Research Associate – Public Affairs and Media Research Department - Hybrid Chicago Loop Office

Position: Research Associate I – Public Affairs and Media Research Department - Hybrid Chicago Loop Office
JOB SUMMARY:

NORC at the University of Chicago seeks a qualified Research Associate I to join its Public Affairs and Media Research Department in our Chicago Loop office. NORC’s Public Affairs & Media Research department provides data-driven insights for top media, policy making, and philanthropic organizations. The Research Associate I is responsible for providing general support on research projects. The ideal candidate will possess a strong interest in public opinion research and communicating key findings for various audiences.

The successful candidate will provide general research support and contribute to each facet of the research process from providing proposal support, to conducting background research, testing survey instruments, cleaning data, conducting analysis, fact checking, and supporting reporting activities.

Location:

This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago Loop office, with a minimum of six days per month in the office. Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position. DEPARTMENT:
Department:
Public Affairs and Media Research The rapid changes in our society necessitate swift and reliable research into people’s beliefs and behaviors. The Public Affairs and Media Research Department conducts high-quality research in order to deliver reliable insights that fuel effective business and communication strategies for our clients in the U.S. and around the world. We provide the nuanced understanding of people’s opinions, beliefs, and behaviors that organizations need to understand and serve their audiences in a world of vast and accelerating change.

The Public Affairs and Media Research Department team has expertise across a wide array of important issues, including news consumption, social media, elections, food insecurity, and outdoor recreation, as well as experience working with a diverse range of populations, including hard-to-reach groups such as young people and Latinos.. The department is also home to The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The AP-NORC Center was created to join the expertise of NORC, one of the world’s premier independent research organizations, with The AP, which provides news seen every day over all media platforms and formats by more than half of the world’s population. This combination of rigorous, objective research and reliable, unbiased journalism has unmatched potential to reach both broad audiences and policy makers at every governmental level, creating a seamless transition from the gathering of survey-based information to a more fully-informed society.

Through The AP-NORC Center and our relationships with other leading news and media organizations, we work with our clients to position research findings for the journalists, policymakers, and thought leaders who can amplify their impact. RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide general research support on quantitative and qualitative projects on a wide range of topics. Prepare background research including literature reviews and environmental scans. Test data collection instruments and systems. Assist with data preparation, data cleaning, and coding. Conduct statistical analyses of survey data for research reports or ad-hoc as needed. Contribute to the preparation of reports, tables, and graphs based on survey findings.

Conduct quality control tasks including fact checking. Assist with tasks related to business development such as providing proposal support. Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

Bachelor's degree in political science, psychology, communications, survey methodology, or other social science discipline required. Demonstrated attentiveness to detailed tasks, strong organizational skills, ability to meet requirements of multiple projects simultaneously, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team. Strong problem-solving capabilities. Outstanding interpersonal, critical reasoning, analytic, and writing skills.

Experience with conducting data analysis using standard statistical software packages (e.g. Stata, SAS, and/or R) is preferred. Proficiency with…