Research Director

About Global Cities 

Global Cities Inc., a program of Bloomberg Philanthropies, uses an innovative educational approach to give young people the confidence to create change and the tools to solve complex problems. We connect students directly to their peers around the world through our signature virtual exchange program, Global Scholars. It currently operates in public schools in 46 cities in 19 countries, serving nearly 10,500 students in 261 schools. Students love the engaging, real-world assignments, which focus on critical global problems such as climate change and food insecurity. They are motivated by the experience of exchanging ideas with their peers far and near, whose discussion board posts and replies serve as a unique primary source for learning. Through these exchanges they learn how to respectfully discuss challenging topics and propose actionable solutions. 

About the Role

Global Cities seeks an accomplished social science researcher with a background in K-12 education, experience managing research partnerships and expertise in quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The ideal candidate will be skilled in coordinating multiple project stakeholders and communicating research findings to diverse non-academic as well as academic audiences. In addition to overseeing ongoing data collection and evaluation projects, the Research Director will be responsible for reviewing and managing Global Cities’ historical data to identify new opportunities to generate shareable insights of value to the education subfields of global competency and virtual exchange. Attention to detail, knowledge of and sensitivity to American and international research ethics and data privacy policies, and strong written and oral communication skills are essential.

Global Cities operates its signature virtual exchange program and has a strong record of collecting, analyzing, and sharing data that demonstrates the program’s impact. This work has allowed us to develop such tools as our student learning outcomes and Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes that can be used to define, teach, and assess global competency in any classroom. Global Cities now seeks to extend the impact of this data-driven approach through initiatives that include applications of the Codebook to other virtual exchange program curricula, educator workshops, and district training partnerships. Global Cities also has a rich collection of data from its decade of implementing the Global Scholars program with great potential for analysis.

Responsibilities

1. Work with the President and Senior Leadership Team to coordinate activities related to evaluation of Global Cities initiatives.
2. Manage timelines and communications for work with external partners, consultants, and experts.
3. Catalogue and conduct or supervise analysis of such existing Global Cities quantitative and qualitative data sources as student work products, interviews, surveys, focus groups, and videotaped classroom observations.
4. Develop project proposals, scopes of work, and analysis plans for new research activities.
5. Implementation of or reporting about existing research activities
6. Oversee the design and testing of new or revised measurement tools such as surveys, focus groups, and instructional portfolios.
7. Ensure compliance with American and international research ethics and data privacy policies.
8. Help develop reports on evaluation activities and research findings for a variety of internal and external audiences and purposes.
9. Stay current and report on relevant studies and practices in K-12 education, evaluation research, and assessment to inform Global Cities’ work.

Qualifications

1. Doctoral degree in education, developmental psychology, sociology, or related field
2. Minimum of 10 years of professional experience, preferably in program evaluation, research analysis, project management or related field
3. Experience evaluating educational initiatives in K-12 settings
4. Significant leadership skills, including project coordination and supervision of staff colleagues and external consultants
5. Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods and a range of research designs
6. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to liaise effectively with various stakeholders, including evaluation researchers and educators
7. Strong written and oral communication skills with diverse audiences in academic and practice worlds
8. Training in basic and advanced statistics; knowledge of STATA, SPSS, Atlas.ti, Dedoose or related programs preferred
9. Interest in working with collaborators to publish research findings in academic journals
10. Advanced data visualization skills a plus

Accommodation

Global Cities Inc. provides reasonable adjustment/accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please let us know if you require a reasonable adjustment/accommodation to apply for a job. Examples of reasonable adjustment/accommodation include but are not limited to making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. To request an adjustment/accommodation to apply for a job, please email careers@bloomberg.org.

Equal Opportunity

Global Cities Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination in employment. It is Global Cities’ policy to provide equal opportunity and access for all persons, and the Organization is committed to attracting, retaining, developing, and promoting the most qualified individuals without regard to age, ancestry, color, gender identity or expression, genetic predisposition or carrier status, marital status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, parental or caring status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy or maternity/parental leave, protected veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other classification protected by applicable law (each, a “Protected Characteristic”). Global Cities prohibits treating applicants or employees less favorably in connection with the terms and conditions of employment, in all phases of the employment process, because of one or more Protected Characteristics.

We’re proud to provide all full-time employees with comprehensive healthcare coverage, as well as programs and services to help them and their families manage their health and well-being. 

 The referenced salary range is based on the Company's good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level. 

To apply: Please submit a cover letter and resume to careers@globalcities.org