Job Information
Boston College Research Specialist, Measurement & Data Analysis in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Boston College Introduction
Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 9,484 full-time undergraduates and 5,250 graduate and professional students. Ranked 35 among national universities, Boston College has 888 full-time and 1,281 FTE faculty, 2,711 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $1.4 billion, and an endowment in excess of $3.5 billion.
Job Description
The TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center is hiring a Research Specialist, Measurement & Data Analysis, with a focus on statistical programming and data analysis. The ideal candidate will have work experience in the operational analysis of large-scale international student skill assessment data. Specific title/level will be determined based on the candidate's experience.
The position requires a combination of research and operational experience in statistical programming and data analysis, psychometrics, and statistics, including proficiency in statistical programming. A good understanding of large scale international educational measurement projects is desirable.
The Research Specialist, Measurement & Data Analysis is responsible for assisting the Associate Research Director of Psychometrics & Data Analysis and contributing to all technical aspects of the TIMSS and PIRLS international assessments, including designing and conducting statistical analyses necessary for reporting the results of the TIMSS and PIRLS, as well as special studies and assessments, communicating and documenting the results to a wide international audience. The successful candidate will have a strong background and experience in statistics, data analysis, R and SAS statistical scripting and an interest in multidimensional item response theory models for very large sets of data.
Primary responsibilities:
Analytic and operational work to support successful completion of all reporting schedules. Work with research specialists, statistical programmers, and psychometricians, as well as assessment developers at the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center.
Develop, maintain, update, and document data processing systems and computer programs required to analyze data from TIMSS, PIRLS and upcoming special studies and expanded assessment portfolio.
Develop computer programs for data analysis exhibits published in the TIMSS, PIRLS and special study reports.
Document and assist in publishing the TIMSS and PIRLS international databases and user guides for each assessment cycle and used by researchers around the world.
Assist with designing and conducting analysis for special studies to support ongoing research related to processing and analysis of TIMSS and PIRLS data.
Requirements
MSc or advanced qualifications and experience in statistics, psychometrics, quantitative research methods, quantitative psychology, or a related field.
Research Associate, Measurement & Data Analysis:0 - 3 years of relevant work experience in a research or operational large-scale assessment program
Research Specialist, Measurement & Data Analysis:3 years of relevant work experience in a research or operational large-scale assessment program
Senior Research Specialist, Measurement & Data Analysis:6 years of relevant work experience in a research or operational large-scale assessment program
Strong quantitative skills and experience in complex data analysis, modeling, and statistical programming targeting analyses of large-scale assessment and/or survey data
Experience with relevant statistical programming and analysis tools. Experience in R and SAS and ability to work with both is desired.
Willingness to pick up new methodological skills and learn new tools as required by current and future responsibilities is required.
Experience working in an international and multicultural environment
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to persevere, maintain focus in reviewing technical material, pay close attention to detail under tight deadlines
Competitive salary commensurate with relevant experience.
This is a grant funded position.
Located at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development, IEA’s TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center conducts regular international comparative assessments of student achievement in mathematics and science (TIMSS) and in reading (PIRLS) in more than 60 countries. TIMSS (the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PIRLS (the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) together comprise the core cycle of studies for IEA – the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Headquartered in Amsterdam and with a major data processing and research center in Hamburg, IEA has been conducting international comparative studies of student achievement since 1959.
TIMSS and PIRLS collect an array of information about home, school, and classroom contexts in which students in each country learn mathematics, science, and reading. Collecting comparable data about students' opportunities to learn is at the core of TIMSS and PIRLS, and the results are reported regularly in relation to countries' achievement on the mathematics, science, and reading assessment and as a matter of interest to educators and policy makers.
Data collection and reporting for TIMSS and PIRLS take place on regular, ongoing cycles, requiring constant advances in measurement methodology. TIMSS and PIRLS results are disseminated through reports and via the web through a well-documented database.
Closing Statement
Boston College offers a broad and competitive range of benefits depending on your job classification eligibility:
Tuition remission for Employees
Tuition remission for Spouses and Children who meet eligibility requirements
Generous Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
Low-Cost Life Insurance
Eligibility for both University-Funded 401k and Employer-Sponsored 403b Retirement Plans
Paid Holidays Annually
Generous Sick and Vacation Pay
Additional benefits can be found on https://www.bc.edu/employeehandbook
Boston College conducts pre-employment background checks as part of the hiring process.
Boston College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. In concert with our Jesuit, Catholic mission, Boston College is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment and strongly encourages applications for women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and covered veterans. To learn more about how BC supports diversity and inclusion throughout the university please visit the Office for Institutional Diversity at https://www.bc.edu/diversity .
Boston College's Notice of Nondiscrimination can be viewed at https://www.bc.edu/nondiscrimination .