Research Fellow, Boston Indicators

The Boston Foundation

Job Description

All applications should be submitted online. Go to https://www.tbf.org/who-we-are/careers and select “Research Fellow, Boston Indicators” to complete our online application process. Diversity candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Job Description

Title: Research Fellow

Department: Strategy and Operations

Reports To:  Senior Director, Boston Indicators

FLSA Classification:Exempt FTE: 1, time-limited for one-year

Supervises: None

Position Summary:

The Research Fellow will support and advance the goals of Boston Indicators, the research center at the Boston Foundation (TBF). To ensure that our work informs active efforts to make our city more equitable and just, we work in deep partnership with TBF staff, community groups, civic leaders and Boston’s civic data community to produce special reports and host public convenings.

This year-long fellowship will focus on supporting the COVID Community Data Lab, presenting the best non-traditional data sources we can find for analyzing how our communities have changed since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Because the dynamics of this crisis have served to exacerbate underlying racial and economic inequality, the research will continue to emphasize an equity lens wherever possible. While the Fellow will be joining the Boston Indicators team, we are producing this work in partnership with the Center for Housing Data at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), and, therefore, the Fellow will work closely with the MHP team as well.

Essential Functions:

  • Lead expanded analysis on mobility and transportation-related themes. This analysis would likely be presented through two written channels online: 1) expanding and updating the existing “Transportation and Mobility Patterns” domain of the Data Lab; and 2) producing additional standalone research briefs that use this mobility data as a foundation for other planning and policy discussions. 
  • Contribute to other ongoing Boston Indicators research, including work that brings a racial and economic equity lens and that disaggregates data wherever possible.
  • Develop and strengthen external partnerships, helping expand the reach and depth of connections made through the Data Lab.
  • Update data across all domains in the Data Lab, and expand the number of data sources/insights included in many of them.
  • Help organize and host online events to present new research findings and discuss policy and planning implications that flow from the research.
  • Seek out opportunities to present this research at events and meetings hosted by other organizations.
  • Strengthen overall project management of the Data Lab and coordination with all the partners.
  • Expand our social media and traditional media outreach efforts in order to have our research contribute to the growing public conversation around how to build an inclusive recovery coming out of this crisis.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Individuals assigned to this position may perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Preparation, Knowledge, Previous Experience:

  • Master’s degree or five years professional experience 

Skills, Abilities, Competencies:

  • Proven track record of doing equity-focused research, with experience disaggregating data wherever possible
  • Strong written and oral communications skills
  • Proficiency analyzing large data sets in Excel
  • Comfort using data from different US Census Bureau sources (e.g. the Decennial Census, the American Community Survey, the Current Population Survey)
  • Good project management skills, with a proven ability to lead complex projects
  • Experience communicating research findings in ways that are accessible to a range of non-technical audiences
  • Comfort and flexibility working across a wide range of issue areas
  • Ability to give and receive criticism constructively and work to and meet tight deadlines under pressure
  • Ability to interact well with a diverse range of people
  • Flexible, collegial and supportive toward constituents and colleagues
  • Proficiency using a statistical software package to analyze administrative and survey data - for instance, using R or STATA to analyze American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample files (preferred)

Working Conditions & Physical Demands:

  • The ability to remain stationary and work on a computer for approximately 80% of the work day required

The content is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. It is not intended to constitute an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required.

External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents, who are or become disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act or applicable state law, must be able to perform the essential functions of the job (including those listed above) either with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation, if any, will be determined by management in consultation with the employee on a case-by-case basis.

This job description is intended to be general and may be revised from time to time. At management’s discretion, the employee may be assigned different or additional duties from time to time.

05/03/2019