Senior Researcher, Education Systems and Policy – Part-Time

American Institutes for Research

Part-Time Senior Researcher supporting research projects for state and local education agencies. Involves designing studies and engaging with education leaders across the U.S.

Posted 5/29/2026part-timeRemote • California, Illinois, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $60 - $74 per hourWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the design and execution of rigorous applied research or evidence-driven technical assistance projects and support project leadership across work of increased scope and complexity.
Assume primary responsibility for writing reports and presentations that describe and interpret evidence for practitioners and policymakers.
Design and apply appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative methods to collect, manage, analyze, and interpret data, maintaining AIR’s quality standards.
Translate complex findings into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for client reports, technical memos, and presentations.
Manage projects or major workstreams of increased scope and complexity, including planning timelines, overseeing deliverables, and managing project-level client relationships.
Engage with stakeholders and partners through meetings, briefings, and dissemination activities.
Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive work environment by providing guidance and feedback to team members and supporting high-quality project outcomes.

Requirements

What you’ll need

PhD in a related subject area (e.g., Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Public Policy, or related field) with 3+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience designing and leading applied research studies for state or local education agencies.
Experience working in contract research, evaluation, or consulting environments.
Demonstrated expertise in one or more PreK–12 topic areas, such as school improvement, accountability, literacy, numeracy, postsecondary readiness, career and technical education, or absenteeism.
Demonstrated experience partnering with state or local education agencies to identify high-leverage priorities, develop logic models and aligned research questions, and design descriptive, quasi-experimental, or experimental studies.
Experience conducting field-based data collection using a range of methodologies (e.g., interviews, focus groups, observations, surveys).
Experience providing coaching or technical assistance to education leaders in state and/or local education agencies.

Benefits

Comp & perks

AIR’s Total Rewards Program
Competitive salary

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

applied researchqualitative methodsquantitative methodsdata analysisreport writingpresentation skillsproject managementfield-based data collectionlogic modelsexperimental studies

Soft Skills

collaborationcommunicationleadershipguidancefeedbackstakeholder engagementproblem-solvingadaptabilityorganizational skillsclient relationship management