Research Director, Anti-Semitism Task Force

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Temporary
• End Date if Temporary: 6/30/2025
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $110,000 - $135,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

On November 1, 2023, Columbia President Minouche Shafik announced the creation of a university task force on anti-Semitism. Her announcement stated, “We are taking this step as part of a commitment to ensuring that our campuses are safe, welcoming, and inclusive for Jewish students, faculty, and staff, and all of us.”  Thus far we have fifteen senior faculty members committed to our task force who will be responsible for making proposals that would fulfill the charge President Shafik set forth.

The Research Director of the anti-Semitism task force will report to Nicholas Lemann, who is currently the Director, Columbia Global Reports as well as the Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor of Journalism and currently serving as one of the task force’s three co-chairs. The Director will work for at least one year with the possibility of an extension and will hire and supervise a staff of up to three Research Assistants. The Director will gather existing materials from inside and outside Columbia University that will aid the task force in its efforts to design and execute new research efforts, including spearheading a qualitative research project that includes in-depth interviews and ethnography conducted at Columbia, as well analyses of survey data. These efforts will culminate in a research report of which the Director may be principal author and credited as such.

Responsibilities

• Meet at least weekly with Professor Nicholas Lemann and communicate regularly with other co-chairs and members of the task force to outline how the anti-Semitism task force will meet its objectives.
• Formulate job descriptions for and hire up to three research assistants. Manage these individuals successfully confirming alignment of responsibilities and understanding of the goals of their positions.
• Manage the Institutional Review Board process for the task force’s research ensuring compliance.
• Based on in-depth interviewing and other core methods, design and execute an academically rigorous program of qualitative research on anti-Semitism at Columbia. This will include identifying and engaging trained interviewers and training new interviewers to the highest professional standards.
• Work with key stakeholders both internal and external to the Columbia community along with task force members to ensure questions pertinent to the task force’s work are included in relevant periodic University surveys of the community.
• Survey existing orientation and training materials on anti-Semitism and work with the task force members to choose which, if any, to recommend for utilization.
• Work with task force co-chairs to integrate information obtained from the research conducted about Columbia’s current practices into recommendations for future orientation and other trainings.
• Survey, gather and analyze existing materials from Columbia’s past and present that pertain to the work of the task force.
• Work with technologists to develop ways of analyzing social media platforms for materials that pertain to the work of the task force and examine those materials.
• Other duties as assigned or required.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required. Minimum five years related experience.

Additional Position-Specific Qualifications

Must have experience conducting academically rigorous qualitative research and experience with survey methods. Must be able to work successfully with colleagues and keep a multifaceted project moving forward on schedule while maintaining high standards for the work. Must be able to maintain good spirits and equanimity under sometimes contentious circumstances.

Preferred Qualifications

Advanced degree or PhD desirable. Teaching experience preferable. Clear writing and verbal communication skills. Experience managing the work of others.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.