University of Chicago

Evaluation and Research Scientist

University of Chicago$85K — $95K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field
  • 5-7 years of experience in research or program evaluation, particularly in STEM education
  • Strong experience with mixed-methods research
  • Expertise in quantitative and qualitative analysis
  • Demonstrated ability to lead projects and work collaboratively with stakeholders

Responsibilities

  • Lead STEM-related research and program evaluation projects
  • Manage evaluation design, data collection, analysis, and reporting
  • Collaborate with colleagues and partners on research initiatives
  • Develop evaluation frameworks, logic models, and data strategies
  • Oversee IRB compliance and related submissions
  • Contribute to grant proposal development and funding strategy
  • Present findings to diverse audiences through reports and conferences

Benefits

  • Health insurance coverage
  • Retirement plan options
  • Generous paid time off
  • Partial remote work eligibility
  • Access to employee resources and support programs
Full Job Description

Department

PSD Data Science: Systems Administration


Job Summary

The Evaluation and Research Scientist will lead and support program evaluation and research projects focused on kindergarten–adult STEM education, with an emphasis on high school and postsecondary data science and AI education. The Evaluation and Research Scientist will report to the Director of Outlier Research and Evaluation and will work collaboratively with senior researchers, DSI colleagues, funders, and partner organizations.

This role involves managing multiple stages of the research and evaluation process, including project design, literature reviews, instrument development, data collection and management, quantitative and qualitative analysis, IRB compliance, and the preparation of reports, presentations, manuscripts, and other written deliverables. The Evaluation and Research Scientist will also contribute to funding strategy and proposal development, including identifying relevant funding opportunities, drafting research and evaluation plans, developing scopes of work, and preparing funder-facing materials for grants, contracts, and sponsored projects.

The ideal candidate is an experienced, organized, and self-motivated research and evaluation professional with strong experience in program evaluation and mixed-methods research. The successful candidate should be able to lead projects with minimal guidance, contribute effectively to collaborative projects, communicate findings clearly to multiple audiences, and translate findings into actionable recommendations for programs, partners, and funders.

Responsibilities

  • Leads research and program evaluation projects related to STEM, data science, and AI education, while also supporting other projects across the team's research and evaluation portfolio.
  • Manages program evaluation projects, including evaluation design, data collection planning, instrument development, analysis planning, reporting, and partner communication.

  • Collaborates with senior researchers, research staff, DSI colleagues, funders, and partner organizations to design, implement, anddisseminateresearch and evaluation work.

  • Contributes to the development of evaluation frameworks, logic models, research questions, data collection strategies, analysis plans, and reporting structures.

  • Leads or substantiallycontributesto IRB submissions, amendments, continuing reviews, and related compliance processes.

  • Contributes to funding strategy and proposal development, includingidentifyingrelevant funding opportunities, drafting research and evaluation plans, developing scopes of work, and preparing proposal materials for grants, contracts, and sponsored projects.

  • Drafts or contributes to proposal materials, including statements of need, background sections, project descriptions, research and evaluation activities, timelines, deliverables, and descriptions of organizational capacity or prior work.

  • Serves as a resource to colleagues on research and evaluation procedures, data collection, analysis, reporting, IRB processes, and proposal development.

  • Presents research findings at meetings and conferences, as wellas tofunding agencies. Conducts literature reviews. Develop and maintainliaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.

  • Guides data collection,evaluationand analysis. Designs and manages databases. Writesreports, articlesand manuscripts.

  • Performs other related tasks as needed.


Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.


Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.


Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

  • Experience with progressively responsible research, program evaluation, and/or STEM education experience.

  • Substantial experience designing, managing, and implementing program evaluation projects, preferably in education, workforce development, youth programming, higher education, informal STEM learning, or related settings.

  • Experience leading research and/or evaluation projects with minimal guidance.

  • Experience managing mixed-methods research or evaluation projects.

  • Experience independently developing data collection instruments, analysis plans, reports, presentations, and partner-facing materials.

  • Experience leading small to medium-size program evaluations and/or research projects.

  • Experience seeking funding or contributing substantially to grant proposals, sponsored research applications, evaluation scopes of work, foundation/funder submissions, contract proposals, or related funding materials.

  • Experience contributing to funder reports, grant deliverables, scopes of work, budgets or budget narratives, and proposal timelines.

  • Experience working with schools, districts, higher education institutions, community organizations, funders, or grant-funded programs.

Preferred Competencies

  • Strong knowledge of research and program evaluation methods, including survey design, interview/focus group protocols, observation tools, logic models, implementation evaluation, outcome evaluation, and evaluation reporting.

  • Ability to independently manage research and evaluation projects, while contributing effectively to collaborative team-based projects.

  • Strong methodological judgment, including the ability to adapt research and evaluation procedures to fit project needs, partner contexts, and available data sources.

  • Experience collecting, cleaning, managing, analyzing, and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data.

  • Experience guiding or coordinating data collection, coding, analysis, and reporting across project teams.

  • Proficiency with spreadsheet software, including Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel.

  • Experience with at least one statistical or qualitative analysis tool, such as SPSS, R, Stata, MAXQDA, Dedoose, NVivo, or similar software.

  • Ability to write clearly and persuasively for multiple audiences, including researchers, funders, practitioners, institutional leaders, and community partners.

  • Ability to translate research and evaluation findings into clear, actionable insights and recommendations.

  • Ability to develop clear and compelling proposal materials, including research and evaluation plans, statements of need, timelines, deliverables, and descriptions of organizational capacity or prior work.

  • Familiarity with STEM education, data science education, AI education, or related education and workforce development fields.

  • Knowledge of school, district, state, federal, higher education, or grant-funded program contexts.

  • Strong project management skills, including the ability to prioritize, track timelines, coordinate across teams, and meet deadlines.

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.

  • Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.

  • Professionalism, adaptability, and emotional intelligence in collaborative and partner-facing settings.

Working Conditions

  • This position is eligible for a partial remote work arrangement. A fully remote work arrangement may be considered.

Application Documents

  • Resume (required)

  • Cover Letter (required)

  • References (preferred)


The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.


Job Family

Research


Role Impact

Individual Contributor


Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5


Drug Test Required

No


Health Screen Required

No


Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No


Pay Rate Type

Salary


FLSA Status

Exempt


Pay Range

$85,000.00 - $95,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the Universitys good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.


Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in theBenefits Guidebook.

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