How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position. The cover letter should specifically address why you are interested in this position, describe specific skills and experiences in your history, and directly relate them to the responsibilities of, and qualification for this position. In order for the Career Portal system to accept your cover letter, include it as the first page of your resume document.

Job Summary

We are looking for a Survey Specialist Senior and/or Survey Specialist Intermediate to join the Data Collection Operations unit at the Institute for Social Research (ISR), Survey Research Center (SRC), Survey Research Operations (SRO), Survey Services Lab (SSL).

Survey Specialists in the SSL support data collection staff responsible for meeting project production and cost goals on complex surveys, requiring use of computer-assisted data collection technologies by telephone. In addition, the SSL implements mail survey operations, coding, and quality control functions for survey projects. There are between 60 and 130 active telephone interviewers (temporary employees) depending on workload, and approximately 15 regular staff members. The SSL is open seven days a week, until midnight most nights. This position may require occasional assistance with covering evening and weekend shifts.

More information about our organization can be found here: https://src.isr.umich.edu/services/survey-research-operations/

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, the University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and any eligible family members and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting upon meeting eligibility requirements
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Learn more about U-M benefits.

Responsibilities*

Staff Management & Training

• Develop and implement general and study-specific staff training programs.
• Recruit, mentor, supervise, and evaluate contingent and junior staff for data collection activities.
• Monitor protocol adherence and recommend process improvements for quality assurance.

Project Leadership & Operations

• Lead project teams, manage scope and deliverables, and update project work plans to ensure objectives, budgets, and timelines are met.
• Oversee and enhance project operations; apply statistical methods to monitor production and performance.
• Report project status regularly to clients and senior management.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Advise clients on survey project design and implementation.
• Represent projects to stakeholders, including community leaders, funders, and respondents.
• Address and resolve project-related challenges during data collection and processing.

Proposal & Budget Management

• Prepare and lead proposals for medium to complex projects.
• Direct proposal and project budgeting; monitor and forecast project expenses.

Research & Data Processing

• Design and develop questionnaires and data collection instruments.
• Document protocols across all phases of data collection and processing.
• Analyze and prepare reports based on project data.

Required Qualifications*

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education/experience.
• At least five years of progressive responsibility in survey research (three or more years for intermediate level), with experience in multiple aspects (sampling, data collection, coding, processing, programming, analysis, methodology).

Project Management & Technical Skills

• Experience planning and managing projects using varied data collection methods.
• Experience creating and managing project budgets and resources.
• Proficient in developing and using technical systems, such as computer-assisted interviewing software.
• Skilled in using statistical techniques for problem solving and forecasting.

Leadership & Teamwork

• Demonstrated ability to make independent decisions and exercise sound judgment, seeking senior guidance as needed.
• Effective leadership and supervisory skills with diverse groups.
• Proven ability to manage teams to meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate across staff levels.

Analytical & Communication Skills

• Strong critical reasoning in survey planning, issue assessment, and risk evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability to compose clear instructions, technical documents, and memoranda.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office and Google Workspace tools.

Desired Qualifications*

Education

• Master's degree in a related field.

Technical/Data Skills

• Experience with sampling techniques (e.g., listing, screening).
• Proficiency in analyzing data from Qualtrics.
• Experience with statistical software (SAS, SPSS, STATA, R) for analysis, problem solving, and forecasting.
• Experience with Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (e.g., NVIVO, WordStat) for open-ended data analysis.
• Ability to manipulate datasets for file creation and tabular presentation.

Project & Staff Management

• Experience implementing and managing medium to large-scale mail assembly projects.
• Experience supervising decentralized staff teams.
• Experience training, evaluating, and coaching employees.

Work Schedule

The typical schedule is Monday-Friday, days. This position must support a seven-days-per-week operations environment.  Evening and weekend work may be necessary, at times.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

As the primary duty of this position is direct supervision and monitoring of centralized data collection staff, the primary mode will be on-site work on the Central Campus.  A hybrid assignment within our overall Center policies may be considered for candidates who have demonstrated ability to work effectively in a remote environment.

Underfill Statement

Openings may be filled at the Survey Specialist Senior or Survey Specialist Intermediate level, depending on depth and breadth of experience and qualifications.

• Positions at the Survey Specialist Senior level will be filled at the $85,000 - 95,000 salary range.
• Positions at the Survey Specialist Intermediate level will be filled at the $70,000 - 80,000 salary range.

Salary will be dependent upon qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

Additional Information

The Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan seeks to create a community of respect and authentic collaboration by recruiting and retaining individuals that represent a variety of voices as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of Michigan, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to ground our research in varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.