Education Research Assistant, Field Assessor (Manatee County, FL)

SRI International • Tallahassee, FL

23h • Onsite

About The Position

SRI Education seeks temporary, part-time research assistants to conduct direct standardized assessments with preschool students in early childhood centers in and around Manatee County, Florida. The role offers experience with child assessment and includes mandatory training and certification on literacy and vocabulary assessment measures in December 2026. Training will primarily be virtual, with possible in-person practice sessions during the first one to two weeks of January.

Assessments will be conducted in two periods in 2027: pre-test data collection from early January through mid-February, and post-test data collection in May and June. Each period is expected to last five to six weeks. Assessors visit one classroom at a time and assess approximately 8–10 children per visit. The work requires driving to local early childhood centers during the standard school day; travel to an SRI office is not required. Staff are paid for training, assessment work, data cleaning, and data entry, and travel costs are reimbursed. The temporary position runs from December 2026 through June 2027, with an anticipated workload of at least 15–20 hours per week during assessment periods. Onsite availability is required Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at least three days per week during both assessment periods.

Requirements

• Strong organizational and interpersonal communication skills.
• Prior experience working with children, such as teaching or assisting in an elementary school, conducting assessments with children, working in after-school programs, or serving as a youth camp counselor.
• Access to a car and a valid driver’s license and insurance.
• Access to a personal computer and reliable internet.
• Ability to participate in and complete all required security clearance measures and training.
• Availability for onsite work in Manatee County, Florida, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at least three days a week during January–February 2027 and May–June 2027.

Nice To Haves

• Some undergraduate coursework in psychology, education, social work, or early childhood.
• Experience with research, including conducting observations or assessments.
• Spanish language proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Attend up to two virtual training days in December 2026 to prepare for data collection.
• Travel to early childhood centers to conduct direct child assessments during pre-test data collection in January–February 2027 and post-test data collection in May–June 2027.
• Communicate with the SRI project manager and teachers to schedule data collection activities.
• Enter data accurately and efficiently into a web-based database.
• Clean assessment data.

Benefits

• Travel costs are reimbursed.
• Competitive benefits package.
• Positions may qualify for SRI's Pay for Outstanding Performance program or annual Performance Based Compensation program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed