Research Associate Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

The Research Associate II plays a key role in supporting the implementation and day-to-day management of research and evaluation projects. Working closely with the Assistant Director, Principal Investigator (PI), Research Director, and Center staff, this position coordinates data collection, entry, and preliminary analysis while ensuring strict adherence to research protocols and IRB requirements. The role involves maintaining accurate project documentation, monitoring timelines and deliverables, and communicating effectively with a wide range of partners, including campus faculty, K-12 schools, community organizations, and state agencies.

The Research Associate II proactively identifies and communicates risks, delays, or deviations from approved project plans or protocols and escalates operational, compliance, or timeline concerns to the PI and Center leadership in a timely and well-documented manner. The position may supervise graduate assistants on project-specific tasks and provides technical and peer support to promote accuracy, consistency, and compliance with project standards. In addition, the Research Associate II contributes to reporting, publications, proposal development, fieldwork, and dissemination of findings, supporting the Center's overall research mission and success.
 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience supporting the implementation of research projects through data collection, entry, and preliminary analysis, with a strong commitment to fidelity to research protocols and thorough project documentation.
• Strong professional communication skills for coordinating with research partners and stakeholders, ensuring timely updates, responsiveness, and alignment with project goals; experience working with schools, community organizations, and state agencies to administer surveys, schedule site visits, and collect program data.
• Experience collaborating with Principal Investigators (PIs) to manage day-to-day research operations, working with faculty, staff, and sponsors to support multiple project activities.
• Ability to contribute to project reporting, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations for professional audiences.
• Experience supporting proposal development, including conducting literature reviews and drafting sections of grant applications.
• Experience conducting fieldwork and contributing to data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience developing and refining surveys and other research instruments.
• Familiarity with data collection tools, research protocols, and preliminary analysis techniques to ensure consistency, accuracy, and adherence to project standards.
• Experience working on grant-funded projects and adhering to IRB protocols.
• Strong technical writing skills, including experience preparing formative and summative reports and sharing research findings with diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and collaboration tools (Teams, OneDrive); preferred experience with Qualtrics, Power BI, and SPSS. Familiarity with AI tools such as Copilot is a plus.

Minimum Position Qualifications:

Master's degree in relevant area with three years of experience.

Desired Position Qualifications:

Doctoral degree strongly preferred.

Job Summary:

The Research Associate II supports the implementation and day-to-day management of research projects by coordinating data collection, entry, and preliminary analysis while ensuring fidelity to research and IRB protocols. Working closely with the Assistant Director, Principal Investigator (PI), and other Center staff, this role helps monitor project activities, maintain accurate documentation, and communicate effectively with partners-including campus faculty, schools, community organizations, and state agencies-to support data collection efforts and ensure alignment with project goals. The Research Associate II is responsible for proactively identifying and communicating project-related risks, delays, or deviations from approved protocols or project plans, and for escalating operational, compliance, or timeline concerns in a timely and well-documented manner to the PI and Center leadership. The Research Associate II may supervise graduate assistants on projectspecific research tasks, including assigning work, monitoring progress, and providing feedback in coordination with the PI, and provides technical and peer support to promote consistency, accuracy, and adherence to project standards across tasks.

In addition, the Research Associate II contributes to project reporting, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications; supports proposal development through literature reviews and drafting grant materials; participates in fieldwork; assists with the development of research instruments; and supports the dissemination of findings to relevant audiences. This position requires strong organizational, communication, and collaboration skills, along with the ability to support multiple projects and contribute to the Center's overall success.

Special Conditions:

This position is contingent upon funding availability. This position is unable to provide visa sponsorship.

The Center is particularly interested in candidates with evaluation experience and those who have worked with or within K-12 schools.

Reports to:

Assistant Director and Research Director

Positions Supervised:

May supervise graduate assistants.