Research Writer Job Description
Background
Partners in School Innovation (Partners) was founded in 1993 by Julien Phillips, a former Peace
Corps volunteer and McKinsey & Co. partner, and Kim Grose Moore, a Rhodes Scholar and social
justice advocate. Partners has a successful 20-year track record of advancing educational equity by
serving primarily African-American, Latino and English-language learners by strengthening and
sustaining improved teaching, learning and achievement in under-performing public schools and
districts. Partners’ dedicated staff of education professionals works shoulder-to-shoulder with
teachers, leaders, administrators and coaches in schools over a 3-5 year period. They utilize an
equity-focused, continuous-improvement approach that builds on school and district strengths. As a
result, partner schools regularly demonstrate breakthrough achievement gains and create more
vibrant places to teach, learn and grow.
Partners has a home base in the San Francisco Bay Area with operations in Chicago, IL as well as Grand
Rapids and Battle Creek, MI. Since our inception, we have partnered with over 12 public school districts
and 62 public schools.
Mission
Our mission is to transform teaching and learning in the lowest-performing public schools so that every
child, regardless of background, thrives.
Location
San Francisco, CA
Website
http://www.partnersinschools.org
Position Overview
Partners is seeking to add to our team an excellent writer with a passion for educational reform who has
substantive experience conducting research on issues affecting our nation’s public schools and districts.
The Research Writer will manage efforts to generate knowledge about organizational best practices and
will advance the discourse of school transformation and reform by writing about our best practices for
external audiences. The Research Writer is responsible for creating a variety of publications (e.g.,
monographs, research briefs, journal articles) highlighting our effective processes, results, and impact.
This position requires a self-motivated, team-oriented individual with outstanding writing and research
skills who truly enjoys working with passionate people in a fast-paced, successful and creative
environment. As a member of our Knowledge Management department, the Research Writer reports
directly to the Chief Knowledge & Impact Officer.
Key Responsibilities
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External Communication: Write and publish monographs, research briefs, and journal articles
related to Partners’ processes, results, and impact. Represent the organization at research
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conferences by submitting conference proposals and creating the necessary presentation
materials and papers.
Knowledge Acquisition: Monitor research and policy trends in K-12 education. Write reports on
these trends meant to guide internal program refinement and strategic scale-up efforts.
Internal Research: Conduct rigorous, credible research on Partners’ processes, results, and
impact. Report on research findings to Partners staff.
Qualifications
Required:
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Earned Doctorate plus 2 years of experience or Master’s degree plus 5 years of experience
Commitment to the Partners mission of educational equity
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
Experience with writing for multiple audiences
Experience with publication of work
Strong critical thinking and analytical skills
Experience conducting research on public schools, urban school districts, or external reform support
organizations
Experience conducting both quantitative and qualitative research with a high degree of rigor
Experience with presenting research/evaluation work to internal and external audiences
Excellent project management skills – demonstrated ability to manage multiple, competing priorities
and tasks
Ability to effectively work independently
Ability to collaborate in cross-functional teams and drive to decisions that people support
A high degree of initiative and tenacity; willingness and drive to see a difficult situation through to a
satisfactory outcome
Preferred:
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Publication record focusing on K-12 educational issues
Proficiency with SPSS
Proficiency with Atlas.ti
Knowledge of survey design
Knowledge of assessment design
COMPENSATION
Salary commensurate with experience. We also offer a generous benefits package that includes
medical/dental/vision insurance, vacation and sick leave as well as a 403(b) retirement plan.
TO APPLY
Please submit your resume and completed application by visiting:
https://www.hireart.com/login?token=5pau3qz3
Start date is: As soon as possible.
Partners in School Innovation is committed to equal employment opportunity in its hiring and
employment practices and policies for all staff members and applicants for employment without regard
to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical ability, marital status or
veteran status.