Qualitative Researcher Post-Doc (Dr. Giani)

Job Posting Title:

Qualitative Researcher Post-Doc (Dr. Giani)

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Hiring Department:

Population Research Center

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until May 31, 2025

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes   

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has funded a large, multi-method project designed to examine the role of industry-based certifications (IBCs) in the K-12 and postsecondary pathways of Texas students. IBCs are credentials awarded by businesses, industry groups, or state certifying entities to signify students’ acquisition of industry-aligned knowledge and skills. The project will include site visits to high schools across Texas to conduct interviews with principals, school counselors, career and technical education (CTE) teachers, and students participating in CTE programs who earn IBCs. This research will explore factors that facilitate or inhibit students' receipt of IBCs, including K-12 accountability policy and financial incentives, school strategy, educator beliefs and experiences, and student perceptions of IBCs.

This position will also support the Home to Texas (H2TX) program at UT Austin, where undergraduate students from communities underrepresented at UT Austin return to their community over the summer to engage in research and data collection. Dr. Giani is one of the faculty leads on the H2TX program for 2024-25. The Post-Doctoral Fellow will collaborate with Dr. Giani to lead H2TX students’ interviews with school counselors in their home communities to examine the barriers and opportunities counselors perceive in preparing students from their high school for college and career. The Post-Doctoral Fellow will supervise all H2TX students’ data collection in Summer 2024 and a select group of H2TX students in the 2024-25 academic year who choose to pursue this research on barriers and opportunities to preparing students for college and career.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will work directly with Matt Giani, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Principal Investigator (PI) of the project, as well as other faculty, staff, and students affiliated with the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute (TxBSPI) in the Population Research Center (PRC) to execute all phases of the projects. The Fellow may collaborate with project managers and/or research coordinators to plan the project, support the recruitment of school and district partners for the qualitative research, oversee graduate research assistants assigned to the project, and lead various components of research design, data analysis, and dissemination.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

What benefits do I receive with UT? 

The university offers an impressive benefits package. For more details on benefits, please see: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards .  

 

This position is eligible for a hybrid Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) (on-campus and remote work). FWA arrangements are subject to manager approval and may shift due to changes in business needs.  The remote location must have a reliable internet connection to support working remotely. UT policies on Flexible Work Arrangements are available at https://hr.utexas.edu/current/fwa .   

For more information about the College of Liberal Arts, please visit: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/ .    

Our college seeks to build a supportive, growth-minded community and cultivate outstanding and courageous leaders. For more information on the college staff leadership academy, please visit:  

https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/resources-for-faculty-staff/staff-leadership-academy/ .   

For more information on college staff professional development, please visit:  

https://wikis.utexas.edu/display/larc/Staff+Professional+Development+Fund .   

  

Purpose  

This is a full-time position funded primarily by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that entails project-related research and activities in support of the research agenda of Matt Giani, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Principal Investigator (PI) on the project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Post-Doctoral Fellow will also have the opportunity to pursue their own research interests and potentially collaborate on other research projects led by Dr. Giani, depending on the candidate’s research interests and funding availability. This position is for twelve months and includes the possibility of renewing for a second twelve months, conditional on performance. Start date is ideally June 1, 2024 but is flexible.

Responsibilities  

Produce and Share Research Findings

• Develop data collection protocols and conduct site visits to high schools and interviews with students and educators
• Conduct analyses of interview data
• Co-lead the writing of technical reports to which multiple researchers contribute.
• Contribute to the development of articles and presentations for publications, academic conferences, Gates-related events, and any other public-facing gatherings.

Coordination, Management, and Communication

• Assist with coordinating internal project communications and meetings.
• Lead or support grant writing for additional funding opportunities.
• Lead or support communication efforts by the research team, including blog writing, Twitter, etc.
• Supervise undergraduate and graduate students and research assistants.

Required Qualifications   

• Ph.D. in education, sociology, public policy, economics, or related field received no more than three years prior to the start date
• Experience conducting qualitative and/or mixed-methods research, including site visits to K-12 schools
• Availability for research-related travel, including site visits, meetings, and conference presentations
• Proficiency in software used in qualitative research
• Skill in writing theoretically-informed, accessible accounts of research in both long-form (e.g., technical reports, articles) and short-form (e.g., executive summaries, blog posts).
• Experience working in collaborative research teams
• Experience with engaging decision-makers, practitioners, and/or community members directly with research 

Preferred Qualifications   

• Prior research on career and technical education and/or industry certifications
• The ability to collaborate effectively across a variety of contexts
• The skills and ability to manage complex work and achieve specified goals within time and resource constraints
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills
• Knowledge of quantitative research
• Experience as part of a collaborative research project 

Salary Range  

• $70,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions  

• Typical office environment, with the possibility of some remote and/or hybrid work

Required Materials   

• Resume or CV
• 2 writing samples; 1 preferred published in or accepted to peer-reviewed journal
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer , complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]
• E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031 .

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.