JOB: Applied Research Youth Development

Even if this is not the right job at the right time for you, its description provides some insight into one of the skill set packages one can take away from an undergraduate social science degree.

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The Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development is a laboratory within the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University. The Institute has the mandate and goal to be a center of excellence for the conduct and dissemination of top-tier scholarship and for the education and professional development of graduate and undergraduate students interested in and passionate about enhancing the lives of diverse children, families, and communities through the application of developmental science.

The Research Data Analyst will manage logistics for the quantitative and qualitative aspects of various projects. The participant characteristics that are required for the sample to be studied in these projects are complex.  There is data collection from various groups, all who have particular demographic characteristics.  Thus, this staff member needs at least a Bachelor's degree in developmental science and training in sample design and recruitment methods, sample maintenance, and data management.  He/she will, first, design the sampling frame for all to-be-tested groups and in particular, design the plan for obtaining matched groups for propensity score matching procedures.  He/she will monitor actual sample recruitment to maintain the scientific rigor of the sampling design and matching.  As such, he/she will recruit participants and manage the site information for all data collection facets. This person will coordinate permissions and IRB approvals, and oversee the logistics of data collection.  This person will also clean the quantitative data as well as assist with coding of the qualitative data.  The person will need to monitor and make adjustments to the sample participants characteristics in order to maintain the validity of the sample design and matching procedures.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelors Degree in Psychology, Child Development, Human Developmental, Sociology or related field plus one (1) year of experience;
• Microsoft Office, SPSS, Access;
• Frequent travel to out of state locations required;
• Experience working on a longitudinal research project; excellent communications skills; proactive, organized and efficient; commitment to this research.
• Should be extremely well organized, able to develop and implement protocol(s) to maintain maximum sample participation for all waves of the longitudinal study. 
• Strong writing ability. 
• Collaborative colleague possessing creative problem solving skills and able to supervise a graduate student and undergraduate students. 
• Must have excellent attention to detail, ability to multitask, and be able to work both independently and collaboratively.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters Degree in Psychology, Child Development, Human Developmental, Sociology or related field preferred.
• Experience managing large longitudinal data files a plus. 

Special Work Schedule Requirements: Frequent travel to site locations will be required.

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