Posted on January 30, 2013

print

Senior Research Analyst

Founded in 2010, California Competes is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit project aimed at bolstering the state’s postsecondary outcomes to foster vibrant communities and an engaged citizenry. We seek to develop and implement policy recommendations to improve higher education in California. While we operate to benefit the general public, we are particularly concerned with preserving access to the state’s higher education system for students and ensuring that the state’s economic development needs are met by producing the degrees and credentials most likely to support a robust economy. To accomplish our goals we are guided by an esteemed Council of California business and civic leaders representing the demand side of higher education – the people who experience first-hand the importance of having a critical mass of well-educated Californians whose talent matches the demands of the 21st century.

With an organizational budget of approximately $1M annually, California Competes is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives. For more information, please visit www.californiacompetes.org.

Position

Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the Senior Research Analyst will work with staff to compile and analyze data, prepare research reports, make presentations, and collaborate with partner organizations. The role requires someone whose passion for digging into data is matched by a deep interest in education policy. To join our team the successful candidate will need to be wildly curious, self-directed, and a team player.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews and syntheses.
• Conduct data analysis, statistical analysis, and econometric analysis.
• Interact with collaborators and project partners to identify research opportunities and to evaluate the policy implications of findings.
• Assist in the preparation of reports, discussion papers, and briefings.
• Maintain applicable websites and/or project inventories.
• Explain analyses to reporters and lay audiences.
• Develop data documentation manuals or other learning materials, as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Economics, Education, Statistics, Public Policy or a closely related field.
• A minimum of 2-3 years of relevant post-Masters work experience.
• Excellent writing, oral communication, and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated experience in research methods (including econometric skills, time series and cross-section data analysis , analysis of multivariate statistics, management of large-scale data sets, and/or survey analysis).
• Demonstrated ability to perform in-depth statistical analysis
• Demonstrated experience in reporting analytic results and producing research reports.
• Demonstrated fluency in written and spoken English.
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task as needed, consistently meet deadlines and manage time well.
• Demonstrated professional level of attention to detail and accuracy of work.
• Ability to work independently, with initiative and minimal supervision.

Additional Desired Qualifications

Ideal candidates would also have knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Higher education policy and reform efforts.
• Workforce development issues, particularly in employment and training efforts targeted towards underserved populations
• State and federal labor data sets, such as the California Employment Development Department labor market information.
• Higher education data sets, including federal education data (i.e. IPEDS), California community college data (Datamart), state and federal labor data and other similar data sets.
• Spanish fluency.

Application Instructions

Submit your resume and cover letter to info@californiacompetes.org. View a PDF of our job posting at www.californiacompetes.org/about/careers