Research Specialist

Research Specialist

Discovery Partners Institute

University of Illinois System - Chicago

The Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) is seeking an experienced researcher of workforce-related issues to contribute to an exciting new initiative that will help solve applied problems in Illinois education and workforce development. This position is a great fit for a seasoned researcher who would like to develop as a project leader in education and workforce research. The position will provide rich opportunities for rigorous applied research, community engagement, collaboration with Illinois education and workforce leaders, publication, and interdisciplinary, multi-institutional project partnerships.

Additional responsibilities include:

Research

• Help set and maintain a vision for how IWERC conceives of workforce-related issues across its research portfolio, including attention to:

o Emerging trends in the employment landscape

o Adult training and retraining programs

o Workplace culture/environment issues and their effects on acquiring and maintaining a diverse workforce

o Equity in access to and persistence in high-demand careers (and training for such careers)

o Match between preK-12 and postsecondary training and workplace needs

• Create new projects and proposals (including data collection, analytic, and staff plans) related to the broader IWERC mission.
• Serve as a collaborator on other projects in the IWERC portfolio.

Development/Dissemination

• Write successful funding proposals for projects related to IWERC's mission.
• Present practical results in a clear, creative, and accessible fashion to practitioners, community partners, and education/workforce leaders.
• Disseminate research findings via academic conferences and in scholarly publications.
• Contribute to the overall vision and success of the IWERC team, including participating in direction-setting for the team's portfolio of work, collaborating with other team members on projects, providing hard feedback to team members, and assisting with development efforts.

Staff Management

• Supervise and mentor junior research specialists in collecting and managing data, conducting analyses, engaging in ethical and collaborative relationships with participants, and disseminating results.

Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Candidates must possess a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology, Sociology, or related field. Specific field is flexible, but thesis (or other major work) must be related to workforce issues or workforce development with 1+ years of post-Ph.D. experience in researching workforce-related issues. (3+ years preferred.) Other qualifications include: strong writing skills; experience writing publication-quality research manuscripts required; deep commitment to furthering equity and diversity in professional work and research projects; interest in doing applied research that investigates field-initiated issues and directly serves community partners; ability to be a self-starter, taking initiative in developing new lines of research and collaboration; comfort working collaboratively, contributing to a collective vision, and giving/receiving hard, actionable feedback; history of being highly ethical in professional conduct, research conduct, and interactions with internal and external colleagues and partners. Preferred qualifications include: quantitative methodological expertise; experience writing grant proposals; experience conducting research related to equity and diversity in workforce context; experience working with community partners on research strongly preferred.

This is a full-time, 12-month Academic Professional position. For full consideration, candidates must apply and submit a letter of application, resume, and names/addresses/phone numbers of three professional references by November 12, 2020 at https://uajobs.hr.uillinois.edu/.

The System Office conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=1411899

System Human Resource Services
(217) 333-2600
erhr@uillinois.edu

The System Office is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer dedicated to building a community of excellence, equity and diversity. The System Offices welcome applications from women, underrepresented minorities, individuals with disabilities, protected veterans, sexual minority groups and other candidates who will lead and contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives.