Research Area Specialist Intermediate

How to Apply

For full consideration, please submit all of the following documents. Your cover letter and resume should be combined into 1 PDF file before uploading due to system requirements.

• 1-2 page cover letter should describe how your experience, skills, and perspective on applied research align with the job responsibilities.
• Your resume should include a summary of your qualifications as well as your relevant experiences (e.g, education, research experiences, evaluation, mentoring, skills). You may find this resource helpful ( U-M Career Center ).
• The R&E Skills Assessment to share your current skill level across select technical areas. You are not expected to be an expert in all areas, and it is okay to have no experience. This will help us to understand your current skill set and how it fits into the existing skills across the R&E team.
   

Summary

Reporting formally to the Director for Research & Evaluation, we are seeking an experienced mixed-methods researcher with experience in design, data management and communication/data visualization to support data-driven recommendations. The ADVANCE Program embraces a hybrid work model with a standard 3 days on campus for full-time staff appointments and 2 remote days. Employees are welcome to work additional days in the office. Additionally, we offer flexible scheduling with core work hours between 9:30 am and 3:30 pm.

A link to the full job description for this position can be viewed here .

Please join us for a virtual information session for this position on Friday, July 19 at 9am or 1pm where you will learn more about U of M, ADVANCE and this position. Prospective candidates can sign up for one of these sessions (both will be the same) using the link below. Zoom links for the session will be sent out before the session.

https://forms.gle/qeAFaHoeV91B88N19

Who We Are

Being part of something greater, serving a larger mission of discovery and care - the heart of what drives people to work at Michigan. In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. It's adding a purpose to your profession. Work at Michigan and become a victor for the greater good.

For 20 years, the ADVANCE Program has pioneered research and programming aimed at improving faculty diversity, equity, and inclusion. Beginning in 2002 with an ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant from the National Science Foundation and transitioning to Provost's Office funding in 2007, the nationally recognized program serves all U-M faculty on campus in four distinct areas:

• Recruitment - development and use of equitable recruiting practices
• Workplace Climate - focused on the improvement of unit climate
• Retention - preemptive strategies to prevent the loss of valued faculty
• Leadership Development - skill and career development for faculty leaders at all levels

Our 15+ person team supports these four areas through research and evaluation, programming, and administration efforts. Visit our website to learn more about our work and the team.

Responsibilities

Research Design & Data Management (30%)

• Combine rigorous quantitative and qualitative research methods (e.g., mixed-methods)
• Use secondary data to answer new research questions
• Survey design & development

Data analysis (25%)

• Conceptually integrate multiple sources of data and transform information across data sets
• Identify, run and interpret statistical analyses (e.g., qualitative content analysis, ANOVAs and chi-squared, regression)

Applied Research Deliverables (25%)

• Distill key learnings and implications from data to inform actionable recommendations
• Interpret and summarize a wide variety of data
• Draft deliverables (e.g., reports/publications, white papers, memorandums, conference presentation, policy recommendation, PPT for leadership, infographic)
• Create visualizations (e.g., tables and figures in R or excel) to facilitate understanding of research findings

Additional Responsibilities (20%)

• ADVANCE liaison to academic units (i.e., climate assessments)
• Make positive contributions to our collaborative team, share expertise and learn from others
• Mentor students in their professional and skill development, career navigation
   

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in social science or equivalent combination of applied education and experience
• 1-3 years of applied research experience post bachelor's degree including research experience using statistical software (e.g., R, SPSS) with noted emphasis on quantitative skills and a desire to continue to grow these skills
• Demonstrated ability to summarize findings and/or extract themes from quantitative and qualitative data (e.g., writing summary reports)
• Some content knowledge or experience in at least 3 of the following areas: studying of human behavior in organizations and the work place; deriving principles of individual, group and organizational behavior; and applying this knowledge to improve problems within a complex work environment; diversity, equity and inclusion in organizations; organizational climate and culture; leadership and organizational dynamics; higher education contexts/working environment; drivers of employee wellbeing and retention; and the role of faculty in higher education
   

Additional Information

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Salary offer will be commensurate with degree level (Master's or Ph.D) and years of experience.
 

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.