OPEN POSITIONS
If you are interested in working with a dynamic, growing team of educational and technical professionals, please provide a cover letter and resume via email to jobs@empiricaleducation.com. Enter the title of the position you are applying for in the subject line to ensure your email is routed to the appropriate department.
Research Scientist - Psychometrics
Responsibilities
Empirical Education is seeking a qualified research scientist to apply methods of psychometric theory to problems in program evaluation conducted in traditional and novel settings and develop statistical procedures that implement these methods. The applicant should have expertise with test construction and validation, factor analysis, computerized adaptive testing, test equating/scaling and understand the technical and practical issues associated with making tests operational.
Qualifications
All candidates must have the following qualifications and capabilities.
- Ph.D. with specialization in psychometrics (ABDs will be considered) and a solid background in statistics
- Extensive experience in statistical programming in SAS and/or R
- Solid grasp of psychometrics as it pertains to novel applications and outcomes, such as classroom observations
- Knowledge of issues specific to standardized tests administered by the states including NCLB requirements, and Common Core Standards initiative
- Ability work in a mutlidisciplinary environment and be conversant with methods across disciplines (for instance, the candidate should be able to communicate effectively to specialists in value-added analysis and program evaluation and understand the implications of psychometric issues in these areas)
- Knowledge of M-Plus would be considered an asset
Database and Data Analysis Engineer
Responsibilities
Empirical Education is looking for a Database and Data Analysis Engineer to assist
in building a web-based analytical product for evaluating educational programs and
interventions. The tool will use large databases from district, state and testing companies
concerning student performance. We are developing ways to determine "treatment"
with surveys and other tools, and will use the large state databases to define comparison
groups to support quasi-experimental analyses.
Qualifications
Tools used will likely include SQL Server and other SQL databases with data reshaping and analysis done in R, as well as R and LaTeX for the generation of automated reports, with possible assistance from automated Word and Excel. The successful applicant will have all or most of the following qualifications.
All candidates must have the following qualifications and capabilities.
- A masters degree or equivalent in computer science or statistics
- Experience with understanding and extracting data from large databases
- Expertise with SQL essential
- Experience with ETL techniques including data reshaping and repurposing
- Some experience with analytical techniques and programming would be helpful
- Oriented toward designing, building and maintaining robust and somewhat general products that incorporate novel algorithms
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work with research managers, statisticians, and clients and to explain technical issues. This is an interdisciplinary position in an environment that is completely focused on team collaboration.
- Patience and tact with clients, which include various government agencies and foundations
- Must be able to be qualified for receiving student data
- Must have ability to work in the United States
Postdoctoral Research Fellows
Responsibilities
Empirical Education seeks qualified candidates for one or more postdoctoral research associate positions. Successful candidates will work in collaboration with senior researchers on projects involving experimental and non-experimental evaluations of educational programs and policies. This position provides an excellent opportunity for a junior researcher to expand her or his area expertise and develop skills in working with real-world data while addressing the challenges facing K-12 institutions.
Qualifications
All candidates must have the following qualifications and capabilities.
- Ph.D. (ABDs accepted) in education, economics, public administration, or related field
- A strong background in applied econometrics, quasi-experimental design, economics of education, or psychometrics
- A broad understanding of current problems in K-12 education
- Solid knowledge of methodologies of quantitative research in education
- Advanced computer skills and extensive experience with major statistical packages
- Programming skills in R and experience with relational databases are preferred
- For a candidate with a background in psychometrics, an in-depth knowledge of standardized tests developed by major testing companies and used by states is preferred.
Empirical Education is an education research and consulting company located in Palo Alto, CA, in close proximity to Stanford University, and maintains working relationships with faculty in the school of education.
Research Associates
Responsibilities
Under the guidance of—and in collaboration with—the company’s senior researchers, research associates (who will have the title Research Scientist or Research Manager, depending on their experience and qualifications) are responsible for the life cycle of a research project, which may include writing research proposals, research design, instrument design, communication with school districts, presentations to teachers, review of student data, project task management and documentation, teacher interviews, classroom observations, literature searches, report writing, and other tasks. Some travel is required.
Qualifications
All candidates must have the following qualifications and capabilities.
- Ph.D. or Masters in education or a field relevant to the organization of instruction, administration of schools, or teaching methods
- Understanding of research design, statistical analysis, and data collection methods including qualitative data
- Experience in K-12 schools, such as teaching or research
- Strong writing and communication skills
- Ability to manage multiple projects, tasks, and priorities as part of a team
- Analytic and problem solving skills
- Ability to work in a highly professional manner with individuals both internal and external to the company
- An interest in quantitative information, qualitative evidence, and data analysis
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel
- Organized, comfortable working against deadlines, and able to pay careful attention to detail
Statistician
Empirical Education is looking for a temporary data analyst who is available immediately for 3 months of employment with the possibility of transitioning into a permanent position.
Responsibilities
- Conduct advanced statistical analysis using logistic and linear regression, hierarchical linear models
- Produce written reports of data analyses
- Assist with table/figure creation for publication-ready data presentation
- Perform other related duties as assigned
Job Requirements
- Masters degree in Statistics or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; may also consider second-year master students majoring in statistics
- Training in a variety of statistical modeling techniques including linear, logistic, and mixed effect modeling
- Knowledge and experience with advanced statistical programming and data management using SAS, Excel, Access, or other programs
- Ability to provide custom designed reports and graphical presentation of data using SAS, Access
- Strong interpersonal, organizational, communication skills
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
Teacher Evaluation Specialist
Empirical Education, Inc. is the developer of the Observation Engine, a new tool commissioned as part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project. The Observation Engine is a web-based tool that districts use for conducting in-house research on their teacher evaluation systems. A number of large, urban school districts are using the Observation Engine as part of their work towards more reliable and valid classroom observations. This includes conducting studies to check the reliability of their classroom observers and to measure the validity of their observation protocols against student achievement gains and other benchmarks. The Teacher Evaluation Specialist will be the main point of contact for the districts, and they will help guide and support their as they use the Observation Engine.
Responsibilities
- Provide general guidance and technical assistance to districts working to improve the consistency and quality of their teacher evaluations
- Facilitate web-based trainings for district and school-level personnel in the use of the Observation Engine
- Provide guidance for districts creating and executing norming sessions and validations studies
- Support districts in interpreting the outcomes of norming sessions and validation studies. Help them districts develop ”next steps“
- Troubleshoot technical issues and communicate software issues to the engineering team
- Collect and communicate user feedback that will influence the evolving shape of the ObservationEngine
Qualifications
All candidates must have the following qualifications and capabilities:
- Masters in education or a field relevant to classroom instruction and research in schools
- Understanding of research design and statistical analysis
- Experience in K-12 schools, such as teaching and research
- Strong writing and communication skills
- Strong organizational skills
- Analytic and problem solving skills
- Ability to work in a highly professional manner with individuals both internal and external to the company
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel
Strong candidates will have the following qualifications, experiences, and capabilities:
- Experience conducting classroom observations for research, coaching, or evaluation purposes
- Experience conducting research in schools or districts
- Experience working with district personnel
- Experience teaching, training, or coaching adults
Empirical Education’s commitment to equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment in accordance with all applicable laws, directives, and regulations of federal, state, and local governing bodies or agencies. Our specific commitments include the following:
We will recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job groups without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, military service, veteran status or protected medical condition.