Research Assistant

Who we are:  Harder+Company helps nonprofits, public agencies, and foundations to pursue their missions through high-quality research and consulting services. We provide data-driven analysis to help organizations understand the results of their programs and initiatives—and translate that data into actionable improvements. Our expertise spans a wide range of social impact areas, such as healthcare, social services, community development, educational achievement, arts and culture, and violence prevention. Consulting services provided by our firm include program evaluation, strategic planning, community engagement, and nonprofit capacity-building. For more information about our firm, visit our website: www.harderco.com.

How we do our work: We engage our clients as partners in an ongoing process of programmatic and organizational learning. Whether it is a needs assessment, evaluation, or a planning process, we work closely with our partners to ensure that our approaches meet their needs as well as the needs of their stakeholders. We strive to develop an engaging, dynamic process with our clients to make certain that organizational learning is achieved throughout the project by regular, ongoing, and practical feedback. This allows our clients to make midcourse adjustments and encourages them to be partners in the change process both for their organization and the communities they serve. This transfer of knowledge also encourages clients to begin the critical process of organizational reflection and skill-building. We uphold the highest level of rigor possible within a project and at the same time we make adjustments to research designs, tools, and approaches to ensure that our work is accessible, culturally responsive, and meaningful given real-world resource and timeline constraints. Our clients see our research, evaluation, and planning as an opportunity to improve and leverage new information to strengthen programs and create lasting systems change.

At Harder+Company, we know firsthand that diversity encompasses a broad range of cultures and lived experiences. For the last decade, we have formalized our work on this front through an internal Culturally Based Consulting (CBC) workgroup. CBC draws on the insights and expertise of our own diverse staff, and provides both general guidance for working in diverse communities and targeted support for individual projects. CBC reflects our ongoing learning and awareness of our own cultures, as well as the cultures of the many stakeholders and communities we interact with, to promote genuine and respectful collaboration—in turn producing quality, accessible, and practical products that help our clients advance social change.

Who We Need:  Harder+Company seeks a Research Assistant in its Sacramento office to provide support on a diverse array of team-based research projects. The Research Assistant will be responsible for literature reviews; planning and assisting with focus groups; conducting interviews; entering, coding, and analyzing data; administering surveys; and assisting with the preparation and editing of reports. Some travel within California is necessary. The ideal candidate will enjoy contributing to the effectiveness of organizations working for social change.

Specifically, we seek to hire a Research Assistant whose roles will include:

• Assist with quantitative and qualitative primary data collection including interviews, focus groups, and surveys.
• Conduct literature reviews and internet research.
• Manage logistics of various data collection methods including focus groups, surveys, and interviews.
• Prepare SPSS databases including labeling and cleaning databases for analysis and reporting.
• Conduct quantitative analysis such as frequencies and cross-tabulations.
• Assist with preparation of reports and presentations, including write-ups, editing, tables, charts, and formatting.
• Maintain clear communication with project teams through emails and team meetings as needed.
• Manage resources and time effectively and adjust to changing demands and priorities.
• Maintain positive and professional interactions with clients and their stakeholders.

Skills you bring:

You draw upon a diverse set of skills and experiences in evaluation design, project management, and client communications, including:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in social sciences or related field
• At least 1 year of research experience, preferably outside the classroom
• Detail oriented with effective time management skills
• Demonstrated understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Practical experience with SPSS, mapping software (ArcGIS), social network analysis, online survey software (SurveyGizmo, SurveyMonkey) and innovation data visualization techniques
• Excellent writing and oral communications skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Experience working with diverse populations
• Ability to be an effective team player and to work independently
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred (oral and written), including the ability to translate and conduct interviews in Spanish

Typical physical demands include:

• Working on a computer for 6 hours, on average, each day
• Lifting and moving documents and supplies
• Bending to file and retrieve documents
• Some travel within California (client meetings and data collection sites)

This position will be based in Harder+Company’s Sacramento office and will report to the Vice President. Generous and comprehensive benefits package including: medical, dental, vacation, holidays, and 401k provided. This position is full time with a starting annual salary of $45,000 and commensurate with experience. Harder+Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).  Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or veteran status. 

Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled.  No phone calls, faxes, or walk-ins please.