Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Research Assistant at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

• Responsible to Center Director and reports to Center’s Managing Director on a day-to-day basis, providing ongoing updates as requested.
• Collaborate with Research Team:
  Work with researchers to translate study designs into practical data collection plans, including sampling, recruitment, and incentive administration.
• Project Management:
  Develop and update project workplans, manage timelines, oversee daily activities for data collection efforts.
• Coordinate with state agencies to ensure ADA compliance of survey materials, including non-English versions.
• Coordinate with external partners, including printing/mailing house and directory providers. Provide leadership at printing house to ensure adherence to quality control measures.
• Work with other lead researchers to prepare samples across several surveys, including cohort rebalancing, and create lists for target remails and for follow-up efforts.
• Coordinate with CATI lab to monitor phone samples on an ongoing basis.
• Manage technology and systems needed for processing data and for tracking/monitoring progress (e.g. SPSS, Excel, Access, SQL, OMR software such as Remark).
• Work with other lead researchers to produce clean survey datasets across all modes, conduct statistical analysis, and produce data summary files, reports and other deliverable documents.
• Provide regular updates to survey team and Center leadership.
• Data Collection Oversight:
  Manage the deployment and execution of various survey modes (mail, web, phone, in-person) to maximize response rates and to reach diverse populations.
• Mail Surveys:
  Oversee printing, mailing logistics, and tracking returns. Work with others to oversee data processing of incoming mail, including rigorous checks, coding, data cleaning, and privacy protection.
• Web Surveys:
  Oversee the programming of online platforms such as Qualtrics, managing access, and monitor completion rates.
• Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI):
  Work closely with others to set up call center procedures/protocols, including training, monitoring interviewer performance, tracking interviewing hours against numbers of completes.
• In-Person/Field Interviews:
  Coordinate field staff, logistics, and data collection methods.
• Quality Assurance and Quality Control:
  Implement quality control measures. Ensure data integrity and compliance with IRB research protocols. Work with others on IRB submissions and amendments. Ensure all data collection methods strictly follow the approved research design and methodology. Monitor data collection progress, and seek innovative strategies to increase survey response rates. Monitor, verify, and correct data quality errors during collection across all modes.
• Staff Management:
  Assist others in hiring, training, and supervising survey research staff (interviewers, student assistants, support staff) and provide ongoing support and quality control.
• Grant Proposals:
  Initiate grant proposals in the areas of survey research and/or program evaluation, including identifying funding sources and RFPs; conducting literature reviews; developing research question; designing research methods, data analysis plan, and data collection procedures.
• Journal Writing:
  Assist in the preparation of articles for consideration in refereed journals on an ongoing basis.

• A degree in social science research (including political science, public administration, demography, education, geography, psychology, public health, social work, sociology, survey methodology, statistics, and urban studies), especially coursework in research methods is required. A Master’s degree or Ph.D. in progress is highly preferred.
• 2-5 years of solid experience managing operations of surveys or similar processes, especially in an academic setting.
• Excellent command of the English language, both written and spoken. Bilingual in Spanish or Arabic is a plus.
• A strong working knowledge of social science research methods and experience in managing primary data collection procedures (mail surveys, CATI lab, web-based surveys, in-person interviews, focus groups, etc.) and practicalities of implementation required.
• Ability to manage several projects simultaneously, prioritize and plan work activities while meeting respective deadlines. Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Effectively utilize software necessary to convert and process data (e.g. SAS, SPSS, Excel, Access, Dbase, Remark). Computer programming capability, including CATI programming software, is an advantage.…