Description

Research Scientist, Learning and Improvement Services

Position Summary

NWEA® is seeking a Research Scientist for our Learning and Improvement Services (LIS) team. This team delivers high quality learning, coaching, and systems advising experiences for teachers and administrators focused on bringing curriculum, instruction, and assessment into alignment to improve student outcomes. Research Scientists support the Learning and Improvement Services team through primary and secondary research and evaluation activities that help monitor the effectiveness and impact of our partnerships with schools and districts, support the development and evolution of new content, and help elevate the role of NWEA in instructional innovation and the broader professional learning and school improvement fields. Note: This is a remote position and NWEA will consider candidates who reside in any location within the United States.

Responsibilities

• Serves as an embedded research scientist for the Learning and Improvement Services teams, developing and executing primary and secondary research that help the teams design new content, deliver high quality learning experiences, and elevate NWEA's role as a recognized authority on teaching and learning.
• Execute and help manage the LIS Learning Evaluation Services suite of products that provide evidence of the impact of professional learning through needs assessment, surveys, classroom observation tools, and portfolios of student and teachers' work
• Support LIS consultants and staff in learning how to support implementation of Learning Evaluation Services at a district and state level through the development of new content, mentorship, and coaching, and by writing and editing reports for district audiences
• Manage a portfolio of research projects to support the Professional Learning Design team in evaluating the efficacy of new content, modalities of delivery, and other new and innovative approaches to professional learning
• Maintain awareness of new and emergent research on teaching and learning and serve as a conduit for this research to the rest of the LIS team
• Represent the LIS team in organization-wide meetings and efforts related to assigned projects or sustaining work as requested
• Represent the LIS team externally at professional conferences, convocations of industry organizations, and with NWEA partners
• Publish and present on topics related to professional learning, school improvement, and effective instruction
• Travel up to 50% or as required to support the business dynamics of the function
• Perform other duties as assigned to ensure the success of the LIS team and the entire organization

Skills and abilities

• Systemic thinker with ability to identify barriers to success and propose solutions
• Appropriate application of multiple methods of educational inquiry, including both inferential statistics and qualitative research.
• Strong written and verbal English skills sufficient to communicate, publish, and present effectively on research and evaluation topics and findings to other researchers, internal staff, school district administrators, teachers, policy makers, and other external audiences
• Ability to work from an organizational perspective
• Ability to pay close attention to detail and quality
• Ability to analyze problems in process and operations, identify root causes, and suggest solutions to mitigate and/or resolve the issues
• Ability to work both independently and as a contributing, collaborative team member
• Must be able to perform the physical and intellectual requirements of the role, with or without accommodation

Competencies

• Instill trust: gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity
• Communicate effectively: develop and deliver multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences
• Customer focus: build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions
• Drive results: consistently achieve results, even under tough circumstances
• Manage ambiguity: operate effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear
• Plan and align: plan and prioritize work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
• Interpersonal savvy: relate openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people
• Being resilient: rebound from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations
• Situational adaptability: adapt approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations

Education and experience

• PhD in appropriate field
• Demonstrated ability to analyze qualitative and quantitative data and present that data to multiple audiences
• Professional experience (prior K-12 or higher educational experience, teaching/administration, research, faculty position, etc.) is preferred but not required

About Us

NWEA® is a research-based, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiency-and provide timely data to help tailor instruction. For more than 40 years, NWEA has developed innovative pre-K-12 assessments, including our flagship interim assessment, MAP® Growth™; our progress monitoring and skills mastery tool, MAP® Skills™; and our reading fluency and comprehension assessment, MAP® Reading Fluency™. Educators trust our professional learning offerings to accelerate student learning and our research to support assessment validity and data interpretation. More than 11 million students in 146 countries use our solutions to support their learning and growth each year.

What we can offer you

At NWEA we not only offer a competitive base salary, we offer a 15% contribution of eligible employees' base salary to a defined contribution 403(b) retirement savings plan; career development opportunities; an awesome work culture and environment; we also offer industry leading benefits and perks that are focused on supporting our employees' holistic wellbeing. To learn more about what we can offer more, click here.

NWEA strives to make diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) practices the center of our work. Our organization's mission, Partnering to Help All Kids Learn, is the foundation for our DEIA commitment as we work to reflect, value, and support the educators, students, colleagues, and communities we serve. We seek to empower and engage all stakeholders in the research, services, solutions, and products we provide, our organizational culture, and the partnerships we establish with schools, districts, states, and countries.

NWEA endeavors to make www.nwea.org accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please call us at (503) 624-1951 or e-mail us at [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request, your location and your contact information. This is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

NWEA is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. For our EEO Policy Statement, please visit our website. If you'd like more information on your EEO rights under the law, please visit the EEOC website