Who We Are:
The Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) is a top ranked school of education, known for its prestigious faculty, rigorous graduate degree programs, and its impact on the quality of education across the world. The GSE is committed to developing leaders in education research, practice and policy. Our community includes over 60 faculty, 350 students, 200 staff, 14,000 alumni and countless people from the local and global communities making a difference in the field of education. The work is dynamic, fast-paced, and energetic.
What You’ll Bring:
The John Gardner Center in the Graduate School of Education seeks a Qualitative Research Associate to be responsible for conducting qualitative research with an emphasis on policy-relevant and actionable topic areas. The Researcher will lead and contribute to qualitative research: they will assist community partners in formulating research questions and conducting community driven studies resulting in policy briefs and other products focused on topics related to youth development and education. The candidate will also lead and contribute to qualitative research projects, conducting formative assessments of community-based programs, including data collection, coding, analysis and writing reports and briefs. For all research and analyses, the incumbent will present research findings to community partners and other stakeholders on a regular basis. They will supervise graduate level research assistants and potentially some staff; work collaboratively with other Gardner Center staff; and report to the Executive Director.
What You’ll Do:
Work in partnership with community entities to design and conduct policy-relevant research related to youth development in a community setting:
- Collaborate with Gardner Center staff and community partners to identify key research needs in the community and design and carry out research that responds to these.
- Design research projects that respond to community questions and needs using a variety of tools, including the JGC’s Youth Data Archive); youth and adult surveys; secondary data analysis; and qualitative data collection and analyses.
- Conduct primary research and produce written products and presentations that are appropriate for community audiences and parallel materials that inform academic debates and audiences.
Conduct Qualitative Research and Other Analyses:
- Design studies in conjunction with the community and other partners.
- Collect data using a variety of qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups, observations).
- Contribute to data cleaning, verification and documentation.
- Contribute to discussions about coding and analysis schemes. Code data and conduct analyses.
Write, Present and Otherwise Communicate Research Findings to a Wide Range of Stakeholders and Entities:
- Write reports and briefs of findings for partners and broader academic field.
- Write and present academic articles, issue briefs, summaries, conference paper and other products to a variety of audiences.
- Meet with partners on an ongoing basis to review and evolve analyses.
- Work with Gardner Center Communications team on additional communications opportunities for analyses, including newspaper articles, blogs, panel discussions and more.
Participate actively as a collaborative member of the Gardner Center team, and connect the Gardner Center to the greater Stanford community and the broader research field:
- Attend regular staff meetings and retreats.
- Supervise graduate students and junior staff on specific projects.
- Where appropriate, contribute to grant development and report writing.
- Assist the Center in developing processes, tools, and products to enhance the future direction of the Center.
The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.
To be successful in this position, you will bring:
- Advanced degree and five years of relevant experience in area of specialization or combination of relevant education, training, and/or experience.
- Ability to develop program partnerships and funding sources.
- Advanced oral, written, and analytical skills, exhibiting fluency in area of specialization.
- Ability to oversee and direct staff.
- Ability to manage budgets and develop financial plans.
Education and Experience Preferred: A doctorate (or equivalent) in a relevant field (education, public policy, sociology, anthropology, psychology, or related field) is required as is capacity to oversee graduate students as they design, carry out, and write about their research projects. Experience with qualitative data collection and analysis is required. Demonstrated experience with designing qualitative studies is required, as is proficiency with data analysis software such as NVIVO. Excellent oral, analytic, organizational, and interpersonal skills are required; writing as demonstrated in the candidate’s own writing and publications is essential. The candidate must have strong interpersonal and collaboration skills in working with researchers and practitioners as well as organizational skills that demonstrate their ability to handle multiple tasks, timelines and priorities in a team environment. Familiarity with California K-12 education context, and English language learners is preferred. This may be substituted with familiarity with juvenile justice, mental health or foster care systems or a related youth policy issue. Familiarity with school enrichment and youth development programs, such as after-school programs is a plus.
How to Apply: The John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities invites you to apply for this position by clicking on the “Apply Online” link. Please submit an online application, resume, and cover letter.
