ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Postdoctoral Literacy Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Medical University of South Carolina

Summary The Senior Postdoctoral Researcher will play a key leadership role in advancing ongoing ... Computer literacy. Ability to work rotating shifts as required. Ability to work overtime as ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsPostdoctoral Literacy Jobs

Postdoctoral Literacy information

See salary details

$25K

$59K

$83.5K

How much do postdoctoral literacy jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for postdoctoral literacy in the United States is $59,022.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $49,000.00 and $66,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are postdoctoral literacy positions?

Postdoctoral literacy positions are research-focused roles for individuals who have recently completed their doctoral degrees and wish to further specialize in literacy education or literacy studies. These positions typically involve conducting original research, collaborating with faculty, publishing findings, and sometimes teaching or mentoring graduate students. The goal is to deepen expertise in literacy topics such as reading development, literacy interventions, or literacy policy. Postdocs in literacy often work in universities, research institutes, or educational organizations, and are usually temporary roles lasting one to three years.

What is the difference between Postdoctoral Literacy vs Postdoctoral Education?

AspectPostdoctoral LiteracyPostdoctoral Education
Required CredentialsDoctoral degree in literacy, education, or related fieldDoctoral degree in education or related field
Work EnvironmentResearch institutions, universities, academic settingsResearch institutions, universities, academic settings
Employer & Industry UsageAcademic research, literacy programs, educational policyEducational research, curriculum development, policy analysis
Common Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding research focus and specialization in literacyExploring broader educational research and policy roles

Postdoctoral Literacy focuses on research and expertise specifically in literacy education, often involving specialized research projects. Postdoctoral Education has a broader scope within educational research, encompassing various aspects of education beyond literacy. Both roles typically require a doctoral degree and are based in academic or research settings, but they differ in their specific focus areas and career paths.

What are some common challenges postdoctoral researchers in literacy face during their projects?

Postdoctoral researchers in literacy often encounter challenges such as securing funding for independent research, balancing teaching or mentoring responsibilities with their own scholarly work, and establishing a unique research identity separate from their doctoral studies. Additionally, navigating interdisciplinary collaborations and publishing in high-impact journals can be demanding. Building a professional network and gaining experience in grant writing are also crucial steps for advancing in academia or related fields.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Literacy, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Literacy, you need a doctoral degree in literacy, education, or a related field, along with strong research, data analysis, and academic writing skills. Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research software (such as NVivo, SPSS, or R) and experience publishing in peer-reviewed journals are typically required. Exceptional communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills help you engage with interdisciplinary teams and contribute to innovative literacy research. These skills and qualifications are crucial for advancing scholarly understanding, securing research funding, and making impactful contributions to literacy education.
More about Postdoctoral Literacy jobs
What cities are hiring for Postdoctoral Literacy jobs? Cities with the most Postdoctoral Literacy job openings:
What states have the most Postdoctoral Literacy jobs? States with the most job openings for Postdoctoral Literacy jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Postdoctoral Literacy jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Postdoctoral Literacy jobs are:
Postdoctoral Literacy jobs near you
Postdoctoral Fellow - Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR)

Postdoctoral Fellow - Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR)

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • On-site

$53K - $72K/yr

Full-time

Posted 22 days ago

Harvard University rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 7 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

134th of 544 rated colleges and universities

Job description

Description
The Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Postdoc) will be part of a growing team at the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University. CEPR seeks to transform education through the power of research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using evidence, rather than hunches and untested assumptions. In pursuit of this end, CEPR both conducts cutting-edge quantitative research on critical topics for the field and develops new and faster models of education research that can better support education leaders. The Postdoc will be a critical part of the CEPR team, helping education leaders around the country to learn what's working and what's not in education.
The Postdoctoral Research Fellow develops, manages, and contributes to research on important educational topics, literacy coaching, literacy tutoring, high quality curriculum and instructional materials, charter school effectiveness, and educational technology. The research agenda carried out by the Postdoc will provide a foundation for decisions that improve student achievement and generate a growing demand for data analysis that fundamentally alters the way decisions are made in education. The Postdoc's responsibilities may include developing analytic plans, proposing projects, independently pursuing analytic objectives with minimal guidance, contributing to written products for non-technical audiences or leading partner-facing technical presentations, contributing to grant applications and grant reporting, training and mentoring junior staff, and contributing to reusable program code and utilities.
Postdocs hired under this posting may support projects with the States Leading States team, working with state education agencies to evaluate policies and disseminate those that are effective; or the Charter Hub team, evaluating long-term effects of charter schools as well as contemporaneous achievement effects of charter schools. The Postdoc will also have up to 25% of their time reserved for their own research and publishing efforts.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Analysis:
  • Lead the development of new analyses, including proposing research questions, identifying policies poised for evaluation, and determining appropriate analyses;
  • Writing pre-analysis plans detailing planned analyses, key variables, and deliverables to coordinate workflows and enable alignment with open science principles;
  • Gather and act on feedback and suggestions from faculty, principal investigators, and senior researchers;
  • Assembling, cleaning, and managing large longitudinal datasets;
  • Evaluating data quality, and identifying outliers and anomalies that require resolution prior to analysis; and
  • Performing literature reviews in support of CEPR projects.

Programming:
  • Perform complex programming tasks; and
  • Ensure code is appropriately quality controlled and documented.

Partner Relations and Communications:
  • Supporting development of projects with external partners and stakeholders;
  • Participate in presenting key research findings to internal and external academic and non-academic audiences; and
  • Draft reports and presentations for partners, including state education leaders, school boards, superintendents, principals, and grantors.

Teamwork and Management:
  • Develop draft workplans;
  • Research operations, including DUAs, IRBs, and project reporting;
  • Train, develop and supervise junior staff; and
  • Maintain open and clear communication with PI/Project Director.

Maintain Independent Research Agenda
  • Complete ongoing research and publications
  • Pursue independent research studies with guidance from CEPR-affiliated faculty.

Qualifications
  • Doctorate preferably in public or education policy, economics, or a related field, prior to starting in the position;
  • Knowledgeable about econometric research methods and their appropriate uses; and
  • Strong facility with Stata.

Additional Qualifications
  • Experience working with data of varying quality and from varied source systems;
  • Able to identify methodological challenges, and have the capacity to resolve them or raise the issues to the appropriate level;
  • Able to synthesize and present findings to both technical and non-technical audiences;
  • Able to describe methods to both technical and non-technical audiences, including trade-offs between methods;
  • Proven ability to work under pressure, accurately assess problems, and develop solutions;
  • Experience working with (or in) education or the public sector preferred;
  • Demonstrated success managing completion of full research projects a plus;
  • Familiarity with R a plus; and
  • Familiarity with Python a plus

Application Instructions
To apply, candidates should submit the following:
  • A cover letter indicating gtheir interest and qualifications
  • A current CV
  • Graudate transcripts
  • A writing sample
  • Sample Stata code
  • 3 letters of recommendation

Candidates invited to a final round will be required to give a presentation on their prior work. The salary for this position is $85,000 a year. The priority application deadline is April 3, 2026.
This Postdoctoral Fellow appointment will initially be for one year with a strong possibliity for renewal for a second.
This is a remote-eligible/hybrid position, with a preference for in-person (3 days a week in our Cambridge office).

What Harvard University employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

Apply