Employment
Research Specialist
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) at Brandeis University is seeking a research specialist to provide support for an interdisciplinary, forward-thinking team of researchers and scholars who conduct quantitative and qualitative studies of the American Jewish community. This is an entry-level position with room for growth.
You would be an excellent fit for this position if you have outstanding written and oral communication skills, are detail-oriented and a motivated team player, and if you love to learn new skills in a dynamic work environment. It is an excellent opportunity to explore the world of social science research and apply those skills to help understand the dynamics of the US Jewish community.
Located at Brandeis University, CMJS fosters a nurturing environment that prioritizes personal and professional growth. Intellectual exploration and creative thinking are encouraged along with taking advantage of the many benefits an elite liberal arts university has to offer, including graduate-level courses.
Key responsibilities:
- Serve as the primary support contact during survey administration. Field emails and phone calls from organizations and survey respondents
- Oversee the coding of qualitative survey data
- Train and manage a team of part-time undergraduate research assistants who work on coding, follow-up calling, and other research support tasks
- Manage data collection of online surveys
- Assist in developing, programming, and testing survey instruments in Qualtrics
- Assist with reports and presentations. Make charts, figures, and slides using Excel and PowerPoint
- Work with the full research team on other tasks as needed
Other Responsibilities:
- Schedule and conduct phone interviews with respondents
- Potential travel opportunities to conduct observations
- Conduct literature searches and write short summaries
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in social sciences or related field
- Highly organized and detail oriented
- Strong team player
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
- Desire and ability to learn new skills quickly
- Comfort with technology
- Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
- Familiarity with the US Jewish community
Preferred but not required:
- Training in quantitative methods and statistics
- Experience conducting telephone and/or in-person interviews
- Data visualization skills
- Knowledge of non-English languages including Hebrew, Russian, and/or Spanish
Salary Range
$44,000-$50,000, depending on skills and experience
Closing Statement
Brandeis University is committed to providing its students, faculty and staff with an environment conducive to learning and working and where all people are treated with respect and dignity. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, caste, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, including transgender identity, religion, disability, age, genetics, active military or veteran status and any other characteristics protected under applicable federal or Massachusetts law.
Apply
Send cover letter and resume to Masha Lokshin (lokshin@brandeis.edu)
Research Associate
About Us:
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies is an academic research center that conducts rigorous policy relevant research about Jewish life and the Jewish community. We are a highly collaborative, multi-disciplinary group of nearly 30 scholars and research staff at Brandeis University. Our areas of research include Jewish education, Israel, and the socio-demography of Jews around the world.
Position Overview:
The Research Associate’s primary responsibility is to work, as part of a team, to conduct analyses that support the work of CMJS. The ideal candidate will have an educational and employment background in conducting social science and evaluation research, experience working in a fast-paced environment, and will be a self-motivated and independent worker. Interest in and knowledge of the Jewish community is highly desired. Research Associates may specialize in quantitative research, qualitative research, or a combination. This is a full-time role with potential for growth.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Participate in all phases of complex research projects including design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of results
- Communicate with internal and external audiences
- Assist in the writing and editing of reports, journal articles, and presentations for both academic and lay audiences
- Summarize study results through charts, graphs, and presentations
- Assist in proposal development
- Assist with survey writing, programming, testing, and administration
- Conduct literature searches and reviews
- For qualitative researchers: Schedule and conduct telephone and in-person interviews, focus groups, and site visits. Travel may be required for site visits.
Required Skills and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree (required). Master’s degree in a social science or humanities field with a research focus, such as psychology, sociology, or public policy preferred, or equivalent work experience
- For quantitative researchers: Expertise in statistical software packages (e.g., SPSS, SAS, Stata, R). Familiarity with Stata statistical software and its syntax language is strongly preferred
- For quantitative researchers: Demonstrated research experience in survey design, administration, and analysis
- For qualitative researchers: Demonstrated research experience conducting interviews, focus groups and/or participant observation
- Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team, foster consensus, and collaborate with individuals and organizations with a range of interests and perspectives.
- Well-organized, self-motivated, flexible, and able to work independently on multiple projects at one time
- Eagerness to learn new skills and take on responsibility
- Attentive to time management and detail-oriented
- Strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor
- Strong and effective written and verbal communication skills
Desirable Skills and Experience:
- Familiarity with current issues and concerns related to the Jewish community
- Knowledge of Jewish and Hebrew words, terms and concepts
- Experience with cleaning, validating, and manipulating data
- Experience as a task and project supervisor and/or manager
- Knowledge of human subjects research protocols and IRB applications
- Survey programming in LimeSurvey or Qualtrics
- Advanced skills in Excel, Publisher, GoogleApps, and other software packages
Salary Range
$55,000 - $65,000, depending on skills and experience
Benefits:
Brandeis offers a comprehensive benefit program, including health and dental insurance, life and long-term disability insurance plans, flexible-reimbursement accounts, a retirement plan and other benefits designed to support employee wellness and work-life balance. Tuition remission for Brandeis University classes is available.
Closing Statement
Brandeis University is committed to providing its students, faculty and staff with an environment conducive to learning and working and where all people are treated with respect and dignity. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, caste, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, including transgender identity, religion, disability, age, genetics, active military or veteran status and any other characteristics protected under applicable federal or Massachusetts law.
Apply:
Send cover letter and resume to Masha Lokshin (lokshin@brandeis.edu)