Senior Research Associate

# Senior Research Associate Talking Points United  States Full time

RemoteUSD 105,000 – 115,000

Apply by Dec 22, 2026## About the role About TalkingPoints :
TalkingPoints is an award-winning education technology nonprofit on a mission to unlock every student’s potential by activating one of the most underutilized forces in education - families. We believe that when families and schools work together, students thrive - and we’re building the tools to make that partnership possible for every family. Our platform helps schools reach and engage every family - including those historically underserved - through accessible, two-way communication in 150+ languages, along with data, insights, and supports that strengthen relationships and drive student success.

Today, millions of educators and families are using TalkingPoints in their classrooms, schools, and districts across the U.S. to build stronger partnerships and improve outcomes for students. Our work is grounded in research and has been shown to meaningfully impact attendance, learning, and more. We partner with leading school districts nationwide and are supported by a strong community of philanthropic and strategic partners, including major foundations, technology leaders, and education organizations.

TalkingPoints is at an exciting stage of growth and impact. As we continue to expand our reach and deepen our impact, we’re looking for passionate, mission-driven team members who want to help schools and families succeed - together. Learn more at.

Diversity: we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it!

The Opportunity:

The Senior Research Associate (SRA) generates rigorous, actionable research that demonstrates and deepens TalkingPoints ' impact on student outcomes through family-school partnerships. They apply mixed methods research skills to a variety of studies including both causal and correlational designs.

This person thrives on doing the work: building the research plan, getting into the data, and seeing a project through from design to dissemination with rigor, care, and follow-through. They manage timelines, drive work forward independently, and translate complex findings for varied internal audiences (product, engineering, philanthropy, partner success) and district partners. Reporting to the Director of Research, the SRA works cross-functionally within a fast-paced team that values both rigor and rapid  this role, you will:
Research Design & Project Ownership:

Execute research studies from rapid descriptive analyses to quasi-experimental designs Develop and maintain clear research plans: defining questions, selecting methods, setting timelines, and tracking deliverables from kickoff through dissemination Data Management & Analysis:
Manage, clean, and analyze data from TalkingPoints ’ platform, partner datasets, and public sources (e.g., NCES, state data systems) Apply methods appropriate to the question, from exploratory and descriptive analyses to advanced approaches including quasi-experimental design, hierarchical linear modeling, and natural language processing Use R/Python for data analysis and visualization, SQL and tools like Sigma for data exploration, and AI tools (including coding assistants) to accelerate work from analysis to research communications Research Translation & Communication:
Turn findings into clear, compelling impact stories — presentations, reports, and publications — for district partners, internal teams, and senior leadership Generate insights that inform product development and partnership strategy Internal & External

Collaboration:

Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners to connect research to organizational priorities and support revenue generation Engage with external district…