At GoGuardian, we are dedicated to creating safer and more effective learning environments for K-12 students through our suite of products. This dedication requires that we understand how our current products impact the lives of our users, and that we explore the frontier of how online behaviors relate to the student learning experience. With this focus, our Research team is responsible for shaping our understanding of the optimal digital learning experience by conducting experiments and gathering insights on the online environment’s impact on students and classrooms. In collaboration with our Data Science, Engineering, UX, and Product Management team, we design and execute rigorous experimental studies collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data and publishing results. 

As a Research Associate, you will accelerate our understanding of the impact of our Products by mining existing Product data to identify information and trends relevant for our users: teachers, admins, parents, and students. As a Research Associate, you will be responsible for understanding and collecting the relevant metrics for quantifying the use of our products, and you will exercise excellent communication skills for documenting and publishing these findings. You will drive the identification and discovery of metrics that illustrate the use of our products by identifying data points that help tell a story, mining corresponding data, and creating content to share these findings internally and externally. Additionally, you will support in the design and execution of experiments that will allow us to better understand the relationship between online behaviors and the student experience. GoGuardian’s Research Associate is someone who is passionate about creating the optimal digital learning experience, values the voice of our students and teachers, and is eager to uncover the insights that exist in the data. We trust our Research team members to define the future of GoGuardian, and in turn, the future of our impact on education. As a founding member of GoGuardian’s Research team, you should be prepared to work in an environment of rapid experimentation and growth and comfortable creating structure in ambiguous contexts.

We are looking for someone with a desire to change the world -- someone who believes that anything is possible and someone who has the tenacity and curiosity to see it through. 

What will I be doing?

• Using SQL to mine existing Product Databases for relevant metrics 
• Identifying and mining open data sources for relevant trends and patterns and extrapolating their meaning in the broader context of the education/learning ecosystem
• Conducting analysis on the data including statistical analysis (descriptive and inferential) and diagnostic analysis
• Understanding our products and the intended value they bring to our customers
• Reporting findings to internal stakeholders
• Drafting publications to share the findings externally 
• Designing and implementing the quantitative and qualitative data collection through a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to surveys, interviews, focus groups, field observations, and experiments 
• Documenting the research process, presenting findings, and writing Research reports 
• Supporting with the design and implementation of research studies aligned to the broader organizational needs
• Continually staying aware of technology trends in K-12 education and identifying opportunities for GoGuardian to surface relevant insights
• Contributing to the design and development of scalable and efficient processes for this role and the Research Department overall

What skills do I need to have?

• Ability to navigate, mine, and manipulate data sets in Looker, SQL databases, AWS data products 
• Ability to evaluate data quality 
• Ability to conduct quantitative analysis on large data sets (e.g., descriptive and inferential statistics)
• Ability to craft compelling presentations and written publications
• Ability to collaborate and work cross-functionally to solve complex problems 
• Ability to easily switch between thinking creatively and analytically
• Ability to identify compelling insights in existing product data 
• Ability to develop solutions to control for confounding variables in already collected product data
• Ability to design experiments of varying types including, but not limited to: randomized control trials, quasi-experiments, between groups studies and within-group studies, and data science experiments 
• Ability to design and implement qualitative research methods including conducting interviews and moderating focus groups
• Ability to identify interesting trends and forecasts based on the extrapolation of data and an ability to create a compelling narrative from these

What experiences will prepare me for this role?

• You have an undergraduate degree in a related field (e.g., Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Psychology, Behavioral Science, Sociology, Education, Communications, Business)
• You have a Master’s degree in a related field (Preferred)
• You have 4-6 years of relevant work experience 
• You have designed experiments and conducted research through the entire research lifecycle
• You have mined and analyzed large data sets 
• You have written and published external facing communication materials

What attitudes and mindsets will enable me to be successful at GoGuardian?

• You are constantly looking for new opportunities to personally grow
• You approach problems with modesty and a beginner’s mindset
• You are collaborative in your approach and are always looking for opportunities to engage peers and other functional groups
• You value diverse perspectives and backgrounds 
• You approach problems with a data-driven mindset, building hypothesis and proving their validity with experimentation
• A passionate curiosity to explore how new technologies and approaches can dramatically change learning outcomes for K-12 students
• You consistently challenge the status quo. You would never implement a tool or process with the reason: “That’s how we’ve always done it”

GoGuardian is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit and business needs. GoGuardian does not discriminate against employees, applicants, interns, or volunteers on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, registered domestic partner status, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.