Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research in the areas of U.S. politics and policy views; media and journalism; internet and technology; religion and public life; global attitudes and U.S. social and demographic trends. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew Research Center’s work is carried out by a staff of approximately 180.
Department Overview
The Senior Survey Methodologist is a position within the Methods team. This team serves as internal survey consultants to researchers across the Center. The Methods team has three main responsibilities. They provide guidance on how to design and analyze public opinion surveys with complex samples. They manage the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel recruited via address-based sampling. The team also conducts its own research aimed at advancing survey methods. The team has two full-time staff devoted to managing the ATP, but all Methods team members frequently help with various panel-related tasks.
This position is ideal for someone who has strong experience designing surveys, enjoys solving complex methodological problems, and has a passion for advancing the science of surveys. The Senior Survey Methodologist spends a good deal of time working with researchers from across the Center to design their surveys and solve challenges that arise. The Senior Methodologist must have sufficient training and experience to independently lead the design and analysis of the Center’s substantive and methodological research. This person has both a broad knowledge of the survey methods literature and leverages that to offer advice that is rooted in established science and best practices. In applying this knowledge and skill, the Senior Survey Methodologist must demonstrate rigor, creativity, tireless attention to detail and the highest standards of quality control.
The Senior Survey Methodologist provides expert advice to Center researchers on how to design and analyze complex surveys in ways that support the research goals and maintain the Center’s standards for methodological rigor. This includes tasks such as designing samples for rare population surveys, quality checking questionnaires with complex programming, helping researchers perform longitudinal analysis with panel data, and designing experiments to evaluate survey data quality. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience with at least several of the following in a production environment:
The Senior Survey Methodologist advances the Pew Research Center’s methodological research, through the proposal, design and fielding of experiments, analysis of results, and write-up of findings in publications, and presentations for internal and external audiences, including media interviews, academic conferences, and other external meetings. The position also entails editorial judgment when interpreting and describing data collection methods, survey findings and the results of methodological experiments to diverse audiences. The Pew Research Center’s reputation for straightforward explanation and assiduous impartiality is grounded in an editorial style and institutional voice that must be applied consistently by all researchers and writers at the Pew Research Center. The position reports to the Director of Survey Research.
Primary Responsibilities
Provide methodological guidance and oversight on domestic survey research projects (70%)
Key responsibilities include:
Design, conduct, and disseminate methodological research (15%)
Key responsibilities include:
Consulting and production work on the American Trends Panel (15%)
Key responsibilities include:
Education/Training/Experience
Location
This position is located at the Pew Research Center office in Washington, D.C.
FLSA Status: Exempt
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