Research Director

Description
Children's Home & Aid invites you to join our team of mission-driven staff who share a common vision: an equitable world where all children and families thrive in strong communities. As a leading child and family service agency with more than 20 locations across Illinois, our mission is to advance the well-being of children by investing in families to disrupt the systemic and multi-generational cycle of racial, social and economic inequality.
Our full-time staff receive competitive salaries and a generous benefits package, including a paid leave accrual rate that starts at two weeks annually and grows to more than five weeks of paid time off each year. We strive to hold ourselves and each other accountable for fostering an inclusive work culture where we can be our authentic selves, where we create and have equitable opportunities, and where our voices are supported and encouraged.
The Research Director oversees the design and implementation of high-quality, relevant, and impactful research activities across the organization. As the Research Director, you will plan and supervise research projects and closely collaborate with, and share research findings with, internal and external stakeholders. The Research Director also supports the relentless prioritization of equity and inclusion in research design, study participant engagement, and data analysis and dissemination, and works closely with our policy and advocate team to both inform and align policy efforts with research findings.
What you'll do:
- Oversee, develop, and initiate research projects related to the organization's programs and services.
- Work closely with the policy and advocacy team to align research activities and priorities with the organization's policy efforts.
- Ensure that equity and inclusion are prioritized in all aspects of research design and implementation.
- Maintain current and relevant knowledge of external research and policy papers, projects, and funding to inform internal program, policy, and funding efforts, and ensure alignment with internal research priorities.
- Collaborate with external partners in completing community-based and participatory research projects, and develop and maintain partnerships with research and policy institutions, other community-based organizations and leaders, relevant associations and funders, and other external stakeholders.
- Produce written reports, papers, and articles of a publishable standard, and make recommendations for scope and method of dissemination.
- Collaborate with program, policy, and development staff to identify, develop, and obtain funding for research projects from a variety of sources including academic, private, and public sector funders.
- Collaborate with performance analysis department to develop and implement data collection goals, tools, methodologies, and storage protocols.
- Present research findings to internal and external audiences, including agency staff and leaders, communities, policymakers, academia, the media, and at conferences.
- May supervise research and evaluation staff.
Who you are:
- Doctorate level degree or candidacy in a relevant social science field required. Relevant fields may include but are not limited to Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, Nonprofit Administration, Anthropology, Human Services.
- Must be adept at research, data collection, and statistical and qualitative analysis. A minimum of four years of research experience is required; preference for community-based research in the areas of:
- Father engagement,
- Youth development,
- Early childhood education,
- Child Welfare, or
- Family strengthening.
- Experience with a range of research designs and methodologies preferred.
- Experience with a range of evaluation principles, theories, and practices preferred.
- Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills required. Must be adept at conveying information clearly and persuasively and adapting communication style for varied audiences.
- Must be highly skilled in managing projects, organizing and prioritizing work, and achieving targets and deadlines.
- Must be adept at building networks and collaborative relationships, and effectively bringing stakeholders together across functions and departments.
- Experience training and supporting colleagues and community partners in research and evaluation methods preferred.
- Advanced computer skills required.
The details:
- Location : Hybrid (remote/in office); must reside in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, or Michigan, and have the ability to work from agency sites as needed, including the Chicago corporate home office (200 West Monroe Street) and other program sites across Illinois.
- Schedule: Full-time, salaried; general business hours some flexibility for special projects.
- Staff are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit proof of their vaccination status before their start date unless they have an agency approved medical or religious exemption
Compensation & Benefits:
- Salary: $85,000-$95,000.
- Noncash benefits: Medical/dental/vision insurance, paid time off plus 11 paid holidays, supplemental insurance options, 401(k) with match (more benefits details here (https://www.childrenshomeandaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Updated-Benefits-Flyer.png) )
- Student Loan Forgiveness: Children's Home & Aid is an approved agency for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) (https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service) .
Where you work matters.
You're considering a new position, so no one knows better than you that where you work matters. We believe that by building diverse teams of passionate advocates for youth and families, we can continue to show up for Illinois families, putting those families at the center of every decision, and strengthening the communities where we all work, play, and live together. (More about who we are here. (https://www.childrenshomeandaid.org/) )
We invite you to become an active member of a team that supports, inspires, and challenges each other, and grow your career in an organization that celebrates emerging leaders and provides development and training opportunities aligned with your individual goals and aspirations. If you are looking for an opportunity to do meaningful work, including raising your voice to disrupt the status quo, we encourage you to apply today.
Review our agency's blueprint for impact:
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)