Researchers (4), Global Terrorism Database (GTD)
The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) is hiring four Researchers to work on the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) and related projects at START’s headquarters at the University of Maryland, College Park. These are full-time positions, with an initial term of 12 months (starting in September 2021). Upon completion of this initial term, candidates may have an opportunity to renew the appointment, contingent on funding. Any applications submitted through Handshake will not be considered.
Responsibilities:
The GTD contains unclassified data on more than 200,000 terrorist attacks that occurred worldwide since 1970. It supports a wide range of users in the United States and around the world, including government, academia, media, and private industry. GTD Researchers perform a variety of tasks to sustain the ongoing collection and coding of terrorism event data. These tasks may include:
- Establishing expertise on data collection and coding practices for a GTD subject domain
- Training new team members and interns on coding practices for a GTD subject domain
- Managing a team of student interns tasked with data coding for a GTD subject domain
- Routine quality control assessments of coded data for a GTD subject domain
- Systematic identification of terrorist attacks in source documents; writing incident summaries
- Authoring analytical products, including fact sheets, research briefs, and technical reports
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to terrorism and political violence
- 1+ year(s) systematic data collection and/or coding experience
- Training in statistics and research methods; experience with quantitative or qualitative analysis
- Research experience related to terrorism and political violence
- Proficiency with MS Excel, including the use of PivotTables, formulas, and data sorting/filtering
- Demonstrated ability to manage tasks and meet strict deadlines
- Demonstrated ability to analyze a large number of documents in a fast-paced environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in a discipline related to terrorism and political violence
- 1+ year(s) project/team management experience
- Advanced knowledge of coding practices for the GTD or similar database(s)
- Experience with statistical/analytical platforms, such as SAS, Stata, SPSS, R, or ArcGIS
The annual salary for these positions will be in the range of $50,000-$60,000, plus full University of Maryland benefits (explained at http://ter.ps/2by). Those selected will work at START headquarters at the University of Maryland, College Park, and report to the GTD Program Manager.
Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter, resumé, and one page writing sample via email (with subject line “GTD Researcher”) to gtd@start.umd.edu. Applicants should also note where they learned about this position and provide contact information for three professional references. Any applications submitted through Handshake will not be considered.
Applications are due by July 31, 2021 for best consideration. Due to the September start date, preference will be given to candidates currently authorized to work in the United States. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The University of Maryland is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.