and integrate assignments from senior staff across all P/PV departments and build bridges between projects that share strategic and substantive commonalities.
• A keen ability to set priorities, realistically set work goals, break tasks down into manageable steps, communicate work goals and timelines across projects, and effectively leverage the support of colleagues in seeing projects to completion.

Offering excellent salary and benefits package commensurate with experience. Please email cover letter, résumé and writing sample no later than February 4, 2011 to:

Eileen Rupp, Human Resources Manager
Email: resumes@ppv.org
No phone calls please.