Who We Are:

The Orthodox Union (OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for the disabled, localized religious study programs, and international units. The OU maintains a kosher certification service, whose circled U symbol, Ⓤ, is found on the labels of many kosher commercial and consumer food products.

The Orthodox Union’s Center for Communal Research (CCR), founded in 2018, uses data to help the OU and other Jewish organizations better understand and serve the Jewish people. Our vision is a Jewish community that is both values-driven and evidence-informed, harnessing the power of data to identify its most pressing needs and most effective solutions.

 

Position Summary:

The Research Fellow will support applied research studies and program evaluations conducted by the CCR. This entry-level position is ideal for a motivated and detail-oriented individual eager to develop research skills in a collaborative environment. Reporting to the Associate Director, the Fellow will assist with data collection, analysis, and presentation of findings, gaining exposure to various research methodologies and tools.

Duties and Responsibilities:

-Develop an understanding of OU departments and how CCR can better support their work.

-Research offerings outside the OU (other programs or organizations) and their intersection with OU offerings/audiences.

-Explore topics of interest to CCR, including Jewish demographics and nuanced understanding of Orthodox Jewish communities.

-Support routine projects, such as coding open-end survey responses and preparing PowerPoint reports.

-Assist in the development and dissemination of survey instruments.

-Clean and organize survey and administrative data.

-Conduct literature reviews on topics of interest to assess quality of evidence and summarize key findings.

-Contribute to the preparation of reports and presentations to communicate research findings clearly and effectively.

Qualification Requirements:

-Bachelor’s degree

-Familiarity with the Orthodox Jewish community and its institutions.

-Interest in developing quantitative and qualitative research skills.

-Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

-Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications:

-Basic experience with survey platforms such as Qualtrics or SurveyMonkey.

-Coursework or limited experience in data analysis, statistical methods, or social research.

-Experience working within the nonprofit sector or with diverse populations.

-A curious and proactive mindset, with a desire to learn and grow professionally.