Research Associate

Chartered by the state of Georgia in 1785, the University of Georgia is the birthplace of public higher education in America and is the state's flagship university (https://www.uga.edu/). The proof is in our more than 240 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University's main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University's enrollment exceeds 41,000 students including over 31,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 19 schools and colleges, including our newly established School of Medicine.

The UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government - Who We Are
As a Public Service and Outreach unit at the University of Georgia, the UGA Institute of Government contributes directly to the university's overarching public service mission of improving people's lives by helping to create jobs and prosperity, developing leaders, and addressing critical issues. This public service mission, and the Institute of Government's role in its success, is at the heart of UGA's land-grant and sea-grant mission to serve the State of Georgia and its residents.

We have a wide range of experts who inform, inspire, and innovate every day so that governments, large and small, can be more efficient and responsive to their citizens, address current and emerging challenges, and serve the public with excellence. We are uniquely positioned to provide impartial support to local governments and state agencies and convene multi-disciplinary and intragovernmental groups to plan for and address many of the challenges faced by communities across Georgia.

Our areas of expertise and focus include workforce and economic development; infrastructure and community resilience; government operations and organizational effectiveness; measuring and reporting on impact and outcomes; building skills, knowledge and capacity of government leaders and teams; and maximizing technology and data for governments and their leaders.

Whether it is through our award-winning PROPEL (Planning Rural Opportunities for Prosperity and Economic Leadership) program for rural communities, our CyberArch student program that helps Georgia communities increase their cybersecurity, our efforts to build a visionary plan for military and community partnerships to spur economic prosperity and resilient infrastructure, our financial management certificate program to build the capacity of public officials, or hosting educational events about e-mobility strategies for local governments .... We Know Georgia. Fulfilling our land-grant and sea-grant mission to serve the State of Georgia is more than a project. It's our purpose.

We are growing and excited to add individuals to our team who share our commitment to public service - building stronger communities, inspiring economic resilience, and improving quality of life for communities across Georgia and beyond.

Our Culture - How We Operate
We disseminate knowledge through research, scholarship, and instruction. We collaborate internally across our areas of expertise and across the university with academic researchers to bring best practices and expert insights to the governments and communities we serve. We are committed to fielding a team of experts who have a variety of professional and academic experiences and are grounded in our culture of excellence and approach our work with Georgia's governments in a comprehensive and objective fashion.

Normal business hours are M-F, 8-5.

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR ( hrweb@uga.edu).

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning, as well the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 08.02.18.01.02.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 06.05 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom.

Master's degree in relevant field and two years of relevant experience.

The Research Associate will support workforce development, economic development, and applied research initiatives through project management, research, stakeholder engagement, and program coordination activities. This position will be responsible for conducting background research and literature reviews, designing and implementing research activities, gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, and developing client-facing deliverables including reports, strategic plans, executive summaries, presentations, and other communication materials. The Research Associate will independently manage assigned project tasks while collaborating with faculty, staff, graduate assistants, students, clients, and community stakeholders to ensure successful project execution and timely completion of deliverables.

In addition, this position will coordinate and support meetings, conferences, workshops, and other outreach events related to workforce and economic development initiatives. Responsibilities include meeting planning and logistics, stakeholder communications, preparation of meeting and presentation materials, event coordination, note-taking, follow-up activities, and support for client engagement efforts. The position requires strong project coordination, research, communication, and organizational skills to support multiple concurrent projects and partnerships across Georgia.

* Knowledge of workforce development, economic development, and applied research practices.
* Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
* Ability to conduct literature reviews, best-practice research, environmental scans, and stakeholder interviews.
* Strong written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and develop reports, executive summaries, presentations, and other client-facing materials.
* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to work effectively in situations involving ambiguity or evolving project requirements.
* Skill in project coordination, organization, and time management, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
* Skill in developing and delivering professional presentations to diverse audiences.
* Skill in building and maintaining effective working relationships with clients, community stakeholders, elected officials, business leaders, faculty, and staff.
* Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
* Experience using data visualization, survey, and reporting tools, such as Qualtrics and Adobe Creative applications.
* Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively as part of a collaborative project team.
* Ability to interpret and communicate complex data and research findings to technical and non-technical audiences.

Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.

Manage ongoing applied research project tasks including coordinating schedules, planning meetings, preparing meeting materials, conducting research for projects, capturing notes, assisting in program development, and other project administration duties.

Lead efforts to draft final reports, presentations, executive summaries, strategic plans, and other written documents from meeting notes, original research, interviews, and other sources.

Plan and coordinate logistics for workforce development and economic development events, meetings, and other outreach events including Workforce Conference.

Gather, analyze, and visualize labor market data, demographic data, education data, economic data, and other federal and state data sources. Prepare data packets and presentations of relevant data points.