Senior Researcher, Global Attitudes

Position Overview

Pew Research Center has an immediate need for a Senior Researcher to support its global research agenda. The Senior Researcher will be part of the Global Attitudes research team, which conducts worldwide public opinion surveys on major international issues such as attitudes toward the U.S. and American foreign policy, views of China, global economic attitudes, multilateralism, and democracy, as well as how people view conditions in their countries and their own lives.

The Senior Researcher helps shape the project’s research agenda and plays a major role in implementing the project’s research objectives.  The position requires solid managerial skills, strong editorial judgment, a variety of technical skills, and an ability to work independently.

Primary Responsibilities

The position is cyclical in nature. During certain months of the year, the bulk of one’s time will be spent on project management, data quality control and tasks related to survey administration. In other months, the bulk of one’s time will be focused on subject matter research, questionnaire design, and analysis. The percentages below are guidelines based on a full calendar year. A successful candidate will be one who can map out project plans, set and adhere to deadlines and deliverables, and keep colleagues (as well as vendors) informed across these myriad tasks. An ideal candidate will be one who can understand the overall vision for the project and delegate tasks, but is also willing to get involved and do these tasks when needed.

Survey design and management (50%)

• Help draft project proposals, RFPs and RFIs
• Sketch out overall project timelines, communicating with other senior staff around the Center; ensure project timelines are met
• Help manage project budgets and contracts
• Plan and implement processes to coordinate survey scripting, translation and verification
• Work with vendors to oversee work progress and performance
• Coordinate and participate in fieldwork oversight as well as quality control processes
• Manage the review and approval of final datasets
• Help design and manage procedures to generate toplines, crosstabs and datasets for release
• Help to design and manage additional projects, as funding permits, including focus groups or cognitive interviewing
• Oversee the public dataset release and other open-science protocols

Questionnaire design (25%)

• Manage the questionnaire process, from designing topics to final execution of a questionnaire
• Conduct and manage background research on topics of interest
• Draft and, as appropriate, test questions
• Coordinate with other teams around the Center on content
• Look for outside data – such as other survey data, economic data, demographic data, etc. – that can be used in tandem with Global findings and inform our questionnaire and processes
• Examine questionnaires for order effects and other methodological pitfalls

Data analysis and innovation (25%)

• Conduct analysis of survey and non-survey data, including multivariate analysis and multilevel modeling
• Work with others to develop new ideas for ways to use and create “big data” in international research
• Explore ways to improve our processes, including how and when to use automation and/or AI

• Presentations / papers at professional and other types of conferences and events

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Quantitative skills, including an ability to use SPSS, Stata, R or other statistical programs to organize and analyze large amounts of data
• Skilled in project development and management; ability to manage multiple projects at the same time
• Clear capacity to train and develop skills in coworkers
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong analytical and research skills
• Attention to detail, including exacting standards to maintain accuracy and impartiality of all work products
• Editorial judgment and proven ability to communicate research results clearly and concisely in both verbal and written form
• Ability to work collaboratively and collegially with staff from across Pew Research Center and outside organizations
• Experience conducting surveys and working with survey vendors – especially in non-U.S. contexts – is a plus
• Experience working with “big data” and/or secondary source data a plus
• Knowledge of and interest in international affairs is preferred

Education/Training/Experience

• BA required, advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of research experience, with a minimum of 10 years of specialized research and analysis experience expected. This often includes significant graduate training at the PhD level or equivalent.
• Track record of successful project management experience
• Strong quantitative and statistical training
• Background in social science research
• Established record of publication and/or editorial performance is preferred

FLSA Status: Exempt