Research Associate Ii

About WestEd

As a community of over 1000 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact — asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.  

Furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion is core to who we are and how we work. We are committed to working with our clients to illuminate and address disparities, value and elevate diverse voices, and ensure equitable access to our resources and services. Please review our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our Careers page at wested.org.  Come and join us!

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION—Although WestEd provides the option of working at one of its facilities for employees, many roles allow employees to choose to work remotely for their own convenience.  The decision to allow remote work at the employee's convenience is based on the requirements of the position or project in question.

Content Area or Department Brief Description

Work in the Early Childhood Learning and Development content area builds the capacity of ECE educators, caregivers, and parents to provide high-quality, responsive, early care and education to all children (birth to five), supporting children’s well-being and promoting their development across all domains. 

This work includes 1) The development of research-based professional development and curriculum resources (print, online, and video) and the provision of T/TA to build the capacity of the early childhood workforce, 2) the evaluation of ECE programs and resources designed to promote children’s learning and development, including assessing the quality of environments and relationships in early care and education programs, and 3) assessment development and research on the developmental progress of children.

The Opportunity

In the role of Research Associate II in the Early Childhood Learning and Development (ECLD) content area, you will have the opportunity to bring your deep knowledge of child development and evaluation to highly visible and meaningful initiatives designed to support the teaching and learning of young children in child care settings.  Recently, California allocated funds to update the California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations and Curriculum Framework. You will contribute to the development of learning foundations, curriculum tools, and training materials for educators in your area of expertise.  California also invested in expanding access to inclusive child care for children with disabilities through the Inclusive Early Education Expansion Program (IEEEP). You will contribute to the IEEEP evaluation by conducting quantitative and qualitative data analysis, synthesizing findings across data sources, and creating dissemination products. This role will require the candidate to work with a broad range of individuals (e.g., researchers, evaluation partners, consultants, early educators, and community organizations), demonstrate leadership, and adapt in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities for this role include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborate with team members in the planning, design, and development of training materials for educators on various topics related to child development, early learning standards, and assessment in different formats (e.g., print, video, online).
•  Contribute to the planning, design, and development of online webpages presenting early learning standards and related resources for early childhood education professionals.
• Contribute to the recruitment, planning, facilitation, data analysis, and write-up of focus groups with early childhood educators and other constituencies on the use of early learning standards.
• Contribute to the development of data analysis plans (e.g., coding schemes, statistical tests, etc.) using quantitative and qualitative analysis software (e.g., SPSS, MAXQDA) and review others’ analyses to ensure quality.
• Conduct and manage quantitative data analysis using basic and advanced statistical analyses (e.g., repeated measures ANOVA, multi-level modeling, multiple linear regression).
• Manage tasks, assignments, and staff within projects with support from project leadership.
• Contribute to the conceptualization and writing of proposals at the direction of proposal leaders.
• Conduct training sessions, webinars, or communities of practice as needed and present at local and national professional development meetings and conferences.
• Participate in weekly meetings with team members and partner organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong commitment to reflect and promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and multilingual learning in early learning standards, curriculum, and assessment materials.
• Graduate degree in child development, early childhood education, education policy, psychology, public health, or related field (PhD or EdD required).
• Deep knowledge of research and evaluation methodology, measurement, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• Experience conducting applied research and evaluation in education, psychology, and/or social sciences, preferably with experience in evaluating system-level initiatives or policies.
• Programming experience in at least one major statistical package (SPSS preferred) and qualitative analysis software (e.g., MAXQDA, Dedoose).
• Knowledge in one or more of the following:
  • Early childhood development (ages birth to 8 years).
  • Early childhood curriculum and standards (birth – 3rd grade).
  • Deep expertise in one of the following domains of development: Early math development, science and engineering, social-emotional development, physical development, approaches to learning, cognition, language, and literacy, including dual language/multilingual development.
• Strong written and oral communication skills to develop content, write reports, and lead presentations.

Other degrees, skills, abilities, and experiences of interest

• Knowledge of the early childhood system and/or early elementary educational system, preferably in California.
• Experience with state and national early childhood initiatives and research.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to proposals for research and evaluation grants and contracts.
• Able to complete tasks independently with guidance from leadership and collaborate effectively with team members.
• Demonstrated experience in creating professional development resources.
• High tolerance for ambiguity, demonstrated flexibility, and a willingness to take on new responsibilities.
• Demonstrated proficiency using Microsoft Applications: Excel, Word, and PowerPoint and willingness to use technology tools such as Box, Google Drive, and Smartsheet to support collaboration.
• Strong command of computer technology, including advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

*Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The full salary range for this position, WestEd level G, is $88,000 to $132,000, but WestEd does not typically hire at or near the top of the salary range. The typical hiring range for this role is $88,000 to $110,000. The actual offer takes into account multiple factors, including but not limited to education, experience, internal equity, and other organizational needs. 

In addition to the base salary, benefits include:

· 15% contribution toward retirement effective day 1 of employment

· Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts

· All health/welfare benefits are effective the first of the month following the hire date

· PTO: 3 weeks vacation (increases to 4 weeks beginning the 4th year of employment), paid holidays, and 12 days paid sick leave per year

· Life Insurance: value of 3x gross salary

· Opportunities for annual merit-based performance increases + annual incentives

· Professional development opportunities & mentorship program

For more details about our benefits, go to:

https://www.wested.org/work-at-wested/benefits/

Committed to the diversity of race, ethnicities, perspectives, and opportunities, WestEd offers a variety of social and professional learning communities, such as Employee Resource groups, the Data Intelligence, Insights, and Innovation PLC, and the WestEd Parent Community, just to name a few.  We hope you’ll consider joining us to build better schools, communities, learning pathways, and more! #LI-Remote #LI-Hybrid