Research & Evaluation Manager, Early Childhood Centers

Company: Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning
Location: Hershey
Posted on: January 27, 2023

Job Description:

Research & Evaluation Manager, Early Childhood Centers (Job Number: )DescriptionRole Description:The Research and Evaluation Manager is part of the CHS Central Office team, reporting to the Senior Director of Programs. This individual will direct and monitor all research-related projects at the centers. The Research and Evaluation Manager must effectively utilize research evidence to inform and bolster the Center's strategic planning process. In addition to supporting the Center-wide application of strategic priorities, the individual must also support emergent programmatic needs by applying research to new and existing programs, policies, procedures, services, and operations in alignment with strategic goals.The Research and Evaluation Manager will also be heavily involved in managing the collection and evaluation of data across CHS Centers to inform the achievement of the CHS Comprehensive Outcomes and Success Metrics. They will work with the CHS Evaluation Partner to understand best practices and systems for data to be collected from each center using data-collection resources and tools and will ensure metrics are being informed by data and reported out accordingly. This individual will track launch metrics, children and family metrics, community metrics, and operational health metrics. Starting salary is in the range of $55,936 - $74,675 a year, based on expertise.Responsibilities:Working with the Senior Director of Programs to facilitate the implementation of an annual applied research agenda, based on CHS needsWorking with the CHS Evaluation Partner to understand best practices and systems for data collectionTracking CHS launch metrics, children and family metrics, community metrics, and operational health metricsInitiating research with emphasis on gaps in existing data on child development practicesDetermining the best methods for conducting applied research projectsProviding the Center's leadership with information to support decision-making, articulation of priorities, and support for the implementation of strategiesCompleting research projects and developing strategies to enhance collaboration across CentersConsulting on Center-specific research issuesEngaging stakeholders as needed to solve practical problems, and providing the necessary linkages between data-driven decisions, staff responsibilities and student outcomesFacilitating inter-departmental/divisional collaboration by articulating research findings and creating a common language and dialogue around the conditions necessary for successCollaborating with key stakeholders to review research findings and develop recommendations for action plans, professional development, interventions, or other identified next steps based on findingsStaying in contact with educational child development organizations to understand best practicesActing as the School's IRB liaison regarding decisions about proposed research projects, which takes into account research projects completed by members of the CHS community involved with continuing educationProviding research-driven consultation to administrators and stakeholders as needed for strategic programming purposesDeveloping strategies that encourage Center-wide understanding, buy-in, and usage of the resultsCollecting, analyzing, and interpreting dataDirecting and monitoring contracted services by qualified professionals for student and program researchConducting recurring reviews of current literature (e.g., child development, poverty, social psychology, etc.), summarizing, and distributing findings; conducting sessions with CHS to discuss how to implement these findingsUpholding the highest professional ethical standards of research and consultation, which are consistent with national and state professional guidelines for research (i.e., APA Ethical Principles, Chapter 41 State Board of Psychology: Pennsylvania Code) to ensure the ethical treatment of student and staff research participants, integrity of data, and accurate reporting of informationQualificationsRequirements:Master's degree in education, psychology, or related field that requires coursework in research methodology and scholarly activity3-5 years of research experience in an education related environmentAbility to showcase a sample research briefExperience in research around low-income communities (preferred)Membership in a professional organization that demands the highest professional ethical standards of research consultation and demonstrate a history of consistency with the national and state professional guidelinesAbility to conduct applied research using sophisticated quantitative and qualitative research methodology and statistical softwareAbility to independently initiate, design, organize, and coordinate applied research and evaluation projects with the anticipation of broad dissemination and/or scholarly publication of findingsSkills and abilities necessary to facilitate inter-departmental/ divisional collaborationExperience with Institutional Review Board protocols and processAbility to clearly articulate research findings, inform, educate, and resource the office so as to build synergy around the strategic priorities identified as necessary for student successFamiliarity with Financial Budget Systems, SASI, Electronic Medical Records, UltiPro, SPSS, Survey Monkey, and Blackbaud softwareAbility to work in a fast-paced environment with changing prioritiesResponsible, enthusiastic, and cares about working in a mission-driven organizationAbility to proactively identify problems and implement solutionsWillingness to be held accountable and receive feedbackComfortability with technology including MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and/or willingness to learnExceptional interpersonal skills including the ability to influence, lead, and educate teamsCommitment to the mission and values of CHS and MHS and demonstrated high degree of integrity as all MHS and CHS staff are considered to be role models for studentsU.S. work authorization and successful completion of pre-employment background checks and clearances

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