Research Assistant Jobs in Springfield, MA (NOW HIRING)

If you have any questions about the position or our application process, reach out to us at recruiting-u@smith.edu.

Are you curious, analytical, and excited by the power of data to tell a story?

Join Smith College's Institutional Research team and gain real-world experience at the intersection of research, data science, and higher education.

Well-suited for emerging professionals while also welcoming candidates with relevant experience, this role provides opportunities to contribute to survey research, data analysis, visualization, reporting, and accreditation projects that inform strategic decision-making across the college.

Job Summary

Support Smith's IR and accreditation teams through data analysis, survey administration, report preparation, project tracking, and reporting of institutional statistics, along with limited administrative support. Collaborate with IR's technical and analytic teams to analyze data and prepare reports. Manage survey processes, prepare research reports for presentation and distribution, maintain and provide appropriate access to information about institutional statistics to internal and external constituencies including guidebooks, grant reports, accreditation, and media inquiries. Maintain IR website and provide administrative support as needed.

Take appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Essential Functions

Institutional Research, Assessment, and Accreditation Support (50%): Coordinate and respond to external surveys, ad-hoc, and routine queries about college facts and statistics. Find, retrieve, and process information from public higher education and internal data sources. Manage survey data collection processes, including incentive payments and data collection timelines. Provision Qualtrics survey system users, and provide technical support for user provisioning issues. Work as a part of the IR team on diverse projects, including reaccreditation.

Research Analyst (40%): Under the direction of senior IR team members, conduct research design and analysis, including the development of automated systems to process structured data collected from administrative records, surveys, and other means. Clean, combine, restructure, and aggregate data from multiple sources to support research objectives and provide clear, accurate tables, data visualizations, reports, and slide decks.

Administrative Support (10%): Process invoices, maintain records, and track expenditures for the IR office. Proofread and number-check reports, enter data, prepare documents for publication and presentation. Maintain website documents to ensure that information is up-to-date. Develop and maintain organization of documents, including IRB and NDA records; implement document retention policy. Maintain IR project list including tracking timelines and confirming deliverables for IR team.

MINIMUM REQUIRED Qualifications (education, experience, certifications, licenses, knowledge, skills)

Bachelor's Degree and 1-5 years' experience in social science or educational research, analytic, statistical, or data-related work. Hands-on experience gained during undergraduate or graduate education may be included.

Knowledge of data wrangling, data presentation, and research methods. Advanced knowledge of G-Suite and MS Office, including graphing, document formatting, and data management capabilities. Demonstrated track record as a proactive learner.

Skills

Excellent attention to detail, strong organizational, writing, and data visualization skills; comfort with quantitative data. Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines independently. Demonstrated track record as a proactive learner. Excellent communication skills, including visual, verbal, and written communication.

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge of Institutional research or other higher education data analytics. Knowledge of Tableau, R, Qualtrics.

Statistical analysis, R programming, Tableau data visualization, Qualtrics system use and administration.

Position Type

Please attach BOTH a current resume and a cover letter in order for your application to be considered for this position . Be sure you have provided all attachments before submitting your application.

Review of applications will begin

Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women's colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 151B, it is the policy of Smith College to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact our recruiting team at recruiting-u@smith.edu.

As set forth in our mission and values, Smith College is committed to promoting a culture of equity and inclusion among students, staff and faculty. The College will not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or any other classification protected by law. Smith College is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination.