TREC Research Assistant

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Portland State University

Proposed

Start Date:

July 1, 2026

Rank: L - Research Assistant

Working Title:

TREC Research Assistant

Position Number: D90561

Representation: AU - AAUP

Faculty Type:
Fixed Term Research/Grant

Fixed Term End Date:
June 30, 2027

Position FTE:
Variable between 0.5 and 1.0 FTE, starting at 1.0 FTE

Term of Service: 12 month

The Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University is a multidisciplinary hub for all things transportation. It includes the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), the data programs PORTAL and Bike Ped Portal, the Better Block PSU program, and PSU's membership in Pac Trans, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium. The goal is to produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education, seminars, and participation in research.

The Research Assistant position is responsible for assisting the TREC Director, Research Associates, and Program Managers in carrying out applied research projects, including data collection, management, and analysis; literature reviews; communicating research in writing and orally; and reporting to funding agencies. The Research Assistant supports development of research funding proposals.

• Conduct literature reviews, including identifying and synthesizing existing research from a wide range of sources (academic journals, government reports, websites, etc.)
• Gather data using a predetermined protocol through a variety of methods, including surveys, observation (in-person and video), interviews, focus groups, and secondary sources.
• Perform basic qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis.
• Gather materials and information and prepare regular status reports to funding agencies.
• Draft and edit reports and articles on research projects.
• Manage simple websites for projects that communicate project activities and outputs.
• Gather materials to assist in preparing research funding proposals.

• Assist at large in-person TREC events, including set-up, registration, and clean-up. Staff information table at events.

Master's degree in a field directly related to transportation planning, policy, or engineering.

• Ability to write in a clear, direct style.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to plan and manage multiple projects to meet critical deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral) with a wide range of people and organizations.
• Collaborative. Ability to work as part of a team.
• Flexible. Ability to adjust work tasks and deadlines to meet changing priorities.
• Experience with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, and Calendar;
  Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and Adobe Acrobat.
• Knowledge of key multimodal transportation concepts.
• Experience with descriptive statistics and bivariate statistical analysis (e.g., t-tests, Chi-square). Experience creating tables and graphs to display quantitative data.

• Experience in data collection, including survey administration, interviews, and/or focus groups. Experience conducting literature reviews for research.
• Experience with data analysis and visualization software, such as R, SPSS, Tableau, etc.

• Creates an environment that acknowledges, encourages and celebrates differences.
• Functions and communicates effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities and cultural backgrounds.
• Seeks opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement.
• Adheres to all PSU's policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.

Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.

At Portland State University, all employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner which maintains a safe, respectful, and productive environment for faculty, students, administrators, and staff. It is the responsibility of every member of the Portland State University community to conduct themselves in accordance with our PSU Professional Standards of Conduct, which are available at https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

Salary is dependent on several factors, and new employees will typically start around the Q1 level to allow for later growth within the salary band. PSU has a structured process for determining starting compensation, taking into account years of related experience, applicable skills, knowledge and…