Duties

Summary

The primary duties and responsibilities of the Research Associate are to contribute to the design and conduct of social scientific and law-related research aimed at identifying innovative or improved approaches to judicial administration in federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts.
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Responsibilities

As members of project teams, research associates perform the full range of research work, including:

• Developing ideas and suggestions for new research projects;
• Conducting thorough social science and legal literature reviews and analysis;
• Designing qualitative and quantitative research protocols;
• Creating data collection instruments, such as interview protocols, questionnaires, and instruments for coding information from electronic and paper records;
• Collecting, supervising, and collaborating in the collection of data and the creation of data sets;
• Conducting and overseeing data and statistical analyses;
• Presenting research findings to diverse audiences within and outside the judiciary;
• Writing research reports;
• Developing educational material grounded in legal and social science research for judges and court employees; and
• Performing other duties as assigned by the Director of Research.

Work is performed with guidance and review by the Director of Research or Senior Research Associates.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional overnight travel for periods not to exceed a week at a time is required.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

• You must be a United States Citizen, subject to the exceptions enumerated at https://www.uscourts.gov/careers .
• Selectee must favorably complete a background investigation.
• Relatives of Center staff members may not be employed at the Center in any capacity.
• All requirements must be met for full consideration.

Qualifications

MANDATORY QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. degree in a social science discipline such as data science, economics, political science, psychology, or sociology or a J.D. degree; and
• At least two years of experience conducting policy-related research or working in a law-related area.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Both a Ph.D. degree in a relevant social science discipline and a J.D. degree;
• Completion of graduate-level coursework in applied research methods, data science, and statistics;
• Knowledge of statistical analysis programs such as SAS, SPSS, and STATA and advanced features of Excel;
• Experience with designing and conducting court-focused research and education;
• Knowledge of federal court structure, governance, and operations; and
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with highly motivated and experienced professionals.

Education

Ph.D. degree in a social science discipline such as data science, economics, political science, psychology, or sociology or a J.D. degree.

Additional information

The starting salary is set at $128,379. This position falls in the Center's pay band VI which has a salary range up to $199,088. For a successful candidate not currently a member of the Center staff, a higher starting salary, not to exceed $134,798, may be considered if the candidate furnishes proof that his/her current salary falls above the pay band VI minimum salary of $128,379, in which case the Center would match that salary up to the starting salary limit of $134,798. This is the maximum starting salary, and it is non-negotiable. If the successful internal candidate's salary falls above the range minimum that salary will be matched up to his/her current salary.

Federal government benefits are applicable. An array of supplemental benefits is also offered including a transportation subsidy and a flexible benefit program allowing for pre-tax deductions for health insurance, health care, dependent care, and commuter expenses. The FJC is located in the Thurgood Marshall Building, conveniently situated to public transportation directly beside Union Station. The Marshall Building houses a child development center and a health fitness facility for its tenants.

The position is located in Washington, D.C. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic all Center staff are currently working remotely. The selected candidate must be prepared to resume work in the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building in Washington, D.C. when the Center resumes its normal operations. At that point, the Center provides telework options subject to supervisory division director approval.

This position does not carry the tenure rights of positions in the competitive civil service.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Selected applicants will be evaluated based upon the question responses provided during a structured interview.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Please see the "How to Apply" section.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.