Research Specialist, Measurement & Data Analysis
Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 9,484 full-time undergraduates and 5,250 graduate and professional students. Ranked 35 among national universities, Boston College has 888 full-time and 1,281 FTE faculty, 2,711 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $1.4 billion, and an endowment in excess of $3.5 billion.
Job DescriptionThe TIMSS &
PIRLS International Study Center is hiring a Research Specialist, Measurement
& Data Analysis, with a focus on statistical programming and data analysis.
The ideal candidate will have work experience in the operational analysis of
large-scale international student skill assessment data. Specific title/level
will be determined based on the candidate's experience.
The
position requires a combination of research and operational experience in statistical programming and data analysis,
psychometrics, and statistics, including proficiency in statistical
programming. A good understanding of large scale international educational
measurement projects is desirable.
The Research Specialist,
Measurement & Data Analysis is responsible for assisting the Associate
Research Director of Psychometrics & Data Analysis and contributing to all
technical aspects of the TIMSS and PIRLS international assessments, including
designing and conducting statistical analyses necessary for reporting the
results of the TIMSS and PIRLS, as well as special studies and assessments,
communicating and documenting the results to a wide international audience. The
successful candidate will have a strong background and experience in statistics, data analysis, R and
SAS statistical scripting and an interest in multidimensional item response
theory models for very large sets of data.
Primary responsibilities:
- Analytic and operational work to support successful
completion of all reporting schedules. Work with research specialists,
statistical programmers, and psychometricians, as well as assessment
developers at the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. - Develop, maintain, update, and document data
processing systems and computer programs required to analyze data from
TIMSS, PIRLS and upcoming special studies and expanded assessment
portfolio. - Develop computer programs for data analysis
exhibits published in the TIMSS, PIRLS and special study reports. - Document and assist in publishing the TIMSS and
PIRLS international databases and user guides for each assessment cycle
and used by researchers around the world. - Assist with designing and conducting analysis for special studies
to support ongoing research related to processing and analysis of TIMSS and PIRLS data.
- MSc or advanced
qualifications and experience in statistics, psychometrics, quantitative
research methods, quantitative psychology, or a related field. - Research
Associate, Measurement & Data Analysis:
0 - 3 years of relevant work experience in a research or operational large-scale
assessment program - Research
Specialist, Measurement & Data Analysis:
3 years of relevant work experience in a research or operational large-scale
assessment program - Senior
Research Specialist, Measurement & Data Analysis:
6 years of relevant work experience in a research or operational large-scale
assessment program - Strong quantitative skills and experience in complex data analysis, modeling, and statistical programming targeting analyses of large-scale assessment and/or survey data
- Experience with relevant statistical programming and analysis tools. Experience in R and SAS and ability to work with both is desired.
- Willingness to pick up new methodological skills and learn new tools as required by current and future responsibilities is required.
- Experience working in an international and multicultural environment
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Ability to persevere, maintain focus in reviewing technical material, pay close attention to detail under tight deadlines
Competitive salary commensurate with relevant experience.
This is a grant funded position.
Located at Boston
College's Lynch School of Education and Human Development, IEA's TIMSS &
PIRLS International Study Center conducts regular international comparative
assessments of student achievement in mathematics and science (TIMSS) and in
reading (PIRLS) in more than 60 countries. TIMSS (the Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study) and PIRLS (the Progress in International Reading
Literacy Study) together comprise the core cycle of studies for IEA - the
International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.
Headquartered in Amsterdam and with a major data processing and research center
in Hamburg, IEA has been conducting international comparative studies of
student achievement since 1959.
TIMSS and PIRLS
collect an array of information about home, school, and classroom contexts in
which students in each country learn mathematics, science, and reading.
Collecting comparable data about students' opportunities to learn is at the
core of TIMSS and PIRLS, and the results are reported regularly in relation to
countries' achievement on the mathematics, science, and reading assessment and
as a matter of interest to educators and policy makers.
Data collection and reporting for
TIMSS and PIRLS take place on regular, ongoing cycles, requiring constant
advances in measurement methodology. TIMSS and PIRLS results are disseminated
through reports and via the web through a well-documented database.
Boston College offers a broad and competitive range of benefits depending on your job classification eligibility:
- Tuition remission for Employees
- Tuition remission for Spouses and Children who meet eligibility requirements
- Generous Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Low-Cost Life Insurance
- Eligibility for both University-Funded 401k and Employer-Sponsored 403b Retirement Plans
- Paid Holidays Annually
- Generous Sick and Vacation Pay
- Additional benefits can be found on https://www.bc.edu/employeehandbook
Boston College conducts pre-employment background checks as part of the hiring process.
Boston College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. In concert with our Jesuit, Catholic mission, Boston College is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment and strongly encourages applications for women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and covered veterans. To learn more about how BC supports diversity and inclusion throughout the university please visit the Office for Institutional Diversity at https://www.bc.edu/diversity.
Boston College's Notice of Nondiscrimination can be viewed at https://www.bc.edu/nondiscrimination.