Assistant Research Scientist

Job Title

Assistant Research Scientist

Agency

Texas A&M University

Department

Public Policy Research Institute

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment for all visitors, students, faculty, and staff by promoting a culture that embraces inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability.  Diverse perspectives, talents, and identities are vital to accomplishing our mission and living our core values .

Who we are

When established in 1983, the Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) was charged to assist state agencies and the Texas Legislature in developing policy by providing research - based analysis. While we stay true to this core mission, the institute has grown to serve more than 90 local, state, national, and international sponsors, providing a rigorous and innovative response to a diverse set of research questions, and totaling more than $140 million in research funding. Our expertise covers criminal justice, public health, substance abuse, education, workforce employment and economics. We employee various methodologies and continually strive to improve our knowledge and approach to conducting research that impacts people across the state and elsewhere. Learn more about us at  https://ppri.tamu.edu/

What we want

The Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) is looking for a social science researcher with a passion for policy research who possesses an understanding of research design, program evaluation, data management, statistics and communication skills to join our team as an assistant research scientist.  The position allows opportunity to develop varied independent research interests while being mentored and supported by a team of experienced colleagues. This person will be leading research project teams, conducting both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, preparing reports and presenting findings to diverse audiences as a principal investigator or co-principal investigator. We need an individual who subscribes to and supports our commitment to IDEA as stated above. If the description sounds interesting to you, we invite you to apply to be considered for this great opportunity.

What you need to know

Salary Range: $60,000+ commensurate with experience

Please Note: This position is funded on Grant funding; future employment is contingent upon continued funding.  PPRI has been funded by research grants for over 30 years. 

Cover Letter/Resume’: A cover letter and resume’ are strongly recommended. You may upload these documents on the application under CV/Resume.

COVID-19 information:   Texas A&M University monitors and updates our recruiting, hiring and onboarding processes to align with local, state and federally mandated health guidelines to keep employees, prospective employees, and visitors as safe as possible.  Each department has established both remote and in-person procedures for conducting these processes, which include sanitizing common spaces, a mask policy, and maintaining safe physical distancing to the extent possible.  Departments will provide the procedures to be followed at each step of the recruiting process.

Required Education and Experience:

• Doctorate degree in social sciences or related field (criminal justice, public health, education, statistics)
• Relevant experience in social science or public policy research

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of social science research methods, research design, data management, statistics skills and technical writing skills
• Requires the ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others
• Ability to communicate clearly both in writing and verbally
• Ability to meet deadlines

Other Requirements or Other Factors:

• Ability to work with diverse groups of people and be helpful, respectful, approachable, and team oriented
• Ability to build strong working relationships and a positive work environment

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in public policy research
• Qualitative or quantitative data collection and analysis
• Project management; focus group management
• Writing and report preparation

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of statistical software such as STATA, SAS, SPSS, or R
• Familiarity with qualitative data collection strategies
• Familiarity with public health policy
• Ability to travel

Responsibilities

• Implement Research Design - Participates in research projects as Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator or as Senior Researcher; Leads teams in research projects that involve multiple methods; Conducts qualitative research such as interviews and focus groups; Designs and interprets statistical analysis; Maintains knowledge of current data analysis tools and continues to develop qualitative and quantitative skills;  Maintains integrity of qualitative and quantitative research data;  Prepares research presentations and reports appropriate for diverse audiences with varying technical knowledge; Provides independent and collaborative roles in research support for project needs throughout the department. 

• Proposal Development & Report Writing - Identifies funding opportunities; Participates in building research teams; Develops, writes and submits research proposals; Implements and maintains project time lines; Prepares and submits project deliverables.  Communicates with the Office of Research Services as necessary; Obtains Institutional Review Board approval for projects when applicable

• Research Design - Collaborates with research sponsors on study design; Independent or supervisory role in special research projects; Implements innovative use of technology to improve efficiencies; Performs other duties as assigned.

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/AffirmativeAction/Veterans/Disability Employer committed to diversity.