Research Associate, Research Analyst, Research Scientist

State Of Local News Project Research Associate

The State Of Local News Project at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is seeking candidates for a full-time research associate position. The State Of Local News Project works to study the media landscape of the United States, and its findings and data are being used by scholars, journalists, nonprofit organizations, and policymakers. Reporting directly to the project director, the research associate will be involved in all aspects of collecting, evaluating, and analyzing local news data, helping to develop annual reports, and collaborating with outside researchers.

This position will take ownership of a focused research project examining community news access across Midwestern states. Additionally, the person in this role will provide advice, mentorship and quality control for research done through the Local News Accelerator. Ideal candidates should be able to demonstrate several years of experience working on large, data-driven research projects, and must possess fluency with database management and data analysis software, as well as a strong interest in the future of local journalism.

Experience in data mining, natural language processing analysis, and working with geographic data is preferred. This will be an in-person, full-time position based at Northwestern University's Evanston, IL campus.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Special Research Project on Local News Access in Midwestern States
• Updating and Analyzing Local News Media Data
• Providing Data and Analysis for Outside Researchers
• Presenting and Communicating Research Findings
• Provide advice, mentorship and quality control for research done through the Local News Accelerator
• Miscellaneous
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a master's or higher degree in data science, statistics, or related field; OR appropriate combination of education and relevant experience required

Minimum

Competencies:

• Programming experience related to data analysis (R, Python, etc.)
• Experience using business intelligence and data visualization tools (PowerBI, Tableau, etc.)
• Experience working with media or audience research.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a higher-education environment.

Preferred

Competencies:

• Experience with natural language processing software and methods
• Experience working with geographic information systems (ArcGIS, PostGIS, etc.)

The expected pay for this position is $80,000 annually, in alignment with departmental equity and market data.