We constantly hear from employers that work experience is one of the most important factors when hiring, but it isn’t always easy to find that experience. The Research & Evaluation team at the San Diego Workforce Partnership is looking for a current undergraduate or graduate student who is interested in applying their research skills in a position that will allow them to gain valuable experience in the workforce.

This 1-year position will run from April 2020 to April 2021, 15-20 hours per week and will pay $18/hr. This individual will support both internal evaluation studies and external labor market research. They should expect to learn about common data sets and methods for analyzing labor market data, in addition to best practices in program evaluation. The ideal research assistant will be an enthusiastic learner who is interested in expanding both their technical and non-technical skill sets.

Application Deadline: March 1, 2020

Job Duties & Responsibilities

  • Data collection, cleaning, and preliminary analysis of qualitative and quantitative data
  • Responding to data requests from internal and external stakeholders as needed
  • Coordination and scheduling of interviews (face to face and phone calls) for research projects
  • Other duties as assigned

Job Qualifications

  • Current enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in economics, public policy, political science or a related degree. Planning to remain enrolled through March 2021.
  • Ability to coordinate and manage time effectively
  • Advanced Excel skills (ex. formulas, pivot tables, data visualization)
  • Ability to write clearly in a business setting
  • Results oriented – proven track record of achieving/exceeding goals
  • Investigative mind; interested in working through complex questions and pursuing data aggressively
  • Interest in pursuing a future career in public-sector work is a plus

Physical Requirements/Other

  • Must be able to sit and/or stand for long periods of time, and work on a computer for extended hours
  • Reliable transportation

To Apply

  • Email research@workforce.org with the subject line: “Research Assistant Application, first & last name.” Address the email to Sarah Burns. Please include the following attachments in your application:
    • Resume (1 page max)
    • Cover Letter (1 page max)
    • Short answer to the following question (500 words max): How will this experience contribute to your career aspirations/professional growth?

No phone calls accepted. Principals only.

About the Organization:

The San Diego Workforce Partnership is a nonprofit entity chartered by the City and County of San Diego to administer employment and training programs that empower job seekers to meet the current and future workforce needs of employers in San Diego County. Learn more at workforce.org.

About the Research & Evaluation Department:

The Research & Evaluation department conducts research on industries and occupations in the San Diego labor market. This information is used to design training programs and inform students and job seekers about the opportunities that are available to them in the workforce. Additionally, the team supports our internal programs team in gathering data and telling the stories of their program success. See our work at workforce.org/research.