Senior Researcher, Race & Ethnicity Research

Organization Overview

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research in the areas of race and ethnicity; U.S. politics and policy views; media and journalism; internet and technology; science and society; religion and public life; global attitudes and U.S. social and demographic trends. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The Center's work is carried out by a staff of about 170.

Position Summary

The Center is seeking a Senior Researcher with experience designing, managing and executing public opinion surveys and has expertise in studying the experiences of Hispanic and Latino Americans and other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. This position will have the opportunity to play a key role in the Center's multi-year, cross-team research agenda on race and ethnicity in the U.S., including a leading role in the design and execution of our National Survey of Latinos. As a part of a wider team, the Senior Researcher will at times lead research projects in other areas of interest for the team. This includes measuring racial identity, demographic analysis, and exploring the views and attitudes of Black Americans, Asian Americans, immigrant populations and other groups. The Senior Researcher will also support data analysis and management, number checking, graphic and chart creation. Fluency with survey processes and sophisticated statistical methods are core components of the job. In addition, the Senior Researcher writes and reviews reports, serves as a spokesperson for the Center's research, and contributes to big-picture thinking about the Race & Ethnicity team's research agenda. We are looking for someone who can find the story in the data and help make it understandable to a general audience. This position works closely with other researchers on staff and reports to the Director of Race and Ethnicity research.

Primary Responsibilities

Survey questionnaire design

• Conducting background research

• Developing research themes and questions suitable for a public opinion survey

• Drafting and testing survey questions

• Reviewing questionnaires for order effects and other methodological pitfalls and then implement corrections

• Seeking feedback from external and internal experts on questionnaire content

Project planning and management

• Establishing a project action plan

• Ensuring that project timelines are met

• Helping manage junior staff and coordinating resources with other senior staff

• Managing project budgets and contracts

• Working with vendors to oversee work progress and performance

• Mapping out steps in projects and adhering to deadlines and deliverables

Data analysis

• Compiling and analyzing data, including trends over time

• Conducting higher-level statistical analyses such as logistical regression, multi-level modeling, etc.

• Potentially identifying new techniques for examining data

• Preparing tables and charts

• Number checking/fact-checking/proofing of analyses and reports

• Conducting secondary/demographic data analysis at the national, state and other levels

Writing, editing and graphics

• Outlining and drafting research reports, including both shorter analyses and major studies

• Conceptualizing ledes and identifying key findings in large datasets

• Editing drafts written by colleagues, including junior staff

• Creating tables and graphics

• Learning and applying Pew Research Center publication guidelines and style

Representing the work

• Responding to requests from stakeholders, journalists and academics

• Drafting clarifications and explanations about the data for media interviews and other events

• Preparing and giving presentations on research findings to different audiences

Working with other teams

• This position requires extensive collaboration with other teams at Pew Research Center

Education/Training/Experience

• BA required, advanced degree preferred.

• 15+ years of social science research experience, with a minimum of 10 years of specialized survey research and analysis experience expected. This often includes significant graduate training at the PhD level or equivalent.

• Subject matter expertise related to Hispanic and Latino Americans and other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.

• Established record of publication and/or editorial performance

• Track record of successful project management experience

• Strong quantitative and statistical training

• Background in social science research

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Background in best practices in survey questionnaire development and testing

• Editorial judgment and proven ability to communicate research findings clearly and concisely in both verbal and written form

• Skilled in project development and management

• Detail oriented with exacting standards to maintain accuracy and impartiality in all work products

• Extensive experience with SPSS, Stata and/or R, as well as other statistical tools

• Ability to work independently to carry out special projects from start to finish

• Ability to balance numerous tasks simultaneously under tight deadlines

• Ability to work collaboratively and collegially with other team members

• Clear capacity to train and develop skills in coworkers

• Fluency in Spanish is desirable, not required.

FLSA Status: Exempt

This position typically starts at $120,000 per year.

Location

Pew Research Center staff may work virtually from remote locations up to three days in a standard work week. Staff are required to be present in the Center's Washington, D.C., office on two core days weekly (Tues. and Wed.).

Total Rewards

In addition to competitive pay, Pew Research Center's employees enjoy a robust total rewards packagethat includes:

• Affordable, comprehensive health care that includes medical, dental (including adult orthodontia) and vision benefits.
• Generous paid annual leave plan, including a winter break between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1
• Employer-paid disability, life insurance and paid family leave plans
• Up to a 12% employer 401(k) contribution, with vesting at the end of the first year.
• A 37.5-hour workweek.
• Health savings or flexible spending account options with employer funding component.
• Flexibility to telework up to 60% for most staff

EEO:

Pew Research Center makes employment decisions without regard to age, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. We encourage applications from candidates who represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.