Research Fellow - Skills

About ETS

ETS is a global education and talent solutions organization enabling lifelong learners worldwide to be future-ready. For more than 75 years, we've been advancing the science of measurement to build benchmarks for fair and valid skill assessment across cultures and borders. Our worldwide impact extends through our renowned assessments including TOEFL®, TOEIC®, GRE® and Praxis® tests, serving millions of learners in more than 200 countries and territories. Through strategic acquisitions, we've expanded our global capabilities: PSI strengthens our workforce assessment solutions, while Edusoft, Kira Talent, Pipplet, Vericant, and Wheebox enhance our educational technology and assessment platforms across critical markets worldwide.

Through ETS Research Institute and ETS Solutions, we're partnering with educational institutions, governments, and organizations globally to promote skill proficiency, empower upward mobility, and unlock opportunities for everyone, everywhere. With offices and partners across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, we deliver nearly 50 million tests annually. Join us in our journey of measuring progress to power human progress worldwide.

The Research Fellow contributes to the mission of the Skills Center within the ETS Research Institute by advancing the scientific foundations, measurement approaches, and system-level integration of durable skills across education and workforce settings. The role encompasses a broad range of expertise areas, including education, psychometrics, industrial-organizational psychology, design-based research, and learning analytics. The position is for established, high-impact scholars who will play a pivotal role in advancing and advocating the Skills Center vision and mission. The fellow will bring recognized scholarly expertise and a strong publication record to guide innovative research programs, shape national conversations, and contribute to ETS’s leadership in skills research landscape.

Primary Responsibilities

• Advise and guide original, field-shaping research on durable and complex skills
• Design and conceptualize new models, frameworks, or assessment approaches that advance national understanding of how durable skills develop and can be meaningfully measured
• Develop and apply sophisticated analytical, psychometric, or computational models to support the validity, reliability, fairness, and equity in skills-based assessment systems
• Collaborate on high-impact research initiatives with internal ETS teams and external partners (e.g., institutes, states, districts, communities) on interdisciplinary research projects and capacity-building initiatives
• Disseminate influential scholarly work through top-tier publications, keynote presentations and policy-facing reports
• Mentor and develop emerging researchers, contributing to capacity building in the Skills center and across the ETS Research Institute
• Contribute to proposal ideation and development and grant strategy, leveraging scholarly expertise to expand the Skills Center’s externally funded research portfolio
• Serve as a thought leader, helping shaping the field’s direction and advancing ETS’s leadership in skills research landscape
  
  

Preferred Candidate Possesses Several Of The Following Qualifications

• Deep understanding of durable and complex skills research
• Evidence of successful interdisciplinary or cross-sector collaboration, particularly with education systems or workforce partners
• Experience translating research into widely adopted practices, tools, or frameworks
• Proven track record of leading competitive and cross-institutes external grants
• Ability to represent an organization nationally and internationally as a thought leader and strategic communicator
• Exceptional skills in mentorship and team development
• Outstanding communication skills with the ability to translate complex research for diverse audiences
  
  

Education

• Ph.D. in educational psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, learning sciences, quantitative psychology, or a related discipline may be considered.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, strategic visioning and organizational leadership
• Strong record of scholarly impact, demonstrated through high-quality and impactful publications, major research contributions, or leadership on national research initiatives
• Ability to lead and collaborate in interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research teams
  
  

ETS is mission driven and action oriented

• We are passionate about hiring innovative thinkers who believe in the promise of education and lifelong learning.
• We are energized by cultivating growth, innovation, and continuous transformation for the next generation of rising professionals as leaders. Â In support of this ETS offers multiple Business Resource Groups (BRG) for you to learn and advance your career growth!
• As a not-for-profit organization we will encourage you to lean in to your passion for volunteering. Â At ETS you may qualify for up to an additional 8 hours of PTO for volunteer work on causes that are important to you!
• The base salary range advertised represents the low and high end of the anticipated salary range for this position. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. The base pay is only one aspect of the Total Rewards Package that will be offered to the successful candidate.
  
  

ETS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. We believe in creating a work environment where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.