Senior Researcher - Human Centered Design and Engineering
20 days ago
Seattle
Job DescriptionDescription: foundry10 is an education research organization with a philanthropic focus on expanding ideas about learning and creating direct value for youth. In collaboration with a wide range of partners, we surface, evaluate, and share opportunities to better support youth learning both inside and outside the classroom. Building on more than a decade of impactful work, our unique approach blends applied and experimental research, philanthropy, and education programs rooted in evidence-based best practices. Summary of Role The Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) Senior Researcher is driven by a strong interest in education and desire to improve student outcomes across multiple dimensions. They have deep expertise in appropriate domains (UX/Interaction design, software & hardware development, systems design, information architecture, contextual inquiry, and accessibility/inclusivity), bring novel ideas and expertise, and experience-based insights. HCDE Senior Researchers apply advanced research skills (e.g., data analysis techniques, knowledge of study design, visualizing and interpreting data) and are adept at sharing generalizable findings using different mediums alongside peer-reviewed publications. This role involves both independent research and analysis as well as multidisciplinary collaboration across our organization and in partnership with external institutions. This position reports to the Senior Research Manager. The salary range for this position is $128,550 to $214,250 per year, depending on experience. Research Areas of Interest The HCDE Senior Researcher will have a focus on K–12 and post-secondary education and their intersection points with the broader education community as well as families and caretakers. In particular, we are interested in, but not limited to: • How children, teachers, and parents conceptualize and utilize AI in both structured and unstructured environments., • Identify barriers or limitations that exist or are created by AI tools., • Student engagement with widely used learning software and tools and identify potential areas for improvement in implementation and integration., • Evaluation and/or design of both hardware and software accessibility interfaces (sensory, cognitive, language, social, etc.) for learning environments., • Co-design to help students and teachers create more responsive, collaborative, and engaging classrooms., • The value and contributions of VR, AR, and other technological advancements on the educational landscape., • Designing for and intersecting with research work involving students in academic settings, educators, multidisciplinary researchers and teams within foundry10, outside researchers and organizations, • Contributing to a balanced portfolio of research projects that includes independent research in line with organizational objectives and shared research projects that support connections with philanthropy, sharing, and youth programs, • Facilitating collaborations with outside researchers and partner organizations to design and carry out research, • Developing interesting and important questions regarding education in a space that values and supports creative approaches towards learning, • Gaining background knowledge and expertise in other related/unrelated fields within foundry10’s research domains and interest areas, • Working collaboratively with the Sharing Team to communicate actionable insights to various learning and research communities/fields as well as with lay-people in the educational community, • Represent foundry10 at conferences, within publications, and face-to-face with a variety of community partners, • Actively read and engage with current research and bring new knowledge to the organization and teams as a result of engagement with relevant topics, • Using various qualitative and quantitative methodologies, analysis strategies, and study designs as needed to address current research questions, • Employing a strong propensity to investigate topics and an ability to redirect/close off lines of inquiry not likely to result in useful findings, • Leading operations and partnership tasks (e.g., coordination of external data collection services, communication with external partners) as needed, • During collaborative projects, provide expertise and support to foundry10’s various research labs, such as consulting with other investigators to define project evaluation outcomes, leading literature reviews, or gap analyses, etc., • Progressing towards annual individual goals while additionally supporting the development of researchers with various roles and levels of expertise, • This is not an exhaustive list; other duties may be assigned as necessaryRequirements: Education and Experience • PhD in HCDE or related discipline, with 2-5 years relevant post-PhD work experience, • Experience in both academia and industry preferred, • Demonstrated experience in research topics, theory, and developmental phases relevant to education environments, • Demonstrated experience in formulating research questions, designing multiple studies, seeing them through to completion, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals, • Practical experience independently leading and conducting applied research with minimal supervision, • Particular experience with survey implementation, observational research, experimental research, and interviews, • Experience on a variety of projects with multiple stakeholders, • Experience mentoring and/or managing students, junior researchers, and/or research staff, • Experience with design/development of hardware and/or software tools, preferably for a variety of age groups, • Strong background in research ethics, particularly research ethics involving children and adolescents, • Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written, in interpersonal and research settings, • Ability to manage time and track several project timelines at once, • Ability to work self-sufficiently and identify areas where processes could be improved, • Ability to cross multiple subject areas and quickly gain a basic understanding of new areas To be considered for this role, please submit the following materials: • Cover letter detailing how your interest and qualifications align with this position, • Resume or CV The interview process will consist of the following steps: • Step 1: Zoom audio interview (1 hour), • Step 2: Zoom video interview with Research team members (1. 5 to 2 hours), • Step 3: If needed, Zoom video interview with the Director of Research and Org Leadership (up to 1 hour), • Step 4: Background and professional reference checks foundry10 offers competitive salary and benefits that include: • A 4-day workweek, • A flexible and hybrid work schedule, • Full Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage for employees and their dependents, • $1,500 yearly education stipend, • $3,000 yearly wellness and hobby stipend, before taxes, • Generous paid time off that includes:, • 4 weeks of vacation time annually and additional accrual with tenure, • 12 paid holidays, • 56 hours of paid sick and safe leave frontloaded annually, • Week-long office closures twice a year - each summer and winter, • 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, • Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account, • Employee Assistance Program at no cost to the employee We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to assist individuals with disabilities with the application and interviewing process as well as essential job functions.