Full Researcher - Center for Community Schooling

Job description

Position overview

Position title: Full Researcher Salary range: See Table 13-A and Table 13-B for the salary range for this position. The anticipated salary range is $188,500-$203,500.

Application Window

Open date: September 17, 2026

Next review date: Saturday, Oct 17, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Saturday, Oct 17, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.

Position description

Overview of the UCLA Center for Community Schooling

The UCLA Center for Community Schooling advances democracy, justice, and public education by helping schools become vibrant, community-centered places where young people learn and thrive. The Center brings research, policy, and practice into close partnership with students, families, educators, and public agencies to support meaningful and lasting school transformation.

Grounded in long-term research-practice partnerships with the UCLA Community School and the Mann UCLA Community School, the Center has developed a nationally recognized approach for university-assisted community schools. At the state level, the Center plays a leadership role in California's Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), supporting over 2,000 schools and more than one million students and families. Through applied research, technical assistance, and policy engagement, the Center demonstrates how universities can serve as powerful partners in advancing equitable, community-driven change.

Description of Position

In collaboration with the Faculty Co-Director, the Researcher/Co-Director provides scholarly and research leadership for the UCLA Center for Community Schooling. The incumbent develops, leads, and conducts a program of research focused on community schooling, research-practice partnerships, educational equity, and school transformation. The Co-Director is expected to produce significant scholarly contributions, including peer-reviewed publications and other research products; develop and lead externally funded research; disseminate findings to scholarly, policy, and practitioner audiences; and contribute professional and public service based on their research expertise.

The Co-Director leads and participates in interdisciplinary and community-engaged research-practice partnerships with schools, districts, public agencies, and other partners. The incumbent exercises substantial intellectual independence in developing research questions, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, methodological approaches, analyses, and scholarly products and is expected to establish and maintain a significant record of research accomplishment and professional recognition.

In their role as Co-Director, the incumbent also provides leadership necessary to support the Center's research mission, including coordination of research personnel, research partnerships, sponsored research, and the integration of the Center's research portfolio.

Core Responsibilities

Research and Scholarly Contributions

Provide oversight and leadership for the Center's research portfolio including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies

Advance research-practice partnerships that:

Inform school-level practice

Ensure accountability

Generate generalizable knowledge about community schooling

Lead the development of research products, including reports, policy briefs, and scholarly publications

Ensure the translation of research findings into actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and communities through peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, technical reports, and other publicly available publication channels.

Oversee research administration, including review processes, compliance, and coordination with district partners

Supervise research personnel and ensure appropriate staffing is maintained to meet research deliverables.

Oversee research budgets and sponsored-project implementation.

Ensure compliance with UCLA and external policies and procedures. Development and alignment of the Center's research, policy, and practice agendas.

Seek extramural funding and serve and PI/co-PI on contracts and grants that support the research mission of the center.

With the Faculty Co-Director, Co-lead the strategic direction of the Center, advancing its research mission to support equitable, community-centered school transformation. Continuously seek opportunities to expand the Center's influence at local, state, and national levels.

Cultivate partnerships with school districts, state agencies, and national organizations

Provide research mentorship to graduate and undergraduate students working in the Center to expand their knowledge and experience in community-based research and practice. Foster pathways for students to engage meaningfully in research-practice partnerships

Statewide and Systems-Level Engagement

Provide leadership in statewide initiatives, including California's Community Schools Partnership Program

Collaborate with state agencies, technical assistance providers, and local educational agencies to support implementation and continuous improvement

Monitor and contribute to policy development related to community schooling and aligned reform efforts

Participate in and help lead networks that advance community school policy and practice at the state and national levels

Practice Partnerships and School Engagement

Maintain and strengthen long-term partnerships with UCLA Community Schools and affiliated sites.

Collaborate with educators and school leaders to support continuous improvement and innovation.

Contribute to publishing research and findings that can inform community school practices including in spaces of teaching and learning, family and community engagement, integrated student supports, and collaborative leadership.

Scholarly dissemination and Field building

Disseminate the Center's research and findings to scholarly, practitioner, policy, and public audiences.

Represent the Center and present research findings at scholarly and professional conferences, convenings, and policy forums.

Contribute to professional networks and scholarly communities related to community schooling, educational equity, and research-practice partnerships.

Contribute research expertise to public and professional discussions concerning community schooling.

Develop communication strategies that elevate community school practices and outcomes

Oversee the production of reports, policy briefs, and other materials that share the Center's work broadly.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications Doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent) in education, public policy, or a related field

Demonstrated expertise in research design and methodology

Experience leading or contributing to research-practice partnerships

Strong record of significant and original research and scholarly publication, including peer-reviewed scholarship

Demonstrated leadership experience in education or related fields

Demonstrated ability to exercise intellectual independence in conceptualizing, designing, conducting, and disseminating research

At least 5 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in research centers, research programs, research-practice partnerships, or related scholarly organizations

Preferred qualifications Deep knowledge of K-12 education systems, equity-focused reform, and community schooling

Experience working with school districts, state agencies, or community-based organizations

Experience translating research into policy and practice

Demonstrated success in grant writing and project leadership

Commitment to community-engaged scholarship and collaborative work

Application Requirements

Document requirements Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

Self-Statement

UCLA Mission Statement - As the nation's premier public research university, UC's mission is the creation, dissemination, preservation and application of knowledge for the betterment of our global society. We have a particular responsibility to the people of California which we express in the excellence of the education we provide, the impact of the research we do, the comprehensive, life-saving medical services we provide, and the public service mission we are devoted to. The University of California promotes the social mobility of its students, equips them with the tools and experience that furthers their ambitions, and regards their accomplishments across the life span as evidence of the profoundly positive impact of higher education.

The UCLA campus has expressed these goals in its strategic plan as follows:

Deepen our engagement with Los Angeles

Expand our reach as a global university

Enhance our research and creative activities

Elevate how we teach

Become a more effective institution

Prompt for candidates for recruitment:

Reflecting on your personal and professional experiences, highlight your past contributions and future commitments to advancing UCLA's mission as embodied in the strategic plan. These accomplishments and ambitions may be discussed in the context of describing your teaching, scholarship, and service

Sample Publications (Optional)

Research Statement (Optional)

Reference check authorization release form - Complete and upload the reference check authorization release form

Reference requirements

5 required (contact information only)

Applicants must provide the names and contact information of their references. The hiring unit will request confidential letters from the references of those applicants who are under serious consideration.

Apply link: JPF11330

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About UCLA

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties

APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

Job location

Los Angeles, CA

Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.