Description
At Curriculum Associates (CA), we believe a diverse team leads to diversity in thinking, making our products better for teachers and students. If you read this job description, feel energized by what you see here, and believe you could bring passion and commitment to the role, but you aren't sure you meet every qualification, please apply! Above all, we are looking for the right person!
Curriculum Associates is a rapidly growing educational technology and publishing company committed to making classrooms better places for teachers and students. We are seeking a talented individual with strong research skills to join our Research team as a Policy Analyst.
In this role, you'll work with CA's research team on rigorous research and policy projects focused on advancing CA's research agenda for improving student outcomes in reading and mathematics. You'll work on the design and execution of actionable research using a variety of data types, study designs, and analysis strategies to answer important research and policy questions. You will translate ongoing research done by CA research teams and write research reports and policy briefs that help communicate CA's research findings to diverse audiences, including external partners, clients, policymakers, education researchers, and national education audiences.
This opportunity is right for you if:

• You are fiercely committed to providing educators, decision makers, and policymakers at all levels of the education system -- national, state, district, and classroom -timely, accurate, meaningful research results to inform policy and practice
• You are deeply passionate about using the power of data analytics and research to help all students reach their potential - especially those students who are at risk
• You can deftly transform musings from non-researchers and policymakers into research questions and testable hypotheses
• You can independently design and execute sophisticated quantitative analyses and communicate the results, orally and in writing, clearly and succinctly to non-technical audiences
• You are energized when your research is due on a tight turn-around because it is needed to inform timely decisions that will help make classrooms better for students and teachers
• You can work with multiple teams and senior leaders with diverse perspectives to convey your insights and action plans

The impact you'll have:

• You'll be part of a dynamic team working to design and execute studies that answer actionable research and policy questions with a focus on assessment, instruction, and other education services
• You'll draft research reports, policy briefs, and documentation for internal and external audiences, including research findings, process documentation, and analysis specifications
• You'll present research findings to diverse audiences, including staff meetings, meetings with external clients, and professional conferences
• You'll contribute to quality control processes to ensure the accuracy of data, analyses, and the findings of research projects

Who we're looking for:

• Master's degree, plus 3-5 years of demonstrated experience analyzing and communicating results from complex education datasets
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, ideally with experience writing concise, high-level summaries and briefs as well as longer technical research reports
• Strong understanding of trends in national education policy, state policy environments, and how assessment data and education research impact state and local policies
• Demonstrated expertise in state or national education agencies or with state or national policy or research organizations
• Ability to facilitate meetings and committees and create consensus across diverse interests
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and collaboratively, both orally and in writing, to a variety of audiences, including management, researchers, national education leaders, policymakers, media, and the public
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects while maintaining a high level of attention to detail and a positive, go-getter attitude
• Independent worker and is an enjoyable, collaborative colleague who team members value

Not required, though we'd love to see:

• Ph.D. within education research, evaluation, psychology, public policy, or other quantitative social science discipline, and/or equivalent "expert-level, direct" experience

Location: Curriculum Associates is a socially responsible, rapidly growing educational company headquartered northwest of Boston, MA. This is a remote position which will work collaboratively with a team of other researchers, most of whom are also working remotely.
Starting date: ASAP
Travel expectations: Less than 20% of total time. Travel for this position will likely include one semi-annual team meeting and occasional travel to national conferences or external meetings.
Compensation & benefits: Competitive salary with great benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance, employer contributed 401K.
A cover letter and writing sample from a research project you led is required for consideration.