About the Team

The Policy Research Team designs and conducts research and analyses focused on improving student access to, persistence in, and completion of higher education. The data- and evidence-driven insights we provide drive actions that support college and career success and drive strategic organizational decisions.

About the Opportunity

The Research Scientist works with members of the Policy Research Team the larger Research team, product owners, and field staff to answer critical research questions to advance the mission of the College Board. You will work iteratively and collaboratively with stakeholders to produce high-quality data, visualizations, and various memos, papers, and reports to effectively communicate findings to a wide variety of audiences.

In this role, you will:

Provide Research and Strategic Guidance to the Higher Education Team at College Board

• Leverage expertise through practitioner engagement (e.g., admissions and financial aid professionals) to inform the development of new data-driven products and services.
• Identify unique and previously unseen opportunities where College Board is positioned to influence college access and student success.
• Create compelling presentations, data visualizations, and written documents that relay information with clarity for diverse audiences.
• Travel periodically to present to practitioners, policymakers, and academic audiences.

Develop and Lead a Scholarly Research Agenda with a Particular Focus on Topics Related to College Board Programs and Services

• Maintain a scholarly footprint by crafting new research ideas, conducting analyses, writing reports/articles and shepherding these through the peer review process, with a particular focus on college application, admission, affordability, retention, and/or degree completion.
• Synthesize research findings in memos with digestible talking points and visuals for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Work Collaboratively with Teams Across the College Board to Engage in Strategic Analyses

• Partner with internal teams focused on Higher Education, college entrance exams, student supports, as well as external researchers engaged on similar topics to develop actionable evidence.
• Generate data-driven insights for internal clients and partners that inform external conversations.
• Periodically work urgently and on tight timelines to ensure that clients and partners have access to contemporary and meaningful data.

About You

You have:

• Strong expertise in statistical modeling and data analysis using appropriate statistical methods and software (e.g., SAS, Stata, R, Python).
• Direct experience working with higher education practitioners, particularly in enrollment management.
• Experience with large, national datasets related to the education industry and the ability to work accurately and quickly with new datasets.
• A commitment to generating scholarly research related and adjacent to College Board’s programs and services as well as the broader education policy community.
• Adept problem-solving skills with data.  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience presenting to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong organization and prioritization skills and the proven ability to move forward multiple projects in concert, both independently and as a member of the team. 
• An appreciation for crafting actionable, data-driven insights on a rapid timeline.
• A passion for supporting the educational opportunities for millions of students.  
• A strong interest in collaborating in a team environment and working agilely with researchers and non-researchers to support organizational priorities.