Director of Psychometrics and Research

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Job Summary:

What is WIDA For over 20 years WIDA has provided a trusted comprehensive approach to supporting teaching and assessing multilingual learners. We are an educational services organization that advances language development and academic achievement for multilingual children in early childhood and grades short we provide educators around the world with high-quality language standards assessments professional learning and research. We are proud to be a part of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) within UW-Madisons nationally ranked School of Education. Visit and watch our Introduction to WIDA video to see why WIDA is an incredible place to work!

The Director of Psychometrics and Research position is located within the Assessment department and will report to the Chief Assessment Officer. This position will be responsible for directing activities related to psychometrics data systems and management applied quantitative research and technical assistance. This role will oversee a team whose activities include conducting psychometric review and evaluation of WIDAs assessments managing WIDAs comprehensive data warehouse and assessment database systems directing research projects applying psychometric quantitative and mixed methodologies and leading technical assistance activities supporting WIDA states and collaborating to ensure the consortium meet rigorous standards for peer review. The Director of Psychometrics and Research will serve as a subject matter expert in these areas for WIDAs internal and external stakeholders. This position directs the identification and implementation of research design studies and communicates findings in a variety of venues including national conference presentations research reports and professional publications.

This position will be eligible for fully remote work as assigned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A successful candidate will have the ability to work from home or an alternate office location as the positions Headquarters Location. This means that business travel and travel back to UW-Madisons campus would be compensated and eligible for reimbursement. More information and expectations of remote work can be found in the following UW Remote Work Policy (UW-5087).

WIDA operates in a Windows-based environment and a Dell PC laptop will be issued for use in this and virtual connection tools that are critical to our work dictate that WIDA staff work on a PC.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Identifies writes or assists in developing grant opportunities grant applications and proposals to secure research funding

• Attends and assists with the facilitation of scholarly events and presentations in support of continued professional development and the dissemination of research information

• Conducts literature reviews prepares reports and materials and disseminates information to appropriate entities

• Collects and analyzes highly complex research data conducts experiments and interviews and documents results according to established policies and procedures

• Identifies research problems and develops highly complex research methodologies and procedures. Publishes and presents results to help advance research

• Monitors program budget and approves unit expenditures

• Serves as an institutional subject matter expert and liaison with key internal and external stakeholders providing expert level information and representing the interests of a specialized research area

• May supervise the day-to-day activities of a research unit and staff and resolve routine personnel issues

Department:

School of Education / WIDA

Compensation:

Minimum: $110000.00 annually

Commensurate with qualifications and experience. This position offers a comprehensive benefits package including generous paid time off competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance tax-advantaged savings accounts and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund.

Required Qualifications:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressive responsibility for leading research and/or psychometrics in an educational institution government education agency for-profit or non-profit education-related business or other relevant research organization.

• Expertise in quantitative research and/or psychometrics with experience managing operational and research projects from design through dissemination.

• Advanced knowledge of best practices education research process and educational measurement.

• Proven leadership experience overseeing complex projects

• Proven experience managing and coaching a team (manager or director-level preferred)

• Exceptional verbal communication written communication and presentation skills

• Demonstrated proficiency in psychometric and statistics software and tools (i.e. SAS R SPSS Winsteps etc.)

• Knowledge of and ability to keep up with evolving legislative and technical perspectives in educational assessment practices

• Skilled in problem analysis and solution development with strong attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading large-scale assessment development data management or research

• Experience in K-12 educational assessments especially as it relates to multilingual learners

• Record of leading grant proposals or grant-funded projects as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI

Education:

PhD in Educational Measurement Psychometrics Quantitative Psychology Educational Psychology or Education Policy or related field is required.

How to Apply:

Please go to the Apply Now area and select your current UW Employment Status. Upload a copy of your current resume and a cover letter.

Note: incomplete application packages that do not include all of the requested documentation will not be considered.

Contact Information:

Joy Pfeiffer

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength creativity and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity culture background experience status abilities and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching research outreach and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students faculty and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal OpportunityEmployer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to including but not limited to race color religion sex sexual orientation national origin age pregnancy disability or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgroundsand encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodationfor any step in the hiring process (e.g. application interview pre-employment testing etc.) please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR)in the division you are applying make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

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