Research Fellow Jobs

The Campaign for College Opportunity is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) broad-based, bipartisan coalition, including business, education, and civil rights leaders, that is focused on a single mission: to ensure all Californians have an equal opportunity to attend and succeed in college in order to build a vibrant workforce, economy and democracy.

The Campaign for College Opportunity’s Steve Weiner and David Wolf Founder Fellowship Program is offering two part-time, nine-month, paid Research Fellowships to prepare the next generation of higher education advocates. The Research Fellows will have the opportunity to learn what it means to advocate on behalf of California’s students to access, afford, and succeed in the state’s colleges and universities and how to harness the critical skills and tools necessary to compel change.

The Research Fellows, working remotely, will be tasked with assisting the Vice President of Research and Sr. Research Analyst to conduct research, analyze data, and prepare briefs that will inform public discourse and advance policy reforms championed by the Campaign for College Opportunity. The Fellows will be heavily involved in the production of Campaign reports and briefs, including research on the equity implications of California’s response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, as well as on-going work related to access to higher education and support for students at California’s public colleges and universities, and diversity among California’s educational leaders.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct quick literature reviews and policy scans;
• Monitor federal, state, and local higher education policies and programs, and prepare briefing materials that convey the impact of these developments;
• Perform quantitative and qualitative research and prepare analyses;
• Download, clean, and analyze publicly available data; and
• Write reports, memos, briefs, blogposts, and other content to communicate findings and recommendations to staff and external audiences.
• Support original and secondary research and analysis to identify and disseminate relevant and reliable information on California public higher education and the experiences of low-income, underrepresented, and undocumented students;

QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with common datasets such as IPEDS and US Census products including the American Community Survey (ACS).
• Must demonstrate ability to work independently and manage multiple projects with strong interpersonal skills to work effectively in a team environment; and
• Prior experience on a research team or in a research internship is a plus but is not required.
• Candidates who are flexible, adaptable, detail-oriented, responsive to changing priorities, and committed to being problem-solvers;
• Prior experience with data visualization and data visualization programs such as Datawrapper, Tableau, and Microsoft Power BI.
• Fluency with statistical analysis software packages such as SPSS, Stata, or R. Candidates with demonstrated capacity to use Excel for complex data analysis tasks will be considered.
• Interest in careers in the higher education nonprofit sector, conducting policy research 2 and analyses with the intent of reaching diverse audiences;
• Knowledge and experience with qualitative and quantitative research.
• Bachelor’s degree required, and students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education, as well as those with lived experiences related to our research, are strongly encouraged to apply;
• Demonstrated ability to clearly and accurately describe complex issues in ways that different audiences can understand;
• Must have knowledge of higher education and an interest in public policy;

WHAT YOU WILL ACHIEVE

By the end of the Steve Weiner and David Wolf Founder Fellowship Program, Fellows will have:

• Downloaded, cleaned, and analyzed data from national and state databases;
• Developed protocols, conducted, transcribed, and coded qualitative interviews;
• Translated research for nonacademic audiences and contributed to the development of reports, research briefs, infographics and other written pieces that advance the Campaign’s policy agenda;
• Gained a broader understanding of actionable higher education policy research.
• Conducted original or secondary research in support of the Campaign’s policy objectives;

COMPENSATION

The Steve Weiner and David Wolf Founder Fellowship Program runs for nine months. Fellows are expected to work 20 hours a week at $23-25/hr, based on experience. This is a part-time, temporary position. This is a remote work opportunity.

SELECTION PROCESS

The Campaign for College Opportunity will accept applications for the position until both fellowships are filled. Interested parties should forward a letter of interest, resume, and 2–3- page writing sample indicating “Research Fellowship” in the subject line by email to [email protected] No phone calls please.

Those applying should preview the Campaign’s website http://www. collegecampaign.org/ to become familiar with our policy, research, outreach and communications efforts. Cover letters 3 should include why you are interested in working with the Campaign and how the fellowship would help advance your career.

All candidates selected for an interview will be required to complete a short task aimed at assessing their skills as they progress through the interview process. The Campaign for College Opportunity is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified persons of every background.