Research Associate I

carry out the Institute's public service mission by conducting community-based research projects on behalf of local organizations from across the region. This also includes disseminating findings from the Institute's research as well as that of others to the public through reports, articles, and data visualizations. Manage concurrent research projects that involve research expertise Assist in research proposal development Conduct literature reviews Develop metrics and measures Collect secondary data as well as primary data for projects through surveys, interviews, and/or fieldwork Perform statistical and qualitative data analysis. Observe and report trends in data/information Coordinate with the Institute's administrative support team on all pre- and post-award requirements of assigned research Monitor and maintain research compliance of assigned projects including requirements of the UNC Charlotte Institutional Review Board and data security Make presentations to faculty members, community partners, community forums, and speaker series about conducted research Provide technical support and consult on additional research projects Coordinate or assist with the coordination of Gambrell-funded initiatives through the Urban Institute. Assist in the development and maintenance of relationships with existing and potential community partners (governmental agencies and non-profit organizations) and university faculty/partners, particularly connected to research expertise Participate in university and community forums and other engagement activities around research expertise Represent the Urban Institute in University and community initiatives and functions Assist in maintaining the quality and rigor of all UI research and resulting products Participate in review and constructive feedback of colleagues' research proposals, methodology, analysis, data visualizations, and final reports/presentation Assist in preparing grants and other proposals to support research and programming at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute Pro-actively learn and update oneself and the team on local and regional policies that may impact the key research areas of the Institute Engage in continuous learning and professional development around research expertise, a variety of research methodologies, data visualization, supervision, effective communication, and project management. Minimum Experience / Education: Master's degree in the social sciences including urban planning, sociology, social work, public health, education, geography, public policy, or other social science field Preferred Education Skills and Experience: Experience conducting social science research projects Experience with maintaining relationships with community partners and other community engagement activities Experience with data collection and management, statistical and qualitative analysis, and reporting Familiarity with large databases at the national, state, and local levels, such as Census and American Community Survey Track record of effectively working independently with minimal direct supervision Experience with statistical analysis software (e.g., SAS , SPSS , R, or STATA ) for program evaluation models, multivariate and other analyses Preferred knowledge and expertise: Knowledge and expertise in one or more of the following areas: Education, Housing & Homelessness, Public Health, Youth Development, Career & Workforce Development, Economic Development, Urban & Regional Planning, Public Policy, Public Administration, Social Welfare Substantive methodological expertise in one or more of the following areas: Ability to collect, analyze, and visualize secondary data using a variety of sources (local administrative data, Census data, and other federal and state data sources) and techniques (descriptive and inferential, spatial analysis, mapping) Preferred skills: Strong cultural awareness and sensitivity (also known as cultural humility in the literature), and a curiosity to learn about backgrounds and contexts other than their own and to consider implications for research and analysis Strong organizational as well as oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills Data visualization – Ability to convey data to a variety of audiences as well as use software like Tableau or R Shiny. Proficiency in SAS , R, or STATA