Qualitative Researcher (Contract Role)

About CDI

The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a non-partisan non-profit dedicated to equipping the next generation of Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across lines of difference. Since its founding in 2017, CDI has partnered with more than 150 colleges and universities nationwide, offering an evidence-based suite of programs designed to reach stakeholders at every level of a campus—from presidents to incoming students—to create campus cultures of inquiry and dialogue. CDI was co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the bestselling author of The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation.

About the Role

CDI is seeking project-based qualitative researchers (1099 contractors) to support large-scale qualitative studies examining campus culture. This is an ongoing need for CDI as the work continues to expand across various campuses.

This is a great fit for experienced qualitative researchers with strong interviewing and moderation/facilitation skills, document analysis, coding, a high bar for documentation quality, and the ability to represent CDI with calm professionalism in complex group settings and with senior leaders. The work is deeply mission-driven: understanding the perspectives of campus stakeholders on charged issues of speech, academic freedom, and institutional trust. Experience with Dovetail is a plus.

What You’ll Do

You will support multiple functions, depending on your availability and CDI’s needs including one-on-one interviews, small-group interviews, focus group facilitation, and scale document analysis, and memo writing. For all potential services you provide you will be required to use CDI’s established qualitative research procedures and protocols.

Responsibilities may include:

• Conducting virtual interviews using structured guides that result in high-quality video recordings

• Applying research protocols consistently, identifying risks or deviations, and suggesting appropriate adjustments

• Producing clear, well-organized interview summaries that require minimal rework

• Synthesizing interview data across participants to identify patterns, themes, and key insights

• Conducting reviews of large scale document analysis to support triangulation

• Tagging and organizing qualitative data according to an established coding framework

• Submitting research materials using established naming conventions and documentation standards

• Maintaining rapport, neutrality, and professionalism—even when participants are skeptical or challenging

The focus will be on qualitative research supporting work of the CDI Culture Change Team. Depending on availability and fit, you may also be invited to support other qualitative research efforts (e.g., user experience research or exploratory/discovery studies).

About You

• Relevant experience: 3+ years of applied qualitative research experience, including interviewing and small group moderating

• Domain expertise: Familiarity with the dynamics of campus life, institutional culture, organizational development, intergroup dialogue, civic education, and/or civic engagement in higher education

• High-quality interview and focus group facilitation: Able to work from structured guides while adjusting flexibly to the moment; your video transcripts can be used downstream by team members who were not in the interview

• Clear communicator: Clear interview summaries that synthesize key interview takeaways, following CDI’s format

• Comfort with discomfort: Comfortable interfacing with skeptical or high-status stakeholders (e.g., faculty, senior leaders, students)

• Contract experience: Prior contract or freelance experience; used to ebbs/flows, can commit to scoped deliverables during project windows

• Operationally reliable: You keep your calendar/availability up to date, show up on time, communicate clearly, handle data securely, and meet deadlines

• Technologically equipped: You must have access to a computer, dependable internet connection, a quiet, private, professional setting for conducting interviews, and be comfortable using Zoom

• Bonus: Experience with video transcript tagging via a research repository like Dovetail

Engagement Details

• Contract Type: Part-time, independent contractor

• Reports to: Director of Campus Culture Change

• Time zones / working hours: Part-time within U.S. time zones (availability during standard U.S. business hours required)

• Location: Fully Remote

• Workload variability & time commitment: Work is episodic. During active studies you must be available for a defined interview window (typically 4–8 weeks/project), with some weeks requiring 10–20 interviews/week. A typical project is ~40–80 total hours, depending on interview volume and study needs. This is an ongoing need with the potential to offer positions at the start of each semester.

• Compensation: $100-150/hour, itemized by project, based on experience