CPS Senior Research Assistant 1

Brief Description of PSU/School/Dept
At the Center for Public Service ( CPS ), we improve governance, civic capacity and public management locally, regionally, nationally, and around the globe. Housed within the College of Urban and Public Affairs' Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, CPS is known for its "pracademic" approach, which blends academic research and applied experience. CPS builds the capacity of local government leaders and organizations, while also creating opportunities for graduate students to gain real-world experience.

Learn more about CPS by reading our 2023-2024 Annual Report.
Position Summary
The CPS Senior Research Assistant 1 provides scholarly applied research expertise to the Center for Public Service ( CPS ) on grant-funded projects as well as nonprofit and public sector applied research and consulting projects. Additionally, this role develops and maintains relationships with potential funding partners and assists with responding to requests for proposals from agencies and organizations that would contract with CPS to conduct research projects.

Primary responsibilities include coordinating and conducting research activities amongst a team of academic professionals and graduate research assistants led by CPS research faculty; communicating with community and interdisciplinary collaborators; designing, fielding, and analyzing surveys; carrying out qualitative and quantitative analysis; maintaining databases; coordinating collection, processing, and reporting of data; assisting in judging validity of data; and leading or contributing to project reports.

This research position has a hybrid work schedule with weekly remote and on-campus work days. The Senior Research Assistant 1 will have weekly on-campus work obligations at the Portland State University campus in Portland, Oregon, with occasional travel (primarily in-state) for applied research projects.
Primary Activity R - Research Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in public administration, public policy, urban studies and planning, economics, or a related field; and two years of research experience, including qualitative and quantitative data analysis
• Demonstrated ability to perform focused research or evaluation tasks
• Project management skills
• Strong written and interpersonal communication skills
• Excellent organization skills
• Ability to implement a project plan and complete deliverables on-time
• Ability to work with community collaborators
• Proficient with statistical analysis software, survey applications, word processing, and MS Office Suite
• Flexibility and ability to adapt project activities to emerging needs as identified by the funder and community collaborators
• Creativity in problem solving with the ability to learn quickly

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in the R statistical language, beyond basic statistical packages
• Proficiency in using qualitative data analysis software (e.g. MAXQDA , Atlas.ti, Nvivo) and mixed methods tests for patterns in data
• Proficiency in project management software, such as Asana
• Experience conducting interviews for data collection
• Understanding of various academic disciplines (e.g. public policy, public administration, economics, and planning) intersecting with policy research
• Experience working with government and nonprofit sector organizations and officials
• Previous experience working with graduate students in a supporting or mentoring role
• Experience developing, supporting, or delivering training

Key Cultural Competencies

• Creates an environment that acknowledges, encourages and celebrates differences.
• Functions and communicates effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities and cultural backgrounds.
• Seeks opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement
• Adheres to all PSU's policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.

Environmental Stewardship
Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.
Professional Standards of Conduct
At Portland State University, all employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner which maintains a safe, respectful, and productive environment for faculty, students, administrators, and staff. It is the responsibility of every member of the Portland State University community to conduct themselves in accordance with our PSU Professional Standards of Conduct which are available at https://www.pdx.edu/human-resources/professional-standards-conduct-policy.
Total Compensation Range & Benefits Statement
PSU has a structured process for determining starting compensation, taking into account years of related experience, applicable skills, knowledge and abilities, market parity, and internal equity.

The starting annual salary for this position will be $64,608.

An excellent benefits package includes 95% premium paid healthcare; a generous retirement and vacation package; and reduced tuition rates for employee, spouse or dependent at any of the Oregon University System schools : https://www.pdx.edu/human-resources/benefits-overview

Please visit our total compensation calculator to see the full value of our benefits package : https://www.pdx.edu/human-resources/psu-total-compensation-calculator

Application Instructions

Additional Information
This research faculty position is ongoing, contingent on the continued availability of external funding. The AAUP collective bargaining agreement, Article 18 Section 5C refers : https://www.pdx.edu/academic-affairs/sites/academicaffairs.web.wdt.pdx.edu/files/2023-02/ AAUP %20CBA%202021-2024%20Watermark%20Art%2018%20Updated%20Amendment%202022%2012Dec08.pdf
Additional Application Instructions (deadlines, etc.)
Your references will be contacted only if you are selected for further consideration.
Does this position require the employee to drive a motor vehicle? No Background Check Required Yes If you have questions
Email Erica Fulton, CPS Operations Manager, at fultoner@pdx.edu

Search Details

Posting Close Date Projected Close Date for Posting Open Until Finalists Identified Application screening begins 10/21/2024 Will you consider an ABD applicant for this position? No If yes, when must the degree be earned? Not applicable If necessary, would you be willing to sponsor the succcessful applicant for permanent US residence, now or in the future? Yes

Reference Requests

Reference Requests

Accept References Yes Minimum Number of References 3 Maximum Number of References 3 Cutoff Date Special Instruction for Reference Provider