Research Scientist

Overview

Job Posting

Title:

Research Scientist

Hiring Department: Educational Leadership and Policy

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled

Hours:

40

FLSA Status: Exempt

Earliest

Start Date:

Feb 02, 2026

Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until May 31, 2027

Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS

Job Details:

General Notes

The university provides employees a competitive benefits package that includes health insurance (premiums covered 100% for full-time benefits-eligible employees), retirement plans, and paid leave, in addition to other programs and services. We offer robust free training access through Linked In Learning, professional conference opportunities, an expansive employee discount program, including athletic tickets. Free access to UT Austin s libraries and museums with a staff .

Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin Cap Metro buses with a staff . For more details, please see the following benefits pages.

This position will be housed in the Education Research Center (ERC) in the College of Education at UT Austin. The position will report to Pedro Reyes, PhD., Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy and Faculty Affiliate at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and Celeste Alexander, PhD., Director, ERC. The position is funded by multiple grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, with the possibility of funding from additional sources in the future.

• Lead or co-lead the development and execution of research projects.
• Develop data collection instruments and research protocols, including for Institutional Review Board (IRB) review and approval.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data collected on research projects. Write grant reports and papers from research results.
• Conduct literature reviews, systematic reviews, and/or meta-analyses on topics related to the research agenda.
• Present research, practitioner, and scholarly conferences, meetings, and events. Publish peer-reviewed publications.
• Publish policy briefs, memos, and reports for audiences of practitioners and policymakers.
• Secure additional funding for research.
• Supervise undergraduate and graduate research assistants.

• Master's degree in education, public policy, economics, or a related field with a focus on education
• 5-7 years of experience with research design and execution in education research
• Experience analyzing large-scale administrative educational datasets
• Experience with statistical programs such as R, Stata, and SPSS
• Experience analyzing qualitative data
• Experience managing undergraduate or graduate research assistants on large-scale research projects

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

• PhD degree in education, public policy, economics, or a related field with a focus on education
• Experience using Texas’s Education Research Centers to conduct educational research
• Experience conducting research on career and technical education and/or industry-based certifications
• Familiarity with research on policies and programs designed to support students’ preparedness for, transition into, and success in college and career pathways
• Experience with publishing research findings

$75,000 + depending on qualifications

• Typical Office Environment
• Hybrid, but must be in or close to Austin

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files.

Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply.

This information will be pulled into your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for…