"Research Specialist, Development & Reporting"

Boston College Introduction

Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 9,484 full-time undergraduates and 5,250 graduate and professional students. Ranked 35 among national universities, Boston College has 888 full-time and 1,281 FTE faculty, 2,711 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $1.4 billion, and an endowment in excess of $3.5 billion.

Job Description

Join the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center as the Research Specialist, Development and Reporting, and become part of a team of experts redefining the measurement of mathematics, science, and reading achievement through TIMSS and PIRLS, which together represent the worldwide standard for assessment in these core subjects.

Located at Boston College's Lynch School of Education and Human Development, IEA's TIMSS & PIRLS conducts regular international comparative assessments of student achievement in mathematics and science (TIMSS) and in reading (PIRLS) in more than 60 countries. TIMSS (the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PIRLS (the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) together comprise the core cycle of studies for IEA - the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Headquartered in Amsterdam and with a major data processing and research center in Hamburg, IEA has been conducting international comparative studies of student achievement since 1959.

TIMSS and PIRLS enable participating countries to make evidence-based decisions for improving educational policy.

The Research Specialist, Development & Reporting, will focus on assessment development and the breadth of reporting, including primary results reports, research briefs, and secondary analyses for both TIMSS and PIRLS projects.

The responsibilities of this role include:

• Participate in writing and editing TIMSS and PIRLS publications, including international reports of study results and technical documentation.
• Contribute to and support the activities of TIMSS and PIRLS assessment development staff.
• Contribute to and support the activities of the context questionnaire development staff.
• Participate in the development and management of project schedules for TIMSS and PIRLS publications.
• Contribute ideas for TIMSS and PIRLS secondary data analyses and the development of research publications supporting valid interpretations of TIMSS and PIRLS results.
• Participate in writing, editing, and developing descriptions of TIMSS and PIRLS projects for brochures, newsletters, press releases, and materials as needed.
• Attend meetings of country participants, expert groups, or international partners, as needed to support the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center.

Requirements

• Qualifications and experience in educational measurement
• Experience in developing test items and instruments
• Data analysis and research experience
• Experience in writing research reports
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written
• Ability to persevere, maintain focus in reviewing technical material, and pay close attention to detail
• Skill in using word processing, excel, database, and presentation software
• The ability to work with others under pressure to adhere to tight deadlines
• Exercise maturity of judgment
• A minimum of an MA (or equivalent) or MS is required
• Research Associate: MA + 0 years of related experience
• Research Specialist: MA + 2 years of related experience
• Senior Research Specialist: MA in field of expertise + 3 yrs. of experience in field; Or PhD in field of expertise + 0-2 yrs. of experience in field
• Possible travel to international meetings as necessary
• Salary commensurate with relative experience.
• This is a grant funded position.

Closing Statement

Boston College offers a broad and competitive range of benefits depending on your job classification eligibility:

• Tuition remission for Employees
• Tuition remission for Spouses and Children who meet eligibility requirements
• Generous Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Low-Cost Life Insurance
• Eligibility for both University-Funded 401k and Employer-Sponsored 403b Retirement Plans
• Paid Holidays Annually
• Generous Sick and Vacation Pay
• Additional benefits can be found on https://www.bc.edu/employeehandbook

Boston College conducts pre-employment background checks as part of the hiring process.

Boston College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected category, including disability and protected veteran status. Boston College's Notice of Nondiscrimination can be viewed at https://www.bc.edu/nondiscrimination.