Quantitative Research Associate, Educational Measurement

AIR’s Employment & Economic Opportunity Program is seeking a Quantitative Research Associate to provide operational, research, and coordination support for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment project as well as externally facing research, assessment, and partnership initiatives.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations but requires availability to participate in meetings across all continental U.S. time zones. This does not include U.S. territories.

About AIR:

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct background research on educational measurement, assessment innovation, and external stakeholders to inform client conversations and business development.
• Support all stages of assessment development, including but not limited to collecting, analyzing, and reviewing assessment items, survey questionnaire items, frameworks, development documents, item statistics, content standards, and reporting.
• Support the design and implementation of quantitative research and assessment studies by preparing, organizing, and documenting datasets, and conducting data cleaning, manipulation, and descriptive and inferential analyses, including large‑scale and complex survey data.
• Conduct preliminary and advanced statistical analyses and synthesize findings into clear summaries to support internal planning, external communication, and ongoing methodological development.
• Synthesize research, policy, or data inputs into clear summaries for non-technical audiences.
• Contribute to the development of presentations, data visualizations, and concise written summaries for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Manage outreach, records and follow‑up activities for partnerships and client engagements to ensure coordinated and timely engagement.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in education, public policy, social science (e.g., psychology), data science, measurement (e.g., statistics, educational measurement, psychometrics), or a related field; Masters degree preferred.

• High level of familiarity/proficiency with statistical programming (e.g., R, Python, SAS) and the ability to read and interpret code or scripts for troubleshooting purposes.
• Background or experience in educational measurement, assessment, evaluation, or accountability systems.
• Familiarity with K–12 assessment
• Content knowledge in science and/or mathematics preferred, but not required.
• Experience working on operational assessments preferred, but not required.

Skills

• Strong communication skills, especially for technical documentation and summaries.

• Excellent organizational and time‑management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks under deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective internal and external working relationships.
• Self‑starter with a proactive, solution‑oriented approach (“go‑getter”) who is comfortable engaging with stakeholders.
• Proficiency with common productivity and tracking tools (e.g., spreadsheets, shared documentation platforms).
• Spanish language proficiency, including the ability to conduct Spanish translation verification preferred, but not required.

Disclosures: This position is open to U.S. citizens only. Upon hire, incumbent will be required to obtain clearance through the National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) system.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.orgor call 202.403.5000.

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