Research Scientist – Western Governors University Labs, USA

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The salary range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

$93,600.00 – $135,700.00
If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families..

Current WGU employees should submit an internal application by 6/7/2023

Who is WGU Labs:  

WGU Labs is the education research, development, and consulting arm of Western Governors University. We are on a mission to identify and support scalable solutions that address the biggest challenges in education today. Our purpose is to change lives for the better by bridging the gap between talent and opportunity.

Our multi-disciplinary research team was designed to support the advancement of equity in education and student outcomes. Higher education and workforce development programs need sound, field-tested answers to complex challenges. We find and test solutions through research that is based on theory, conducted in real settings, and, critically, centered on students’ experiences and outcomes.

Why consider us? 

Collaborative and cross functional team, where good communication and professional mentorship and growth is prioritized.

Innovative, fun, and enriching team environment where you are valued, given credit where its due, and recognized for your contributions.

Fully remote position where you’d be able to make a difference in a mission driven environment.

Competitive starting wages taking education and experience into account.

Equipment provided: Choice of Mac or PC laptop

Comprehensive and affordable benefits, (including mental health benefits, and generous PTO) plus 401K matches and contributions where we put money into your retirement account, even if you are not currently contributing.

75 percent employee tuition discount available at WGU for yourself, and 50 percent discount for qualifying family members.

This is a fully benefited, remote position that can be located in any of the contiguous 48 US States.

Who will you be helping? 

WGU Labs creates solutions in the education space, so you are helping Learners of all types. Your research will aid in the development of products that solve real problems in education, leading to better life outcomes for people.

Who are you? 

You are collaborative, curious, skeptical, technical, detail-oriented and enjoy learning. You’re comfortable working both independently and as a team member conducting independent scientific research, leading projects, and fostering collaboration. You demonstrate strong attention to detail, can plan and drive your work forward to meet deadlines and work on multiple projects at a time. You’re able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with both technical and non-technical audiences and can be a subject matter expert to provide thought leadership in the field. You’re committed to growing your scientific tool kit and building expertise in the relationship between technology and learning, and excited about applied research that will impact student learning.

How is success measured? 

Research Scientists at WGU Labs are central to the organization’s value and contribution to the field. Success for research scientists is measured by the research scientist’s contributions to powerful research through insightful questions, rigorous methods, and thoughtful interpretation of data, establishing impact on the field through engagement with external audiences, sustaining a strong workflow in their research projects, and contributing positively and productively to WGU’s community of researchers, designers, and consultants.

What will you be doing? 

As a Research Scientist, you will play a critical role in WGU Labs’ culture of data-driven continuous improvement. Working with other team members, university institutions, and external education technology developers you’ll execute the full life cycle of a study which includes conceptualization of a research or study idea, primary data collection, accessing institutional databases to obtain data, data wrangling, conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis, reporting the results, and, critically interpreting these results for audiences that include university administrators, education technology leaders, policy leaders, and educators.

You’ll work on multiple projects at a time that are shorter in nature and iterative. We prioritize cumulative learning throughout a project and work at a pace that supports partitioners who need to make quick decisions.

You’ll have a tremendous opportunity to build research skills, partner with and receive direct mentorship from advanced researchers, and gain valuable insights in the high impact fields of higher education and education technology.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:  

Plans and executes research projects through design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination.

Determines appropriate research methods including implementation studies, qualitative research, secondary data-analysis, quasi-experimental studies, and randomized controlled trials.

Collects, combines and cleans data from multiple sources (e.g., institutional data warehouse, survey platform).

Analyzes data using appropriate statistical software and techniques.

Designs and deploys surveys using software.

Produces high-quality, client and/or external facing reports and presentations.

Communicate research operations and findings with the client as research lead.

Represents WGU Labs by presenting at relevant conferences.

Minimum Qualifications: 

Master’s degree in relevant field (e.g. education, psychology, sociology, economics, statistics, data science)

2+ years of experience in working in research in an academic or professional setting.

Experience with applied quantitative research methods (e.g. analytic models, quasi-experimental, and experimental methods)

Demonstrated experience with survey and qualitative methods research (quantitative methods such as survey design, data analysis, and qualitative methodology such as focus groups and interviews, and/or case studies)

Experience in data manipulation using programming languages like R, SQL and/or Python.

Experience in data visualization skills using tools like R, Tableau, or Python.

Preferred Qualifications: 

PhD, or MA with 3+ years of research experience

Familiarity with research in education technology, higher education or related areas

Physical Requirements: 

Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Disclaimers:

WGU Labs, Inc is an affiliated non-profit entity of 501c(3) Corporation of Western Governors University.

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As an equal opportunity employer, WGU recognizes that our strength lies in our people. We are committed to diversity.