Research Associate, Employment & Economic Opportunity Program

American Institutes for Research

Research Associate in AIR’s Employment & Economic Opportunity Program providing research support and analysis. Focusing on various workforce development projects across the United States.

Posted 5/7/2026full-timeRemote • California, Illinois, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia • 🇺🇸 United StatesJuniorMid-Level💰 $33 - $40 per hourWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Assist project teams in compiling and synthesizing information (e.g., conducting literature reviews and policy scans)
Prepare and assist with primary source data collection through interviews, focus groups, and surveys; organize materials; and contribute to content development
Participate in the collection and review of research and evaluation data
Analyze quantitative and qualitative research data and contribute to the reporting and interpretation of findings
Prepare documents, portions of reports, briefs, charts, and graphs that describe and interpret findings of analyses
Support proposal writing and business development activities
Support project management tasks, including developing project timelines, coordinating meetings, and tracking project progress

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s Degree and 3+ years of experience or Master’s Degree in Social Sciences (Public Policy, Sociology, Economics, Education, Psychology, etc.)
Familiarity with higher education and/or workforce development systems, policies, or programs (e.g., postsecondary access and success, career and technical education, adult education, workforce training, employment programs)
Experience conducting qualitative and/or quantitative data collection, including survey design, administrative data collection, interviews, observations, and focus groups
Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis software programs including STATA, R, NVIVO, or similar software
Demonstrated content knowledge in workforce development, public benefits, career and technical education, or related topics
Prior work on federal or foundation-funded research or evaluation projects in education or workforce policy
Experience conducting site visits or stakeholder engagement with education or workforce organizations

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive salary
Professional development opportunities
Flexible work arrangements
Commitment to a drug-free work environment
Equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

data collectionqualitative analysisquantitative analysissurvey designliterature reviewspolicy scanscontent developmentreport writingdata interpretationproject management

Soft Skills

communicationorganizationcollaborationanalytical thinkingproblem-solving