Senior Research Associate-Literacy Research & Educational Measurement

About the role

The UEPC seeks a full-time Senior Research Associate with expertise in literacy, science of reading, and educational measurement to join our research and evaluation team. This position will strengthen the Center's growing portfolio of literacy-focused research and evaluation work, including projects related to early reading, dyslexia screening and intervention, and educator professional learning.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a lead team member to coordinate and carry out research and/or evaluations in literacy.
• Lead or co-lead the design, development, piloting, and psychometric validation of educational screening and assessment tools.
• Design and implement rigorous research and evaluation on educational programs, including by conducting literature reviews and developing data collection (e.g., survey instruments, observation protocols, focus group protocols, and interview protocols), analysis, and reporting/communication plans.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with UEPC external partners (e.g., state agencies, local education agencies), practitioners, and university faculty.
• Facilitate working groups and serve as a project point of contact for key partners.
• Prepare research and evaluation reports, interim and annual summaries, and presentations in user-friendly, accessible formats that meet clients' needs, as well as other scholarly publications.
• Contribute to the design of sustainable professional learning in literacy.
• Work collaboratively with others, meet project deadlines, and manage competing priorities.
• Lead grant writing efforts and/or scopes of work for proposed literacy projects.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in education, literacy, educational psychology, educational measurement, special education and/or a closely related field.
• Five years of full-time experience leading and conducting program evaluations or research projects, with increasing independence and responsibility in projects.
• Demonstrated expertise in science of reading, literacy development, and/or dyslexia.
• Training in psychometrics, educational measurement, or test development (item writing, reliability/validity analysis, classical test theory and/or item response theory).
• Track record of producing high-quality written deliverables (e.g., technical reports, research briefs, or peer-reviewed publications).
• Excellent critical thinking, analytic, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to complete tasks for multiple, concurrent projects accurately and on time.
• Understanding of local, regional, and/or national issues and policies affecting PK-16+ education.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication across research, practice, and policy audiences.

Preferences

• 5 or more years of experience in conducting and reporting evaluation and research.
• Experience with mixed methods research, implementation evaluation, or longitudinal data analysis.
• Experience with quantitative data analysis (R, Stata, or equivalent).
• Experience developing or validating educational assessments or screening tools.
• Knowledge of MTSS/RTI frameworks and early literacy intervention.
• Familiarity with structured literacy and evidence-based reading instruction.
• Experience with state education agencies or school districts.
• Knowledge of International Dyslexia Association Knowledge and Practice Standards.
• Experience working in K12, higher education, or an organization that works with K12 or higher education organizations.
• Experience applying for research and evaluation grants.
• Familiarity with FERPA and student data privacy requirements.