Post Doctoral Fellow (Skills) - Workforce

ETS is a global education and talent solutions organization enabling lifelong learners worldwide to be future‑ready. For more than 75 years, ETS has advanced the science of measurement, delivering assessments such as TOEFL®, TOEIC®, GRE® and Praxis® to millions of learners in over 200 countries. Through strategic acquisitions and partnerships, ETS expands its capabilities in workforce assessment, educational technology, and research to promote skill proficiency, upward mobility, and opportunity for everyone, everywhere.

About the role

The Postdoctoral Fellow will contribute to a research agenda focused on understanding human competencies in the AI era. This early‑career position is designed for a scholar who has recently completed a doctoral degree and seeks to advance measurement science of human competencies, human‑AI collaboration, skills assessment, readiness, and workforce pathways at the intersection of AI‑era work and education. The fellowship is a one‑year appointment with possible renewal contingent on funding.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and execute research projects on human competencies, human‑AI collaboration, readiness science, workforce pathways, and portable evidence of skills.
• Contribute to the development of construct definitions, competency taxonomies, evidence models, indicators, and validity arguments for measuring human capabilities in AI‑mediated education and work contexts.
• Study how students, workers, and adult learners use AI in complex problem‑solving, decision‑making, learning, and work tasks, including what they delegate, verify, revise, and retain.
• Support research on readiness for education‑to‑workforce transitions, examining how durable skills, technical foundations, AI‑era capabilities, and prior learning affect employment opportunities, job performance, persistence, and upward mobility.
• Analyze competency frameworks, labor‑market sources, surveys, interviews, assessment tasks, process data, work samples, or administrative records using quantitative, qualitative, mixed‑methods, or computational approaches.
• Develop research‑based tools and resources such as capability reports, assessment‑paradigm crosswalks, readiness evidence frameworks, skills‑based transcript guidance, or portable skills evidence models.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary researchers and partners across education, workforce, and AI‑related initiatives within and outside of ETS.

Qualifications

• Strong background in one or more areas: educational measurement, learning sciences, educational psychology, workforce readiness, skills assessment, human‑AI collaboration, labor‑market analysis, competency‑based education, career and technical education, or related fields.
• Experience with construct definition, evidence‑centered design, validity arguments, competency frameworks, skill taxonomies, assessment design, or readiness research.
• Experience analyzing survey, interview, assessment, process, administrative, labor‑market, or other data.
• Strong quantitative, qualitative, mixed‑methods, computational, or NLP‑related research skills; programming experience in R, Python, or related tools preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to use generative AI responsibly in research processes preferred.
• Ability to translate research findings into practical evidence models, indicators, reports, guidance, and partner‑facing materials.
• Strong written and oral communication skills for scholarly, technical, internal, and external audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively in diverse, interdisciplinary teams and with external partners.
• Commitment to ethical, valid, equitable, and responsible research practices.
• Ph.D. in educational measurement, learning sciences, educational psychology, workforce development, human‑AI interaction, AI and education, labor economics, or a related field completed within the past three years or expected before the start date.

Benefits

• Access to multiple Business Resource Groups (BRGs) for career development and networking.
• Up to an additional 8 hours of PTO for volunteer work on causes important to you.
• Comprehensive Total Rewards Package, including base salary, benefits, and other incentives.
• Opportunity to work at a mission‑driven, not‑for‑profit organization dedicated to education and lifelong learning.