Education Policy Research Contractor

Job Opportunities

Education Policy & Research Contractor

Salary: Hourly depending on work experience
Location: Flexible

Deadline: Applications reviewed on rolling basis

Who We Are

Opportunity Consulting, a company focused on equity in public policy and working with cities, school systems, public agencies and organizations to identify where they may contribute to gaps and inequality and find keys for reversing these trends and improving equity.

Who You Are

We are looking for an individual with consulting and research and analysis experience in K-12 education for a contractor position to support a growing portfolio of education-focused projects in opportunity consulting, including on teacher recruitment and retention, diversifying the teacher workforce, school improvement and others. The contractor will support a portfolio that includes both research and consulting tasks, work directly with clients and produce published materials.

The contractor position is for 90 days with a scope of approximately 10 hours per week, and includes the potential to transition to a full-time position at Opportunity Consulting should the opportunity arise.

Essential Responsibilities/Functions

Produce policy and research reports and briefs for both internal and external audiences.
Participate in research, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and evaluation of policies and practices related to K-12 education, or other topics occasionally.
Facilitate client meetings focused on school and system improvmeent.
Assist with the project coordination, including creating work plans, mapping project deliverables, creating materials necessary for moving projects forward, scheduling of meetings, and production of meeting minutes.
Collect and synthesize information from a variety of sources, including literature reviews, interviews, and focus groups, administrative data, and other sources.
Review and analyze data to draw conclusions and make recommendations based on the research and policy analysis results.
Review reports and other written products for accuracy, completeness, and quality of content.

Qualifications

Education/Experience – Masters degree in education policy/administration, education, social science, or a related field and at least two years of relevant working experience.
Knowledge - Familiarity with educational policy topics such as school segregation, school choice, teacher recruitment and retention, school finance and related topics.
Strong interest in equity and social justice issues
Data literacy - preference for some comfort reviewing data, conducting basic data analysis, drawing conclusions, connecting data and research to policy and practice, and using data to guide decision-making.
Organization & Project Management - possess strong organizational and project management skills: the ability to both see the big picture (i.e., identify goals and objectives) and be detail-oriented (i.e., develop a timeline, assign tasks with appropriate deadlines); be able to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple projects, and have the flexibility to adapt and adjust project plans as circumstances change and opportunities emerge; be able to work directly with various project leads and senior management staff.
Communication - very strong writing and editing skills, including the ability to absorb and summarize complex and highly technical information
Flexibility – willingness to gain expertise in multiple content areas, willingness to quickly pivot as the needs of senior management staff change, willingness to be flexible with your work product to meet the needs of the office.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other commonly used computer software applications.

To Apply

Click here to upload your resume and cover letter outlining your relevant experience.

We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We would encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of our qualifications described. If you are unsure whether you meet the qualification of this position, please feel free to contact us to discuss your application.