RRI - CREST Senior Research Assistant II

RRI - CREST Senior Research Assistant II

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Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Please list the names, telephone numbers and email addresses for three professional references. References will be contacted only if you are selected as a finalist.

Position Announcement

Position Details

Proposed Start Date	11/16/2026
Rank	K2 - Senior Research Asst II
Working Title	RRI - CREST Senior Research Assistant II
Position Number	D91958
Representation	AU - AAUP
Faculty Type	Fixed Term Research/Grant
Fixed Term End Date:	09/30/2028
Position FTE	Variable 0.5 - 1.0 FTE, initially 1.0 FTE
Term of Service	12 month

Position Summary

Brief Description of PSU/School/Dept	Portland State University is Oregon’s most affordable public research university, located in the heart of one of America’s most dynamic cities. Our mission to “let knowledge serve the city” reflects our dedication to turning ideas into action — in Portland and around the world. The city is our campus, giving students unmatched access to career connections, a vibrant cultural scene and hands-on learning experiences with hundreds of community partners. More than 20,000 students from all backgrounds bring diverse perspectives to our classrooms and campus life, from the tree-lined Park Blocks to the bustling Urban Plaza and state-of-the-art science labs. We are proud of our world-class faculty, groundbreaking research and international reputation for excellence in sustainability, community engagement and innovation. The the Regional Research Institute (RRI) in the School of Social Work conducts innovative research and program evaluation that addresses critical community issues. We work at the intersection of research, practice, training, and policy with local, state, regional, national, and international agencies and partners. The quality of our community-based participatory action work has gained us a national reputation.
Position Summary	This position supports RRI projects that are funded through federal grants, state agencies, city governments, and community partners. This position is within the Regional Research Institute for Human Services in the School of Social Work, and is supervised by the Principal Investigator on those grants and contracts. The Senior Research Assistant 2 will work on various research and evaluation projects that change over time, primarily focused on conducting small to large scale surveys, evaluating community-based behavioral healthcare, developing measurement tools, and developing relationships with community partners. This is a grants and contracts funded position and will include working both on teams, with other researchers and independently. We are recruiting to fill two open positions.
Primary Activity	R - Research
Minimum Qualifications	Master’s Degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or related human services field Expertise with MS Word, Excel, and Access; SPSS; Atlas.ti; Qualtrics Knowledge and experience with the social service system, particularly substance abuse and mental health treatment Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively on a team and with diverse, culturally-specific community agencies and partners Experience implementing community-based, research and evaluation projects Demonstrated expertise with survey research methodology and implementation
Preferred Qualifications	Two years post-MSW in order to provide field placement supervision to social work students Familiarity with southwestern Oregon behavioral health services Familiarity with City of Portland government and experience working with the service areas and individual bureaus/offices Experience working on research and evaluation projects through SAMHSA federal grants, Oregon Health Authority contracts, and City of Portland contracts Expertise with door-to-door data collection in small, rural Oregon communities Knowledge of arts education across the six Portland school districts Experience writing federal grant proposals Experience managing participant incentives Ability to balance tasks across multiple projects at once
Key Cultural Competencies	Create an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates differences. Function and communicate effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities, and cultural backgrounds. Seek opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement. Adhere to all of PSU’s policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.
Environmental Stewardship	Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.
Professional Standards of Conduct	At Portland State University, all employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner which maintains a safe, respectful, and productive environment for faculty, students, administrators, and staff. It is the responsibility of every member of the Portland State University community to conduct themselves in accordance with our PSU Professional Standards of Conduct which are available at https://www.pdx.edu/human-resources/professional-standards-conduct-policy.
Total Compensation Range & Benefits Statement	Salary is dependent on several factors, and new employees will typically start around the Q1 level to allow for later growth within the salary band. PSU has a structured process for determining starting compensation, taking into account years of related experience, applicable skills, knowledge and abilities, market parity, and internal equity. The starting annual salary for this position will be $72,636 (at 1.0 FTE), but may be negotiated above this rate dependent upon the factors above, the budget of the hiring department, and approval from HR. An excellent benefits package includes 95% premium paid healthcare; a generous retirement and vacation package; and reduced tuition rates for employee, spouse or dependent at any of the Oregon University System schools. Please visit our total compensation calculator to see the full value of our benefits package.

Application Instructions

Additional Information	Renewal of the appointment is contingent upon funding.
Additional Application Instructions (deadlines, etc.)	Please list the names, telephone numbers and email addresses for three professional references. References will be contacted only if you are selected as a finalist.
Does this position require the employee to drive a motor vehicle?	No
Background Check Required	Yes
If you have questions	Please email Jennifer Willams at [email protected]

Search Details

Posting Close Date	10/25/2026
Projected Close Date for Posting	Closes
Application screening begins	10/07/2026
Will you consider an ABD applicant for this position?	No
If yes, when must the degree be earned?	Not applicable
If necessary, would you be willing to sponsor the succcessful applicant for permanent US residence, now or in the future?	No

Reference Requests

Reference Requests

Accept References	Yes
Minimum Number of References	3
Maximum Number of References
Cutoff Date
Special Instruction for Reference Provider

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * Please state the field in which you received your Master's degree.

   (Open Ended Question)

2. * How did you first find out about this position?
   • PSU website
   • Indeed
   • Chronicle of Higher Education
   • Higher Ed Jobs
   • HERCJobs
   • Referral
   • Professional Listserv- please specify in comment box in the next question
   • Professional Journal- please specify in comment box in the next question
   • Other- please specify in comment box in the next question
3. If you selected Other, please describe.

   (Open Ended Question)

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter

Optional Documents