Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Vocational Research Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

A Vocational Research Consultant designs, conducts, and translates applied research that informs vocational rehabilitation, return-to-work programs, supported employment, and workforce development policy. This role blends quantitative and qualitative labor market analysis, vocational assessment protocol development, and program evaluation to produce actionable recommendations for service providers, insurers, courts, and policy makers. The consultant is responsible for rigorous study design, data collection and analysis, stakeholder engagement, evidence synthesis, and delivery of clear technical and non-technical reports, presentations, and expert testimony when required.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with casework and assessment experience
Labor Market Analyst or Workforce Development Specialist
Research Assistant / Data Analyst in public policy, health, or social science

Advancement To:

Senior Vocational Research Consultant / Principal Consultant
Program Evaluation Director or Head of Research
Policy Advisor, Academic Research Fellow, or Principal Investigator

Lateral Moves:

Policy Analyst (employment & disability policy)
Program Manager for workforce development initiatives

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design and lead mixed-methods research projects that evaluate vocational rehabilitation programs, supported employment services, and return-to-work interventions; define research questions, choose appropriate methodologies, and develop protocols that meet ethical and regulatory standards.
Conduct comprehensive labor market analyses to identify in-demand occupations, regional employment trends, wage trajectories, and transferable skills mapping for people with disabilities or functional limitations.
Develop, validate, and administer vocational assessment batteries and job analysis tools that objectively measure work capacity, transferable skills, and reasonable accommodations.
Design quasi-experimental and experimental evaluation strategies (e.g., difference-in-differences, propensity score matching, randomized controlled trials) to estimate program impact on employment outcomes and benefit-cost ratios.
Extract, clean, and analyze large administrative datasets and survey data using statistical software (R, Stata, SPSS, Python) and write reproducible analysis scripts to support findings and replication.
Build and maintain SQL queries, ETL workflows, and data visualizations (Tableau, Power BI, R Shiny) to turn complex data into actionable insights for multidisciplinary teams and non-technical stakeholders.
Produce high-quality technical reports, peer-reviewed manuscripts, policy briefs, case summaries, and client-ready deliverables that summarize methods, findings, limitations, and programmatic recommendations.
Prepare and deliver persuasive oral presentations, webinars, and training sessions for clients, funders, clinicians, and legal audiences; develop clear slide decks and evidence summaries.
Conduct systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses to synthesize existing evidence on vocational interventions, workplace accommodations, assistive technologies, and occupational rehabilitation best practices.
Advise on reasonable accommodation strategies, ergonomic modifications, and assistive technology selection based on job demands, medical limitations, and labor market realities.
Provide expert witness testimony and case consultation for litigation, insurance claims, and administrative hearings concerning employability, wage loss, or vocational placement.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (occupational therapists, vocational evaluators, clinical providers, HR specialists) to integrate clinical assessments with labor market data for individualized return-to-work plans.
Design and monitor participant-level outcome metrics and dashboards (employment rates, job tenure, earnings change, job match quality) and apply continuous quality improvement to programs and services.
Draft grant proposals, funding applications, and study protocols, including budgets, timelines, and stakeholder engagement plans to secure research and program funding.
Ensure compliance with human subjects protection (IRB), data privacy, and confidentiality standards when working with sensitive client data; implement data governance policies.
Lead qualitative data collection and analysis (interviews, focus groups, thematic coding, NVivo) to surface lived experience, employer perspectives, and implementation barriers.
Translate findings into operational guidance for vocational service providers and case managers — including assessment templates, job development scripts, and employer outreach strategies.
Conduct employer labor market engagement, develop employer partnerships, and execute job development strategies that improve placement rates and job sustainability for clients.
Apply cost-effectiveness and return-on-investment analysis to vocational programs, including lifetime earnings modeling and benefit offset estimations for disability and insurance stakeholders.
Prototype and evaluate digital tools and decision-support systems (job matching algorithms, skills taxonomies, digital assessment platforms) that scale vocational assessment and placement work.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of labor market policy, disability rights law (e.g., ADA), employment accommodations, and emerging trends in remote and gig economy work that affect vocational outcomes.
Mentor junior researchers, evaluators, and vocational professionals on research methods, data analysis, report writing, and ethical practice in vocational research contexts.
Coordinate multi-site studies and vendor management, overseeing data collection protocols, quality assurance, and timely deliverables across external partners and subcontractors.
Prepare concise executive summaries and “one-page” evidence briefs that enable funders, executive teams, and policymakers to quickly understand implications and recommended next steps.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist with client engagement and proposal scoping, including building timelines, staffing plans, and deliverable schedules.
Support marketing and knowledge dissemination efforts by authoring blog posts, infographics, and social media summaries of research findings.
Provide technical assistance to frontline staff on implementing evidence-based vocational interventions and tracking outcomes in case management systems.
Maintain shared code repositories, documentation, and standard operating procedures to improve reproducibility and team efficiency.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Applied statistics and econometrics: regression analysis, causal inference, longitudinal modeling, survival analysis.
Programming for analysis: R, Python (pandas, scikit-learn), or Stata for reproducible workflows.
Database management and query languages: SQL, experience with relational databases and ETL processes.
Data visualization and dashboarding: Tableau, Power BI, R Shiny, or D3.js for stakeholder-facing visuals.
Survey design, sampling, and psychometrics for developing reliable vocational measures and assessment instruments.
Qualitative methods: interview/focus group design, coding, thematic analysis, and NVivo or Atlas.ti proficiency.
Program evaluation design: logic models, theory of change, outcomes measurement, and performance metrics.
Labor market research tools: occupational databases (O*NET, BLS, ESCO), wage modeling, regional labor market analysis.
Cost-benefit and economic impact analysis, including lifetime earnings projections and ROI calculations.
Knowledge of vocational assessment frameworks, job analysis techniques, and workplace accommodation practices.
Familiarity with human subjects research governance, IRB submissions, and data privacy (HIPAA/GDPR) compliance.
Experience with grant writing, proposal development, and research budget planning.

Soft Skills

Excellent written communication: ability to write clear technical reports, executive summaries, and policy briefs.
Strong verbal communication and presentation skills; comfortable presenting to diverse audiences including courts, funders, and employers.
Stakeholder management and partnership building with employers, service providers, government agencies, and advocacy organizations.
Project management and organizational skills: ability to manage multi-stream projects, timelines, and deliverables.
Critical thinking and problem-solving: synthesize complex data into practical recommendations.
Cultural competency and sensitivity when working with diverse populations and marginalized groups.
Adaptability and intellectual curiosity to keep pace with changing labor markets, technologies, and evidence standards.
Ethical judgement and professional integrity in handling sensitive client information and expert testimony.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Public Policy, Statistics, Data Science, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or PhD in Rehabilitation Science, Public Policy, Economics, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Applied Statistics, Social Science Research, or related discipline.
Professional certification(s) such as CRC (Certified Rehabilitation Counselor), CCM (Certified Case Manager), or advanced vocational assessment training are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Vocational Rehabilitation / Rehabilitation Counseling
Occupational Therapy / Physiatry-adjacent studies
Economics, Labor Economics, Public Policy
Psychology (Industrial/Organizational, Clinical)
Statistics, Data Science, Applied Social Research
Public Health, Social Work

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–8 years of applied research, labor market analysis, or vocational rehabilitation experience; mid-level roles commonly require 5+ years.

Preferred:

5+ years conducting vocational assessments, program evaluation, or labor market research with demonstrable deliverables (reports, dashboards, peer-reviewed publications).
Experience working with government agencies, insurers, legal teams, or vocational service providers.
Demonstrated success managing projects, mentoring staff, and securing or contributing to funded research proposals.