Westat is an employee-owned corporation providing research services to agencies of the U.S. Government, as well as businesses, foundations, and state and local governments. Westat's research, technical, and administrative staff of more than 2,000 is located at our headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, near Washington, DC.

Westat is committed to building a diverse workforce and a culture of inclusivity, belonging and equity for all. We believe that our greatest strength draws on the different backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and experiences of our employees.

Job Summary
Westat is seeking a Research Associate to assist in designing study plans and data collection plans- including developing instruments and identifying secondary data sources, overseeing and participating in data collection, conducting analysis, and contributing to project reports and publications.

Job Responsibilities:

• Supports all stages of research from study design through data collection and management, analysis, and reporting.
• Conducts robust literature searches and distills the information into an insightful background and understanding section for the topic at hand.
• Participates in developing data collection plans and the associated instruments and materials
• Conducts and oversees data collection efforts which may involve administering surveys, interviews, site visits, observation protocols, and/or acquiring administrative data.
• Analyzes data, including both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Contributes to reports and manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Participates in presentations at conferences and other meetings.
• Participates in proposal writing.

Basic Qualifications:

• A Master's degree in the public policy or a social science discipline, such as sociology, economics, political science, psychology or in analytical methods such as statistics.
• A minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise in either quantitative or qualitative research methods.
• Experience drafting content for technical documents (such as literature review summaries, study plans, methodology reports, findings reports.)
• Experience using Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) to produce visually appealing reports, tables, graphs, and presentation slides.
• Experience developing analysis plans and overseeing analysis.
• Experience managing large datasets and conducting analyses using statistical software (such as SAS, Stata, or R) or qualitative software such as NVivo.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Demonstrated communication skills
• Collaboration with teams, managers and/or clients
• Organization skills, including time management ability
• Detail oriented

Westat offers a well-rounded and comprehensive benefits program focused on wellness and work/life balance. Eligible employees may participate in:

Employee Stock Ownership Plan
401(k) Retirement Plan
Paid Parental Leave
Vacation Leave
Sick Leave
Holiday Leave
Professional Development
Health Advocate
Employee Assistance Program
Travel Accident Insurance
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Short Term Disability Insurance
Long Term Disability Insurance
Life and AD&D Insurance
Critical Illness Insurance
Supplemental Life Insurance
Flexible Spending Account
Health Savings Account

Westat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, genetic information, gender identity or expression, or any other protected status under applicable law.