Senior Research Scientist - Economics, Justice and Society Research - Chicago office or Remote

Join the Economics, Justice and Society (EJS) department at NORC at the University of Chicago as a Senior Research Scientist. As a member of the department's leadership, this person will work with colleagues across the department to expand our portfolio of research and analysis in socio-economic topic areas.

Bring your expertise in a socio-economic content area (e.g., labor and workforce dynamics, household finance, income and poverty, well-being, wealth and assets, energy and the environment, and research methods) and methodological knowledge in the areas of policy, evaluation, or survey research to this leadership role along with your passion for mentorship and collaboration.

Play a strategic role to further develop a world-class research function at one of the nation's most respected research institutions, significantly impacting NORC's success and service to our clients.

NORC maintains offices in a number of metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Greater DC and Silicon Valley. Regular office presence is not an expectation and NORC actively recruits nationwide for all levels of research staff.

The Economics, Justice, and Society delivers actionable research on critical social programs and issues, timely socio-economic trend data, and evidence-based solutions across a wide variety of topics from business dynamics to household formation. The department is home to NORCs Center for Public Safety and Justice, Center on Behavioral Economic Analysis and Decision-Making, and three long-running flagship surveys - the General Social Survey, the Survey of Consumer Finance, and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. We provide insights into communities, households, businesses, and the nation through our expertise in income and poverty, household finance, youth development, victimization, law enforcement, religion, traffic safety, data governance, and other topics. We engage in policy analysis and evaluation research relating to social programs and issues, the economy and the labor force, transportation and traffic safety, and crime and law enforcement. We work with a diverse set of clients and partners, including policy-makers and data users in national, state and local governments, academia, and the press.

• Providing research expertise and serving as a subject matter expert to obtain funding for, plan, and execute research studies
• Leading strategic projects by providing technical input and direction to staff regarding survey or evaluation research design, questionnaire content, policy and data analysis, and study conclusions
• Conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis
• Authoring white papers, briefs, and reports; submit articles for publication in refereed journals
• Presenting research findings at professional meetings
• Independently drafting and managing contract proposals and grant applications including estimating project budgets
• Communicating effectively with key strategic partners inside and outside of NORC, as well as current and prospective funders and clients to advance the Departments strategic initiatives
• Managing teams to carry out strategic initiatives and business development opportunities, including monitoring and oversight of finances and administration for projects
• Supporting a cohesive, team-oriented culture across a geographically dispersed staff and promote communication and integration among all members to foster collegiality and ongoing collaboration
• Occasional travel to client meetings and conferences.

• Bachelors degree in social sciences, or other relevant discipline is required; PhD strongly preferred.
• At least 9 years experience in positions of increasing responsibility in social science research or related field (or equivalent education) including at least 3 years of social science project management
• Experience with the design and execution of social science research and in publishing research results, with a strong career-appropriate record of peer-reviewed technical publications.
• A demonstrated record of developing new business relationships and securing funding from government agencies, non-profit, and commercial organizations
• Experience working for the federal government or a federal contractor
• Advanced quantitative skills
• Strong proficiency with statistical analysis packages such as such as SAS, SPSS, STATA, or R
• Experience managing client relationships, complex projects, and budgetary oversight in government agencies, academic research, consulting, private sector, or non-profit settings
• The candidate must have excellent oral and written communication skills and an aptitude in leading and working with project teams as well as coordinating work conducted within the Department.
• Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which were known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

NORC is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that values and actively seeks diversity in the workforce. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other legally- protected characteristics.

#LI-DNI