Research Specialist II
Salary
$79,016.07 - $107,556.19 Annually
Location
Riverside
Job Type
Regular
Job Number
26-79838-03
Department
Child Support Services
Division
Child Support Services
Opening Date
05/14/2026
Closing Date
5/28/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
For questions regarding this position, please contact the Recruiter listed in the Supplemental Information section.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The County of Riversides Department of Child Support Services (DCSS), Business Intelligence Team (BIT), seeks to fill a single vacancy for a Research Specialist II who will be assigned to Riverside, CA.
The incumbent will be responsible for planning organizing and coordinating research, including the development of research models to measure the effectiveness of departmental programs designed for health, social, human behavioral or other problems inherent in the functions and objectives of the department, Develop data collection procedures and reporting formats necessary for implementing research and evaluation projects, confer with personnel from other departments, divisions, and outside agencies in obtaining needed data, use traditional results of research and present conclusions and recommendations to involved management and supervisory personnel and conduct evaluation studies of programs to determine the cost and effectiveness. The selected candidate may also write proposals for the purpose of obtaining grants from the state, federal and/or other private agencies.
The most competitive candidate will possess experience in writing and developing proposals, using software and software language such as Tableau, SQL, R-Software, and SAS. Candidates will also have knowledge of Social Services programs and experience with research studies and/or program evaluations. A Masters degree is preferred.
Meet the Team!
County of Riverside Department of Child Support Services works with parents and guardians to ensure children and families receive court-ordered financial and medical support. Services provided included locating, establishing paternity; establishing, modifying, and enforcing a court order for child support; and establishing, modifying, and enforcing an order for health coverage. Can you see yourself here?
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Initiate research and statistical investigations and plan, design, and conduct the activities of such investigations; recognize the need for research and statistical investigations in the delivery of services and program planning and evaluation.
Coordinate with staff and outside agencies to obtain data; design, organize and develop research evaluation plans; develop regulatory waiver requests, prepare budgets and submit grant proposals.
Define sample populations and selection criteria; design, develop and maintain databases; write queries to extract data for ongoing and unexpected management reports; create, test and administer surveys and questionnaires; conduct focus and personal interviews; develop forms, procedures, schedules and sampling criteria for field data collection; perform random assignments.
Advise research specialists and administrators of research findings and/or procedures; prepare narrative reports of findings with valid conclusions and statistical significance; project program impacts and provide trend analysis.
Identify problems in inter-organizational operations and procedures with implications for plan development and implementation and recommend alternative solutions for use in management decision-making.
Conduct research to identify community needs for new and changes to existing programs; identify appropriate sources of funding to support new programs and prepare funding applications.
Assist the supervisor in developing and coordinating planning activities and in directing assigned project staff; prepare annual budgets for research projects
Participate in clinical trials or multi-institutional studies that require staff education and interaction with other agencies and partners.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
OPTION I
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a masters degree in social science, statistics, mathematics, economics, business/public administration, public health, data processing, or any of the natural sciences, which included graduate level courses in research design, data collection methods, and advanced statistical analysis. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for up to two years of the required education, on the basis of 10 semester or 15-quarter units of graduate level course work equaling 6 months.)
Experience: Two years of progressively responsible experience in administrative, professional, investigative, technical, or other responsible work, which included statistical analysis, research or program design and data collection, and electronic data storage and report generation or grant writing.
OPTION II
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a masters degree in social science, statistics, mathematics, economics, business/public administration, public health, data processing, or any of the natural sciences, which included graduate level courses in research design, data collection methods, and advanced statistical analysis. (Additional qualifying experience may substitute for up to two years of the required education, on the basis of 10 semester or 15-quarter units of graduate level course work equaling six months.)
Experience: Two years as a Research Specialist I in Riverside County in a Department of Public Social Services, Public Health, Behavioral Health, Emergency Management, Probation, hospital, or clinical research center.
OPTION III
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Ph.D. in social science, statistics, mathematics, economics, business/public administration, public health, data processing, or any of the natural sciences, which included graduate level courses in research design, data collection methods, and advanced statistical analysis.
ALL OPTIONS
Knowledge of: policies, procedures, practices and legislation governing the provision of social service delivery systems; policies, procedures, practices, and legislation governing clinical trials; advanced research methods including data collection, sampling and analysis; computer programming and processing methods; principles of management including planning, organizing and evaluating programs; social service concepts and issues; principles of planning, organizing and evaluating ongoing studies.
Ability to: Develop and prepare concise and coherent oral and written reports and recommendations; analyze, perform data queries and write executable computer programs; interpret and evaluate statistical data and research findings; use statistical software packages on personal computers; maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; design and carry out research topics related to social service.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
For questions regarding this recruitment
Contact Joshua Roberts at (951) 955-2548 or joroberts@rivco.org. Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquiries.
____
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Veterans Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, attach the required documents to your job application. Documents include a copy of your (or your spouses) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service. For spousal preference, and as applicable, the following documents: a copy of your marriage certificate, spouses death certificate, a letter of spouses disability and/or letter of service-related death (if available) from the U.S. Veterans Administration. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans preference. For complete details and documentation requirements, please review the Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 here: https://rivcocob.org/board-policies
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: https://rc-hr.com/disability
Proof of Education
If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.
If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).
Work Authorization Requirement
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.
Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment). A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.
Probationary Period
As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.
General Information
Current County of Riverside and/or current employees of the hiring department may receive priority consideration. Qualified candidates may be considered for future County vacancies.
Job postings may close without notice based on application volume. Submit your complete application by the recruitment close date; no late applications are accepted. Ensure all relevant experience/education is reflected on your application/resume, as a failure to demonstrate position requirements may disqualify applicants. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.
Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the Apply link located on this page to submit your application. For additional instructions on the application process, examinations, Veterans preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com.
If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact the governmentjobs.com applicant support desk Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at support@governmentjobs.com or toll-free 1-855-524-5627.
MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.
Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here.
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS).
A new member is defined as any of the following:
CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".
Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.
Note:
This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to retirement@rivco.org or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.
If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If theres any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.
VACATION ACCRUAL (Bi-Weekly Accrual):
0 < 3 year = 80 Hours (10 Days)
4 < 9 years = 120 Hours (15 Days)
10 or more years = 160 Hours (20 Days)
Maximum Vacation leave accumulation is 480 hours.
SICK LEAVE: Four (4) hours Sick Leave accrual per pay period with unlimited accrual.
HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year.
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: Allowed 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 additional days can be taken from accrued Sick Leave balance).
BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: Equal to one times annual base salary not to exceed $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.
DISABILITY:
Employees contribute to State Disability Insurance (SDI), which provides wage replacement benefits for individuals who are unable to work due to non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. SDI also includes Paid Family Leave Benefits. The wage replacement rate is determined by current law, offering 60-70% of the wages earned during the SDI eligibility period.
Additionally, employees receive employer-paid Long-Term Disability Benefits, which cover 66.67% of pre-disability earnings, up to a maximum of $10,000 per month. There is a 365-day waiting period before these benefits become active. Employees may coordinate these benefits with other available leave balances to receive up to 100% of their regular pay.
POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding.
OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.
01
Are you a current regular or temporary employee of the Department of Childrens Social Services?
02
Select the answer that best describes your current drivers license status:
03
What is the highest level of education you have from an accredited college or university in social science, statistics, mathematics, economics, business/public administration, public health, data processing, or any of the natural sciences, which included graduate level courses in research design, data collection methods, and advanced statistical analysis.
04
I acknowledge that I am required to provide proof of my degree or a copy of my transcript(s) as verification of educational units completed prior to the closing date of the job posting. (Official and unofficial transcripts will be accepted. If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation.)
05
How man years of experience do you possess as a Research Specialist I in Riverside County in a Department of Public Social Services, Public Health, Behavioral Health, Emergency Management, Probation, hospital, or clinical research center?
06
How many years of experience do you possess in progressively responsible experience in administrative, professional, investigative, technical, or other responsible work, which included statistical analysis, research or program design and data collection, and electronic data storage and report generation or grant writing?
07
How man years of experience do you possess writing and developing proposals?
08
Please indicate your level of knowledge using the following software and software language.
09
Please indicate you level of knowledge of Social Service Programs.
10
How many years of experience do you possess performing research studies and/or program evaluations?
Required Question
Employer County of Riverside
Address County Admin. Center P.O. Box 1569
4080 Lemon St., 7th floor
Riverside, California, 92502-1569
Phone Contact Recruiter for Job Information
Website http://www.rc-hr.com