CDI Qualitative Researcher
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Job Location:
New York City, NY - USA
Hourly Salary:
USD 100 - 150
Posted on:
16 hours ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Job description
About CDI
The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a non-partisan non-profit dedicated to equipping the next generation of Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across lines of difference. Since its founding in 2017 CDI has partnered with more than 150 colleges and universities nationwide offering an evidence-based suite of programs designed to reach stakeholders at every level of a campusfrom presidents to incoming studentsto create campus cultures of inquiry and dialogue. CDI was co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt the bestselling author of The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation.
About the Role
CDI is seeking project-based qualitative researchers (1099 contractors) to support large-scale qualitative studies examining campus culture. The initial phase of work will involve conducting virtual one-on-one and small-group interviews beginning in Spring 2026 (estimated start: April 1).
This is a great fit for experienced qualitative researchers with strong interviewing and moderation skills a high bar for documentation quality and the ability to represent CDI with calm professionalism in complex group settings and with senior leaders. The work is deeply mission-driven: understanding the perspectives of campus stakeholders on charged issues of speech academic freedom and institutional trust.
What Youll Do
Youll conduct one-on-one and small-group interviews using CDIs established qualitative research procedures and protocols. Responsibilities include:
Conducting virtual interviews using structured guides that result in high-quality video recordings
Applying research protocols consistently identifying risks or deviations and suggesting appropriate adjustments
Producing clear well-organized interview summaries that require minimal rework
Synthesizing interview data across participants to identify patterns themes and key insights
Tagging and organizing qualitative data according to an established coding framework
Submitting research materials using established naming conventions and documentation standards
Maintaining rapport neutrality and professionalismeven when participants are skeptical or challenging
Your initial focus will be on qualitative research supporting organizational culture and change assessments. Depending on availability and fit you may also support other qualitative research efforts (e.g. user experience research or exploratory/discovery studies).
Job requirements
About You
Relevant experience: 3 years of applied qualitative research experience including interviewing and small group moderating
Domain expertise: Familiarity with the dynamics of campus life institutional culture organizational development or intergroup dialogue in higher education
High-quality interview facilitation: Able to work from structured guides while adjusting flexibly to the moment; your video transcripts can be used downstream by team members who were not in the interview
Clear communicator: Clear interview summaries that synthesize key interview takeaways following CDIs format
Comfort with discomfort: Comfortable interfacing with skeptical or high-status stakeholders (e.g. faculty senior leaders students)
Contract experience: Prior contract or freelance experience; used to ebbs/flows can commit to scoped deliverables during project windows
Operationally reliable: You show up on time communicate clearly handle data securely and meet deadlines
Technologically equipped: You must have access to a computer dependable internet connection a quiet professional setting for conducting interviews and be comfortable using Zoom
Bonus: Experience with video transcript tagging via a research repository like Dovetail
Engagement Details
Contract Type: Part-time independent contractor
Reports to: Senior UX Researcher
Time zones / working hours: Part-time within U.S. time zones (availability during standard U.S. business hours required)
Location: Remote
Workload variability & time commitment: Work is episodic. During active studies you must be available for a defined interview window (typically 48 weeks/project) with some weeks requiring 1020 interviews/week. A typical project is 4080 total hours depending on interview volume and study needs. The initial project will field in April and May 2026.
Compensation: $100-150/hour based on experience
All done!
Your application has been successfully submitted!
Required Experience:
IC
Key Skills
- Intelligence Community Experience
- Python
- Spss
- Microsoft Word
- R
- Regression Analysis
- Windows
- Stata
- Microsoft Powerpoint
- Research Experience
- Data Modeling
- Writing Skills
About Company
We are a psychology-based nonprofit that builds educational tools to equip the next generation with the mindset and skill set to communicate across differences.
