Description

Research Scientist 1 (Remote)

Note: This position is fully remote, work from home. Qualified candidates from all time zones are encouraged to apply.

As a Research Scientist 1, you will conduct operational psychometric research under the supervision of senior-level research scientists and/or psychometric managers and carry out individual research to establish an academic publishing record. Your work requires in-depth knowledge of measurement theory, test scaling, item response theory, contemporary validity theory, and experience with a variety of assessment types. You should enjoy working collaboratively with a diverse team of experts and be effective at writing proposals, communicating with internal audiences, and presenting research findings and results from psychometric studies.

Education and Experience

• PhD in psychometrics, education research, quantitative psychology, statistics, or related field
• 0-3 years of work experience after obtaining a doctoral degree
• Proficiency with the fundamentals of measurement including item response theory and classical test theory
• Experience with an area of focus such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, linking and equating, generalizability theory, cognitive diagnosis models, hierarchical linear modeling, or structural equation modeling
• Experience using psychometric software such as WINSTEPS and flexMIRT
• Skilled at statistical analysis using Python (preferred), R, or SAS

Responsibilities

• Conduct statistical and psychometric analyses (e.g., linking, equating, calibration, differential item functioning, reliability, classical item analyses) based on standard operating procedures
• Use statistical and psychometric software (e.g., Scikit Learn, Winsteps, flexMIRT) and write code in Python, R, and/or SAS to implement operational procedures and conduct research
• Write and maintain documentations to standardize the operating procedures
• Manage large datasets using database servers or cloud database services
• Work collaboratively with other experts from across NWEA, including education research, marketing, product management, and software engineering
• Communicate complex statistical and psychometric information in a clear and understandable way
• Conduct individual research projects to establish an academic publishing record and present at professional conferences

Competencies

• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences
• Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions
• Drives Results: Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances
• Instills Trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity
• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
• Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm
• Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments
• Optimizes Work Processes: Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement
• Manages Complexity: Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems
• Manages Ambiguity: Operating effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear
• Self-Development: Actively seeking new ways to grow using both formal and informal development channels
• Values Differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization

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.

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