Associate Psychometrician

Job Summary

The Associate Psychometrician role within Smarter Balanced involves conducting psychometric analysis, producing technical reports, preparing materials for, and facilitating data review meetings. The Associate Psychometrician is expected to work independently while collaborating with other staff across various offices within Smarter Balanced. Essential to this role is thorough and accurate documentation of business and functional requirements. The associate will contribute to Smarter Balanced's assessment strategy in conducting analyses to support fair, accurate, and equitable assessment experiences for all learners.

Job Duties

Operational Support (75%)

• Assists with cyclical psychometric analysis and updates technical reports.


• Prepares reports of studies for internal validation and cross-validation studies.


• Develops systems for organizing data to analyze, validate results, identify, and report trends.


• Applies sufficient knowledge of statistical procedures, psychometric methods, and programming (e.g., R, Python, PARSCALE, IRTPRO, and flexMIRT) to work independently on most aspects of analysis work, while receiving instruction and guidance in other aspects.


• Conduct validation of the Consortium‑wide embedded field testing calibration.


• Provides psychometric support to other functional groups as needed.

Production Planning (15%)

• Under the guidance of more senior staff, conduct analyses and research in response to member requests.


• Delivers presentations at national conferences and, with guidance from senior staff, presents technical information to diverse audiences, including member groups and technical advisory committees.


• Plans long‑term statistical studies, including the preparation of proposals, design of survey instruments, and determining sampling procedures.


• Manages database of research data for projects.


• Prepares data for presentation.

Process Improvement (5%)

• Reviews new software instruments and potential effects on statistical testing; may make programming modifications.


• Participates in the development and implementation of data security policies and procedures.


• Keeps abreast of technical advances in educational measurement, including artificial intelligence‑related advances.


• Participates in documentation and revision of current documentation related to psychometric operational activities and projects.

Team Building/Support (5%)

• May supervise database management and research analysis of research data analysts on assigned projects.


• Implements related business processes.

Required Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in educational measurement, psychometrics, quantitative psychology, data science, statistics, or a closely related subject.


• 0‑3 years of operational psychometric experience.


• Experience ensuring that organizational practices, services, and behaviors support and promote collaboration among staff.


• Thorough knowledge of the research function.


• Familiarity with applied psychometric techniques, including classical test theory, item response theory, test equating, scaling, linking, and standard setting.


• Familiarity with software packages and programming languages commonly used in psychometric work (e.g., R, Python, SQL, flexMIRT).


• Thorough skills in data analysis and validation, and systems programming.


• Strong oral communication skills to effectively interact with technical and non‑technical audiences.


• Strong writing skills to document and communicate complex information.


• Skills in project management.


• Demonstrated research skills that enable the development of solutions and/or proposals to leadership, along with projected improvements/savings/benefits.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with modern assessment designs and practices such as computer adaptive testing and related parameter estimation methods, including but not limited to item response theory (IRT), adaptive item selection algorithms, calibration and scaling procedures, Bayesian and maximum‑likelihood estimation methods, and the evaluation of test and item performance.


• Familiarity with K‑12 education.

Benefits and Compensation

Salary : $99,040‑$106,400 per year, commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.

Benefits Level Eligibility : Full benefits.

Schedule : Full‑time, fixed. 100% time, 40 hours per week, Mon‑Fri, day shift.

Travel : Up to 25% of the time.

Remote Work : This is a fully remote position; must comply with UCSC telecommuting agreement.

Union Representation : Research and Public Service Professionals (RPSP).

Table‑top requirements : Must pass pre‑employment criminal background check, employment misconduct disclosure, complete required training, and may need to travel nationally.

Safety Statement

All employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.

EEO/AA Statement

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 categories covered by the UC Anti‑Discrimination Policy. It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti‑discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.

Additional Information

NO VISA SPONSORSHIP IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS POSITION.