Fast Facts

Western Psychological Services is seeking a Senior Research Psychologist to lead the development of psychological and educational assessment products in a remote capacity.

Responsibilities: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop assessment products, lead research initiatives, and provide support pre- and post-launch.

Skills: Expertise in assessment development, research methods, project management, and strong scientific writing skills are required.

Qualifications: Doctoral degree in psychology or related field with a minimum of five years experience in assessment development preferred.

Location: Remote, with occasional travel to Torrance, CA for meetings or conferences.

Compensation: $160000 - $170000 / Annually

Senior Project Director: Educational and Psychological Assessment Development

FLSA: Exempt/Salary – full time regular

Manages others: No

Location: Remote

Department: R&D

General Job Description: 

Western Psychological Services (WPS) is hiring a Senior Project Director to lead the content development work necessary to bring new and revised products to market. As part of the Research and Development team, composed of psychologists, speech language pathologists and other content area experts, you will use your clinical and research expertise to develop and revise assessment products. The Senior Project Director will be the professional at the forefront of the content development, implementation, and management of psychological and educational assessment products, helping to support WPS as a leading assessment publisher.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Successfully collaborate with test authors and cross functional teams, including Product, Design, Engineering, Sales, Procurement, and Project Management, to clearly define the product vision, develop content, drive effective/evidence-based decisions, and advance strategic roadmaps
• Lead research initiatives to develop and oversee evidence-based, theoretically sound digital and print assessment products, including study design, survey and item construction, quantitative and qualitative methodology, data collection, data management, statistical analysis and interpretation, technology integration, and technical writing
• Facilitate pre- and post-launch product support for authors, interdepartmental teams, customers, and other key stakeholders by prioritizing evidence-based user experience, addressing product design inquiries, resolving customer challenges, supporting product training through content creation for professional development, advising on best practices for adaptations/translations, and guiding the effective use of assessment tools.

Position Requirements (Skills, Knowledge, Abilities):

This position requires a deep understanding of assessment development, clinical application of assessments, market and customer needs, as well as business priorities to make effective decisions, including:

• Doctoral degree in psychology or a related field; area of degree specialization is open
• Minimum of five years of directly relevant job experience within the assessment development industry; preference for specialized content expertise in digital assessment development of performance tests including converting performance test content from print-to-digital formats and validating use on emerging delivery platforms
• Previous experience in successfully developing and launching assessment products that are large in scope, that have wide-ranging content, and that uphold research quality while adhering to production schedules and timelines
• Proficiency with the Project Director role and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and complete all responsibilities on time, with quality, with minimal supervision necessary, and while fully upholding the scientific integrity of the research content. This includes: 

1. Ability to conceptualize, design, manage, and execute a sound research plan to support the psychometric properties of valid and reliable assessment tools and related digital products, while understanding and addressing the current needs of clinicians/customers and internal stakeholders
2. Strong scientific writing skills that support the development of all aspects of a technical manual including designing tables and figures in coordination with authors and other stakeholders.
3. Experience coordinating resources related to product development and training in all aspects of the product conceptualization, design, development, manual writing, and stakeholder collaborations 
4. Understanding of quantitative research methods to analyze data, interpret data, and apply relevant findings to inform decisions and strategies about the development of products; includes working knowledge of the technology associated with data collection, data analysis, and psychometrics
5. Strong understanding of clinical issues affecting children and families, with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of assessment tools and working collaboratively as a professional 

Competencies Required:

• Leadership—The ability to understand and convey goals, coach/mentor, and motivate employees to work together toward a common vision. The ability to convey information through verbal and written methods in a professional, precise, and easy-to-understand manner to a diverse audience with varying levels of technical understanding. The ability to understand and contribute to organizations’ short- and long-term business strategies. The ability to adapt traditional methods, concepts, models, designs, technologies, or systems to new applications; or the ability to devise innovative approaches to make improvements or solve problems.
• Decision Making—The ability to make timely and informed decisions based on the process of gathering information, examining possibilities, determining critical components, and choosing a course of action. The ability to identify and evaluate resources and plan for their utilization throughout the execution of comprehensive, long-range plans.
• Relating to Others—The ability to understand others and coordinate personal insights and knowledge of others into effective actions. The ability to persuade others and to present one’s viewpoint in such a way that it is accepted by others. The ability to communicate collaboratively in a manner that helps others feel heard.

Physical Requirements:

(The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

• The employee may regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. 
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include Close vision and Distance vision. 
• The auditory/hearing abilities required by the job include the ability to hear others using a phone or online conferencing system. 
• While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. 
• The employee is regularly required to walk and sit for prolonged periods. 
• This individual must be a responsible person and regular attendance is required. 

Travel:

• 5% travel required. Travel to trade conferences may be required; if remote, candidate will also be expected to be available to travel to WPS headquarters in Torrance or for other select meetings/events a few times each year.

WPS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AA M/F/V/D. 

We proudly hire U.S. Military Veterans, and those qualified are encouraged to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity is The Law. | Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

At this time, WPS is unable to provide visa sponsorship.