Research Assistant, PT

Museum Core • Indianapolis, IN

6d

About The Position

The part-time Research Assistant at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis supports the Experience Development and Family Learning research program by helping the museum understand audience preferences, exhibit effectiveness, and educational program outcomes. Working under the direction of the Research and Evaluation Associate and as part of collaborative teams, the Research Assistant collects and analyzes visitor data and prepares data summaries and reports. The role includes inclusive evaluation work informed by knowledge or lived experience of marginalized communities. The museum is committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion and to sustaining an inclusive culture that celebrates differences.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent, such as a GED.
• At least one year of experience in social science research; academic experience, including coursework, may qualify.
• Strong analytical skills for recording appropriate data and performing analyses.
• Basic working knowledge of data management programs such as Excel.
• Ability to multitask and attend to multiple parallel tasks.
• Work with a critical eye toward increasing equity and accessibility for a wide range of internal and external constituents.
• Friendly, warm manner with museum visitors and comfort approaching them for impromptu conversations.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to prepare and present data summaries and concise reports.
• Excellent attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy.
• Flexibility and willingness to work in a fast-paced, intellectually challenging setting, shifting between an office and museum exhibits.
• Ability to input detailed data and view a computer monitor; stand or sit for at least an hour while taking detailed notes; listen to and transcribe recorded verbal field notes; communicate effectively with visitors; and observe interactions and conversations.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with naturalistic observations.
• Experience working in formal or informal learning environments.
• Experience with SPSS, R, or Stata.
• Fluency in Spanish; qualified applicants who speak fluent Spanish receive special consideration.

Responsibilities

• Follow detailed instructions to collect data for evaluation studies, including naturalistic observations, informal interviews, and surveys.
• Develop simple study instruments, such as observation forms and surveys.
• Set up and use existing technologies for data collection and analysis.
• Code and enter data and maintain current, accurate databases.
• Calculate descriptive statistics and, when appropriate, inferential statistics.
• Prepare accurate data summaries and evaluation findings, including visualizations, for memos, reports, and presentations.
• Follow departmental guidelines for professional writing, report style, tone, and formatting.
• Perform other assigned clerical duties.
• Conduct inclusive evaluation studies with the goal of applying knowledge or lived experience of marginalized communities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED