Research Fellow

Part-Time Exempt (20hrs/week) 
New York, NY
 

About Wallace
We are an independent, national research foundation based in New York City that traces its origins back more than half a century to DeWitt and Lila Acheson Wallace, founders of The Reader’s Digest Association. Our work is grounded in our mission – to help all communities build a more vibrant and just future by fostering advances in the arts, education leadership, and youth development.

Our Cultural Values
Our core values guide how we work together and with our partners. At Wallace, we strive to do excellent work in service to and with others. Together, we aspire to create an engaging and inclusive work environment based on mutual trust and respect, and driven by equity, diversity, transparency, collaboration, and continuous learning.

The Wallace Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to maintaining a diverse workplace where differing perspectives are a source of strength.

Position Summary
The Research Fellow is designed as a one-year, half-time position (20 hours/week). If mutually desirable, the fellowship may be extended for an additional year. This opportunity is particularly well-suited for an ABD graduate student working towards a Ph.D. in one of the fields of education leadership, the arts, or youth development. The position offers a distinct opportunity to integrate this scholarship to strengthen, deepen and expand Wallace’s knowledge base, inform our grantmaking, and participate in research design, while learning about the philanthropic sector. The position reports to the Vice President of Research.

Wallace currently has more than 50 active research grants, managed by a team of four PhD research staff. Research at Wallace spans four areas: arts cultural institutions, youth arts, education leadership, and youth development. Current directions include working with arts organizations rooted in communities of color; working with school districts and their university partners to develop equity-centered principal pipelines; and working with cross-sector partnerships to better leverage the youth development sector to achieve long term goals for youth college and career readiness and economic mobility. At Wallace, research is an integral part of our philanthropic strategy, which involves supporting organizations to explore new strategies to achieving their desired goals and commissioning research to document and disseminate the results of these explorations.

Key Responsibilities

• Code and analyze annual progress reports of major initiative grantees.
• Conduct desk research (web searches/literature scans) on a wide range of questions as they arise. Prepare and present the findings in accessible, non-academic language, highlighting tensions, possibilities, and discussion points relevant to interdisciplinary team conversations.
• Develop short, accessible research summaries of papers and reports identified as relevant to the work of the program teams.
• Manage a bibliographic (EndNote) database and update and maintain research maps that contextualize and crystallize the current knowledge base supported by Wallace-funded research.
• As requested, assist in the development of Requests for Proposals (RFPs), managing grants for commissioned research, and contribute to the editorial review of new research reports.

Desired Experience - Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Graduate student working toward a Ph.D. with a portfolio of advanced scholarship on the intersection of equity and K-12 education leadership, youth development, or the arts.
• Demonstrated experience conducting literature reviews and conducting research of varying types.
• Experience with critical research methodologies, either quantitative or qualitative, is preferred.
• Experience with bibliographic databases, such as EndNote, use of Excel to generate graphs, and other standard computer software.
• Work experience in relevant practitioner settings, e.g., districts, schools, afterschool, intermediary organizations, or arts organizations, is a plus.
• Exceptional project management skills and ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent conceptual and analytical thinking skills.
• Outstanding communication skills: listening, writing, speaking, and seeking clarification where needed.
• Resourceful, attentive to detail, and efficient in conducting scans and analyses.

Compensation and Benefits

The current salary range for this position is $54,550 to $60,11 based on a 20-hour workweek.

A snapshot of our generous benefits package for this position includes a choice of health insurance plans and a healthcare reimbursement account, 403(b) retirement plan with 15% employer contribution upon eligibility, and a community service matching gifts program recognizing employee volunteer hours with a financial contribution to a qualifying non-profit organization.

WORK SCHEDULE AND LOCATION 

Our regular weekly schedule includes working together in-person three days (Tuesday through Thursday) at our office located at 140 Broadway and working remotely Monday and Friday. Wallace recognizes that your academic schedule may vary each semester and will work with you to establish a mutually agreeable schedule.

TO APPLY
Please share a cover letter and resume by email to hr@wallacefoundation.org and put “Research Fellow” in the subject line. The Foundation will consider each response carefully but only contact those individuals it believes most qualified for the position.