Graduate Student Researcher

Status: Temporary, part-time exempt position for 5-15 hours/week from September 2025-December 2025, with the potential for extension. We are also open to a work-study program if your school offers it.

Location: Remote with the option to join staff in the downtown Oakland office on Tuesdays.

Organization

California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy is a nonpartisan research and policy organization focused on identifying solutions to the state’s most critical challenges at the intersection of higher education, equity, and the economy. Established in 2011, our mission is to help transform the state’s higher education system into an engine of economic opportunity that empowers all Californians, particularly those from underserved communities, to achieve their full potential. California Competes benefits from the expertise of our highly respected, bipartisan Board of Directors, which comprises current and former public officials, business executives, and community leaders from across the state.

Our diverse staff brings decades of experience in higher education and public policy. We work statewide and travel across the country to research and advocate for a higher education system that provides opportunities for all Californians. For more information, please visit californiacompetes.org.

Position

Reporting to one of our Senior Researchers, the student researcher would support a range of higher education-focused research initiatives. The work spans topics such as re-enrollment and degree completion among adult learners (“comebackers”), institutional uses of artificial intelligence across California’s public higher education systems, and academic probation policies in those same systems. The projects involve qualitative and policy research and aim to inform institutional practices and improve educational equity. This is a hands-on research role that will involve reviewing literature and policies, analyzing data, and supporting the development of written deliverables. The ideal candidate is organized, curious, and collaborative, with strong writing skills and an interest in higher education systems and policy. Major specific duties are described below.

Primary Projects and Responsibilities

• Conduct literature and policy scans, synthesize findings, and summarize key insights
• Assist with qualitative data analysis, including coding and writing memos
• Draft, edit, and revise research reports, briefs, and summary documents
• Take notes during meetings and interviews, and help maintain organized project documentation
• Work independently to manage tasks and meet project deadlines
• Additional duties as assigned

Skills and Requirements

Required qualifications

• Experience with qualitative research methods
• Strong communication skills
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with initiative
• Openness to feedback and willingness to offer your perspective
• Comfort with Google Suite and participating in video meetings
• Demonstrated fluency in written and spoken English

Preferred qualifications

• Demonstrated experience and interest in California’s higher education system
• Interest in equity, adult learners, student support policies, or educational technology

Qualifications

• Current enrollment in a graduate program (education, public policy, sociology, or related fields preferred)

Duration

• Up to 15 hrs/week, scheduled flexibility may be negotiated with supervisor
• September 2025-December 2025 with potential for extension beyond the fall term

Compensation

$35 per hour for a 15-week period. Position not eligible for benefits.

Application Process

To apply, please fill out the application using BambooHR and include a resume, cover letter, and short writing sample (no more than 3-5 pages). Review of applications will begin on August 8, 2025. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact lbernhard@californiacompetes.org.