Research Assistant, Child and Family Development @ James Bell Associates

James Bell Associates (JBA) is a nationally recognized program evaluation and applied research firm specializing in evaluations of health and social service programs and capacity building technical assistance (TA). JBA’s mission is to improve the lives of children, families, and communities through evaluation. Our projects cross disciplines, with an emphasis on child and family development, child welfare, health care, and tribal evaluation. Clients include federal, state, tribal, and local governments as well as universities, foundations, and nonprofits.

JBA is currently seeking a Research Assistant to join our Child and Family Development Practice Area to support our research and evaluation projects. We are looking for an individual who is highly organized and detail oriented, can coordinate and support development of written products, and can support various evaluation and technical assistance tasks. We are seeking an individual who is proactive, able to problem solve, a critical thinker, and interested in professional growth.

The position will be located in our Arlington, VA, office when safety permits given the COVID-19 pandemic, but will be a telecommute position to start. Some travel required when safety permits given the COVID-19 pandemic.

JBA offers excellent salaries and benefits including generous insurance coverage and 401(k) matching. JBA is deeply committed to the principles of equity and diversity and seeks to create an inclusive workforce. We are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status under applicable law.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews

• Collect and synthesize data

• Complete data entry

• Plan, schedule, and take notes for meetings

• Coordinate and contribute to the development of reports, memos, TA tools, issue briefs, webinar presentations, and journal manuscripts

• Engage in business development activities, including responding to requests for proposals (RFPs)

Required Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills and high level of attention to detail; flexibility to manage multiple priorities, sometimes simultaneously, under deadlines
• Coordinate the workflow of various products and tasks
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in education, child or human development, family studies, sociology, public health, public policy, psychology, social work, or related field with some research experience

• Experience with internet research skills including Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, or other academic search engines

• Experience with Microsoft Office products (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access)

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Ability to collaborate and build strong working relationships with others, including working effectively as part of a team

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds

• Interest in maternal and child health and development

• Knowledge of research design and methods, both qualitative and quantitative

• Broad understanding of early childhood field (home visiting, child welfare, children’s mental health, two-generation programs) and policy issues

Various federal agencies with whom we contract require that staff successfully undergo a background investigation or security clearance as a condition of working on the project. If you are assigned to such a project, you will be required to obtain the requisite security clearance.

Email cover letter with salary requirements and resume to southern@jbassoc.com. For more information about James Bell Associates, see www.jbassoc.com.