Contracted Senior Research Associate

State of Massachusetts•Boston, MA

29d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Education Secretariat is committed to equity and valuing the unique and diverse characteristics and experiences of every member of its workforce. We encourage an authentic workplace where colleagues show up as their full selves, where collaboration, innovation, and connections are key to realizing our mission that all children, youth, and families thrive socially, academically, and economically. We seek teammates who are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment, where everyone is valued and engaged. We encourage you to apply and identify your strengths in these areas. The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) seeks a contracted employee to serve as the Senior Research Associate to strengthen the agency's research and data analytics capacity. This contracted position runs through June 30, 2026, with renewal possible through June 30, 2027, subject to funding. EEC may, at its discretion, shorten or extend the contract to accommodate changes in scope, additional funding, or additional responsibilities. The Senior Research Associate will work under the direction of EEC's Director of Research and collaborate closely with the Massachusetts Education-to-Career (E2C) Research and Data Hub. The Hub facilitates data and research connections between agencies, building on a strong foundation of existing integrated data systems linking students' early care, K-12, college, and workforce outcomes. In partnership with agency staff, the E2C Data Hub works to modernize data systems, improve data quality, expand access to data, and support collaboration with researchers to ensure educators and leaders have the information they need when making decisions. The Senior Research Associate will focus on building robust research and data infrastructure, as well as translating key research and data insights into clear, actionable formats for internal and external audiences. The aim is to help ensure that EEC has in place an established research system including ready-to-use templates, plans, tools, data collection instruments, and operational processes. The Senior Research Associate will work closely with EEC leadership and internal program teams to identify research needs and provide strategic research and data guidance and support to build internal capacity and help inform policy and program decisions. The Senior Research Associate will also work closely with the EEC Director of Research and Senior Director of Data Analytics to develop and refine research tools and processes and promote transparency by producing public-facing research and data briefs/stories and other deliverables. Schedule: The Senior Research Associate will work a hybrid schedule, with at least one day per week in one of EEC's offices, and some in-office work at the DESE office in Everett in order to coordinate with the E2C Hub, and other possible meetings in the Boston area or around the state as needed. Please note that pursuant to Massachusetts general law, contracted employees are not paid for the eleven scheduled holidays, do not receive any paid, vacation, personal leave benefits, or contribute to the state retirement system or social security. As a state contracted employee, you must participate in direct deposit and contribute towards the Commonwealth of Massachusetts state alternate retirement plan, ("OBRA Plan"). Application: All candidates should include a cover letter and one work sample they developed (memo, presentation, brief, or data dashboard) related to a research initiative they were involved in.

Nice To Haves

At least five (5) years of full-time professional experience that involved conducting research, analysis, policy development and implementation and/or program design and oversight
Enthusiasm for collaboration and teamwork, as well as prior experience engaging with stakeholders with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Self-starter and independent learner who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can adapt to changing priorities.
Prior professional experience in the early education and afterschool and out-of-school time sector and/or experience working on issues facing families with young children, programs that serve children and families, and/or the needs of the workforce and different settings where families and children spend time.
Prior experience with playing a leadership role on research projects including developing data collection plans and designing and/or implementing data collection efforts. Expertise in developing surveys is preferred.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including prior experience using data, research, and other important information to tell a story to non-technical audiences through briefs, presentations, and other formats.
Experience using analytic tools (e.g., Excel, Stata, R, SPSS) to analyze data is preferred.
Proficiency with at least one data visualization/graphic design tool (e.g., PowerBI, Canva, Adobe Illustrator) is preferred.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with internal EEC program teams and business units to understand their research and data needs, document research and analytic plans, and support the development of tailored tools, resources and processes that promote evidence-based decision making.
Support external research and evaluation partnerships with academic institutions and research organizations by acting as an agency liaison and strategic advisor.
Build out system for staying apprised of relevant external research and learnings to help inform ongoing decision making and continuous quality improvement, propose options for dissemination of key research learnings, and develop plan and process for execution.
In partnership with the EEC Data Analytic team, help develop standardized cross-agency research datasets for use internally and with academic researchers under written agreement.
In collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders, develop and operationalize a standard process for reviewing, updating, and refining EEC's research agenda.
Help support the process of developing and managing data sharing agreements with external research partners.
Conduct limited ad-hoc data analyses, as needed.
Translate key research and data findings into accessible presentations, memos, and briefs that can be shared with diverse audiences.
Identify and organize structure(s)to share findings from ongoing EEC research projects and analyses of EEC data with EEC leadership and staff.
Develop and publish data stories about the early education and care sector and the implementation and/or effects of key EEC initiatives and programs
Identify additional topics and metrics of interest to track over time, and in partnership with the EEC Data Analytics team, support the development of related data dashboards, data stories, and/or other public-facing formats.

Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.
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