TREC Research Assistant

Position Announcement

Position Details

Proposed Start Date 07/01/2026 Rank L - Research Assistant Working Title TREC Research Assistant Position Number D90561 Representation AU - AAUP Faculty Type Fixed Term Research/Grant Fixed Term End Date: 06/30/2027 Position FTE Variable between .5 and 1.0 FTE, starting at 1.0 FTE Term of Service 12 month

Position Summary

Brief Description of PSU/School/Dept

The Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University (PSU) is a multidisciplinary hub for all things transportation. We are home to the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), the data programs PORTAL and BikePed Portal, the Better Block PSU program, and PSU's membership in PacTrans, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium. Our continuing goal is to produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education, seminars, and participation in research.

Position Summary

The Research Assistant position is responsible for assisting the TREC Director, Research Associates, and Program Managers in carrying out applied research projects, including the following: data collection, management, and analysis; literature reviews; communicating research in writing and orally; and reports to funding agencies. The Research Assistant supports development of research funding proposals.

1. Essential Job Functions

• Conduct literature reviews, including identifying and synthesizing existing research from a wide range of sources (academic journals, government reports, websites, etc.)
• Gather data using a predetermined protocol through a variety of methods, including surveys, observation (in-person and video), interviews, focus groups, and secondary sources.
• Perform basic qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis.
• Gather materials and information and prepare regular status reports to funding agencies.
• Draft and edit reports and articles on research projects.
• Manage simple websites for projects that communicate project activities and outputs.
• Gather materials to assist in preparing research funding proposals.

2. Other Job Functions

• Assist at large in-person TREC events, including set-up, registration, and clean-up. Staff information table at events.

Primary Activity R - Research Minimum Qualifications

Master's degree in a field directly related to transportation planning, policy, or engineering.

• Ability to write in a clear, direct style.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to plan and manage multiple projects to meet critical deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral) with a wide range of people and organizations
• Collaborative. Ability to work as part of a team.
• Flexible. Ability to adjust work tasks and deadlines to meet changingpriorities.
• Experience with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, and Calendar; Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and Adobe Acrobat.
• Knowledge of key multimodal transportation concepts
• Experience with descriptive statistics and bivariate statistical analysis (e.g., t-tests, Chi-square). Experience creating tables and graphs to display quantitative data.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in data collection, including survey administration, interviews, and/or focus groups. Experience conducting literature reviews for research.
• Experience with data analysis and visualization software, such as R, SPSS, Tableau, etc.

Key Cultural Competencies

• Creates an environment that acknowledges, encourages and celebrates differences.
• Functions and communicates effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities and cultural backgrounds.
• Seeks opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement
• Adheres to all 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 $68,016 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

Please provide a writing sample that includes at least one of the following elements: review of existing research; explanation of research methods; analysis of data (qualitative or quantitative); policy evaluation; or historical documentation and analysis. This may be a document written for a university course or in a professional setting. If the sample is co-authored, the applicant should clearly explain what they were responsible for. If AI was used in preparing or editing the writing sample, please explain how.

Additional Application Instructions (deadlines, etc.)

Please list the names, telephone numbers and email addresses for three professional references that may be contacted. 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 contact asktrec@pdx.edu

Search Details

Posting Close Date Projected Close Date for Posting Open Until Filled Application screening begins 06/15/2026 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 3 Cutoff Date Special Instruction for Reference Provider

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

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

(Open Ended Question)

• • 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

• If you selected Other, please describe.

(Open Ended Question)

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Writing Sample

Optional Documents