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Overview

The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life prepares students in all fields of study for lifetimes of active citizenship. Tisch College promotes new knowledge in the field and applies this knowledge to evidence-based practice in programs, community partnerships, and advocacy efforts. Central to the university’s mission, the college offers Tufts’ students opportunities to engage in meaningful community building, civic and political experiences, and explore commitments to civic participation.

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) is a research-based think tank that studies how young people in the United States learn to become active participants in our democracy. CIRCLE studies a broad range of topics, from K-12 civic education, youth organizing, youth and civic media, to community characteristics that promote civic development. The central focus of its work is on expanding access to civic learning and engagement opportunities, especially for marginalized youth.

Because of CIRCLE’s explicit focus on improving civic education and engagement for young people of color and other underserved youth, and because of Tisch College and Tufts University’s foundational commitments to diversity and inclusion, candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences are especially encouraged to apply.

The anticipated start date for this position is March 1, 2023.  

What You'll Do

This is a full-time 18 month limited position, funded by grants and contracts, with chance of renewing pending grant funds.

The Research Analyst will conduct research and support a range of CIRCLE projects, with a majority of their time dedicated to a large voter registration research project. The Analyst work under the supervision of a Senior Researcher and in collaboration with other team members to complete project tasks. The position requires strong quantitative data management and analytic skills. The Research Analyst, in collaboration with a broad array of professionals, contributes to the development and execution of research & evaluation projects and technical assistance activities, including data preparation, analysis, data visualization and report preparation. The Research Analyst will work on multiple projects related to electoral engagement simultaneously and support CIRCLE's overall operation, and will support management of project timelines and deliverables.

What We're Looking For

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in data science, computer science, statistics, social science (such as political science, sociology, psychology) and/or relevant coursework in statistics/data science
• 2-3 years of experience in data science, data management, research, or analysis
• Strong proficiency in data science and management, such as cleaning, merging, coding, and checking datasets for errors and producing codebooks.
• Proficiency with R and RStudio
• Basic descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, such as frequencies, crosstabs, t-test, ANOVA, and linear regression.
• Experience with large public datasets.
• Experience delivering tested, high-quality code
• Experience with GitHub (or equivalent) and continuous integration practices
• Interest in conducting research with a focus on impact and practitioner engagement
• Unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and understanding of how these commitments apply to work,
• Ability to produce reliable, accurate, and readable research products on short deadlines
• Ability to take initiative and work effectively and thoughtfully on fast timelines
• Ability to work as part of a team and communicate frequently with colleagues and respond to requests and feedback.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in in data science, computer science, statistics, public policy social science (such as political science, sociology, psychology) or another related field.
• Experience handing geospatial data and with data visualization
• Research or educational background with specialized training in public policy, sociology, public health, or other social sciences.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to write reports that convey technical information in a readable fashion
• Experience in public policy, elections or non-profit field and working closely with clients or practitioners to provide insights from data
• Comfort with working on multiple projects at the same time, delegating and receiving tasks and making decisions about research and analytic design choices with minimal guidance,
• Ability to work collaboratively with CIRCLE colleagues from varied backgrounds and to interact with practitioners of diverse backgrounds, views, and positions.