Senior Evaluation & Research Associate

The Senior Evaluation and Research Associate leads and participates in evaluation and research studies to support the department’s work, which includes museum and external projects.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Conduct evaluation and research

• Plan and conduct evaluation and research studies, which includes understanding the context; reviewing relevant literature; planning data collection methods (e.g. surveys, interviews, observations, etc.) and sampling strategies; ensuring the protections of human subjects; developing and piloting instruments; collecting, entering, and cleaning data;  analyzing data; interpreting results; and reporting findings.
• Use software for conducting online surveys (e.g. Alchemer or Qualtrics), carrying out descriptive and inferential statistical analysis (e.g. R, SPSS, or Excel), and analyzing text and/or video data (e.g Dedoose or NVivo).
• Conduct studies using equity-oriented theory and practice that include and amplify voices from individuals and communities that might not be regularly heard or represented.

Work with others to achieve goals

• Plan work using insights and practices from existing work in evaluation and research methods, equity and access research, and informal science education.
• Work collaboratively, on teams inside the department, division, museum, and beyond, to achieve project outcomes.
• Lead and manage large projects and the collaborative teams doing that work, including both small and large teams that may be cross-institution or cross-museum. 
• Support department norms for collaborative work through existing and emerging structures.

Generate productive new ideas and projects

• Conceptualize and plan new projects, including internal work, external grant solicitations, external project bids, and more.

Disseminate broadly

• Share findings, ideas, and methods from evaluation and research work within the museum, with the larger field of informal education and museums, and with study participants where appropriate.
• Use evaluation and research to contribute to the knowledge base on learning in informal settings.

Other

• Manage time and schedule to allow for work on a variety of projects with differing schedules
• For assigned projects, suit work to the budget and expectations; create budgets for new projects; when assigned, manage the overall budget of the project including the use of museum accounting resources.
• Approach all work with the assumption that you may need to learn new skills to accomplish your job.
• Support the growth and development of teammates by sharing your skills and expertise.
• Other duties as assigned

Required Competencies:

1. Communication: Expresses oneself clearly in conversations and interactions with others and ensures that information is shared with others who should be informed.
2. Collaboration: Develops, maintains, and strengthens partnerships with others inside or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.
3. Customer Service: Demonstrates an understanding of the SMM mission by ensuring that their own interactions with internal and external customers consistently support the mission.
4. Fostering an Inclusive Community: Contributes to a museum environment, and people, that reflect and respond to the diverse needs and cultures of our community (internal and external).
5. Results Orientation: Focuses on providing a best in class visitor experience through work outcomes by meeting personal and organizational work objectives.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelors Degree Required
• Experience:
  • Deep knowledge and experience with quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies. 
  • Experience planning and leading large evaluation and/or research studies (e.g. a dissertation, a significant evaluation project, or a large research study).
  • Knowledge of the research literature in education, museum/visitor studies, youth development, or other fields applicable to experiences in a museum setting. 
  • Experience working on teams in a collaborative setting.  
  • Fluency in language(s) other than English valued but not required.
• Work Environment:  Most often, it is a combination of computer work, attending meetings, and collecting data; however, an entire shift may be entirely devoted to any one of these activities. Evening and weekend work required as needed for a project. Occasional travel may be required. Must have the ability to transport self to the museum and off-site Twin Cities locations.

Starting Compensation: $27.20 - $34.55/hour (dependent on qualifications; Compensation Grade 9)