Research Assistant - Illini Success Project
Percent
Application Deadline
Type
Research AssistantshipPosition Start Date
Description, Responsibilities, and Qualifications
Position Type:
- 50% Research Assistantship (20 hours/week)
- August 25, 2025 – May 15, 2026: Preferred start date is August 25, 2025, with flexibility depending on administrative processing and candidate availability.
- Tuition waiver is eligible in accordance with Graduate College policy
Position Overview:
The Career Center is seeking a detail-oriented and technically skilled doctoral student to serve as a Research Assistant (RA) for the Illini Success initiative—the University of Illinois’s campuswide first-destination outcomes project. This RA position supports the Assistant Director for Career Outcomes Assessment and contributes to the implementation of complex data cleaning tasks, statistical analyses, and content preparation for internal and public-facing reports.
Key Responsibilities:
Data Management & Integration
- Clean and merge large-scale datasets (12,000+ rows, 300+ columns per year) following structured procedures.
- Integrate data from multiple sources, including surveys, university systems, college reports, social media, the National Student Clearinghouse, and other available secondary data sources.
- Maintain data files and logs with strong version control under staff supervision.
Data Analysis & Reporting
- Conduct descriptive and comparative analyses to identify trends by subgroup and variable.
- Support the preparation of data tables, graphs, and summaries for the Illini Success Annual Report.
- Respond to requests for data analysis from campus partners and internal stakeholders.
Web Content & Dashboard Support
- Update approved content on the Illini Success website using Drupal (training provided).
- Assist with accessibility reviews and formatting of online content.
- Prepare datasets and review drafts for Tableau dashboards aimed at faculty/staff and public audiences.
Documentation & Resource Development
- Assist in maintaining documentation, codebooks, and reference templates under guidance.
- Contribute to internal process tracking and annual workflow documentation.
Collaboration & Communication
- Meet regularly with the Assistant Director to review task progress and receive direction.
- Occasionally collaborate with undergraduate student assistants (e.g., Success Story interviewers).
- Participate in testing and feedback for new tools or reporting platforms.
Required Qualifications:
- Enrollment in a doctoral program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Experience working with large datasets in Excel and one or more analysis tools (e.g., R, Python, SPSS).
- Strong attention to detail and documentation.
- Ability to follow technical instructions and meet project deadlines.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with institutional research, survey data, or career outcomes analysis.
- Proficiency in comparative statistical analysis (e.g., group comparisons, significance testing).
- Familiarity with Tableau and/or web content management systems (especially Drupal).
- Awareness of web accessibility best practices (WCAG standards).
- Prior experience working with sensitive student data under FERPA or similar regulations.
Compensation
- Compensation is provided in accordance with Graduate College guidelines for 50% RA appointments.
- This position is eligible for tuition waiver, subject to the policies and eligibility requirements of the Graduate College.
Application Procedure
Interested candidates should submit the following materials as a single PDF via email to Un Yeong Park at park351@illinois.edu by August 8, 2025:
- Brief letter of interest describing relevant experience and career goals
- Resume or CV
- Name and contact information for one reference (to be contacted only if needed)