Senior Research Scientist (Measurement)

As the Senior Research Scientist (Measurement) at Bezos Academy, you are a mission-driven individual who is passionate about uncovering insights that serve children, advance equity, and empower communities.  You will partner with researchers, early childhood experts, and our education team to build new, authentic measures of early childhood learning, then conduct related research and analyses with those measures to scale our impact. 

You are a proven measurement expert who will help us invent and implement Montessori-aligned child outcome measures.  Your critical contributions will help our teachers cultivate children’s original thinking, creative leadership, and a love of learning.  You understand the limitations of existing early childhood assessments and you are passionate about building tools to fill those gaps.  Over time, you will also lend your technical expertise to our Education and People teams to support the development of assessments for our educator training programs. This will enable new teachers to demonstrate a mastery of Montessori practices and ensure they are fully ready to nurture each child’s potential.

You bring expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, as well as a range of assessment methodologies, and will lead the assessment development process from content framework creation to validation.  You know how to turn research into action and will make evidence-based recommendations to shift strategies and practices to maximize outcomes for our students. You bring an equity-based approach to assessment design and analysis that eliminates bias and honors the diversity of human knowledge.  Above all, you share our passion for expanding access to high quality, Montessori-inspired preschool within under-resourced communities as we expand nationwide.

LOCATION

• Flexible in the United States; Seattle, WA preferred

• Relocation support is available for those willing to relocate to Seattle, WA.
  

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

• This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, salaried position.

• The full salary range for this position, across all United States geographies, is $149,000 - $308,000 per year. The upper portion of the salary range is typically reserved for existing employees who demonstrate strong performance over time. Starting salary will vary by location, qualifications, and prior experience; during the interview process, candidates will learn the starting salary range applicable for their location.

• This role includes 15 paid days of vacation, 4 days of paid personal time off, 7 paid days of sick (care) time, 9 paid holidays, 5 paid days off for an organization-wide winter break, and additional time off if required by applicable law. Benefits for this role include medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, a 401(k) plan with a 4% employer contribution match, paid parental leave, an employer-matched flexible spending account for dependent care, and more. Please see here for details.
  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in relevant field or equivalent experience (e.g., educational measurement and evaluation, psychometrics, human development, or psychology)

• Six or more years of relevant professional experience, with at least four or more years of experience in educational research with measurement/assessment development

• Track record of delivering innovative assessments that measure a range of knowledge domains

• Strong quantitative and analytic skills; proficiency with advanced statistical methods and at least one statistical analysis tool (e.g., Python, R, SAS, STATA, etc.)

• Experience working across lines of difference and demonstrated personal commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in early childhood measurement and research, especially the development of early childhood outcome measures which have been administered across multiple districts and/or states

• Experience approaches to assessment and a range of assessment modalities (digital, portfolio, performance, other innovative methods)

• Experience managing the assessment development process, from content framework design to bias and sensitivity review to validation and testing

• Experience turning research into action that leads to improved outcomes

• Experience in varied survey design and qualitative research methods

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to conduct your own quality assurance (ensure 100% accuracy)

• Strong communication skills including proven success at capturing and presenting complex data in simple, actionable ways to multiple audiences

• Knowledge of at least one data visualization tool (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, etc.) and proficiency in SQL

• Experience managing partners, contractors, or a small team

Please click here for a full job description. 

Bezos Academy requires all staff to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or obtain an approval for exemption due to medical or religious reasons prior to commencement of employment unless state or local law provides otherwise.

Bezos Academy participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with employee Form I-9 Information to confirm authorization to work in the U.S. Bezos Academy only uses E-Verify once a candidate has accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. If E-Verify cannot confirm that an employee is authorized to work, Bezos Academy will give the employee written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so the employee can begin to resolve the issue before any adverse employment action is taken. For more information about your right to work, please see the Notice of Right to Work.