Post Doctoral Fellowship - Office of the Provost - Institutional Research and Assessment

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions.

With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we invent it.

If you’re passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here!

Carnegie Mellon University’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Post-Doctoral Fellow to join the institution's research and analysis team.

This position offers a unique opportunity for a recent Ph.D. graduate to contribute to impactful research initiatives aimed at enhancing institutional effectiveness, policy development, and decision-making processes.

The position is a 12-month appointment beginning on July 1, 2024, and will directly support the efforts of the Associate Director of Institutional Research and Assessment.

This position supports the functions of institutional research and analysis for the university through collaboration across academic and administrative units to meet the data, analytic, and assessment needs of the university and its divisions and departments.

The incumbent will work with others in Institutional Research and Analysis and Institutional Effectiveness and Planning to support institutional research strategies for the purpose of providing reliable, consistent, and useful information to leadership to advance academic planning and decision-making.

The individual will be responsible for supporting the Associate Director for Institutional Research and Assessment in all aspects of assessment, conducting studies, and reporting results to campus stakeholders at both the university-wide level and for individual administrative and academic units as needed.

Core Responsibilities :

• Collaborate to set institutional research strategy for the purpose of providing reliable, consistent, and usable information to leadership to advance academic planning and decision-making.
• Work closely with leadership to help maintain the strategic direction of institutional research and analysis for the university.
• Knowledge of and experience in relational databases and ability to utilize statistical software (SAS / R / SPSS) to provide data for robust analyses while maintaining the security of sensitive data (for example, FERPA, PII).
• Support the Associate Director of Institutional Research and Assessment in the function of the university’s local and global efforts related to assessment by adhering to a university-wide assessment calendar and responsibility matrix.

Specific functions include, but are not limited to : Designing research protocols and analysis plans for administrative and academic unitsCreating and pilot testing survey instruments or focus group and interview protocols.

Administering surveysConducting focus groups or interviewsAnalyzing data and interpreting resultsCreating or supervising the creation of dashboards, written reports, and verbal presentations

• Supports assessment needs for large-scale university-wide assessment on student expectations, student engagement, student experience, health and well-being, sexual assault and relationship violence, culture and climate, and similar areas as needed.
• Supports ad hoc assessment needs for programs as needed.
• Coordinate collection, storage, and dissemination of data internally and the collection and reporting of data to external audiences when needed.
• Assists in the creation of leadership dashboards of assessment analyses.
• Collaborate with Institutional Research leadership to achieve common outcomes.
• Other duties as assigned.

Inclusion and cultural sensitivity are valued competencies at CMU. Therefore, we are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of diverse audiences.

We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

Qualifications :

• A Ph.D. in a relevant field such as Education, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Statistics, or a related discipline.
• Experience in visualizations and dashboard creation using Tableau preferred.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills, including experience with statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R, STATA).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present complex information in a clear and accessible manner.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in research and academic environments.
• Prior experience in institutional research, program evaluation, or related fields is preferred.
• A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits available to eligible employees.

Those employees who are have the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of advantages from to an enticing offering a generous employer contribution.

You can also unlock your potential with and take well-deserved breaks with ample and observed . Finally, rest easy knowing you are covered by life and accidental death and disability insurance.

Other perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, our to help navigate childcare needs, , and so much more!