Senior Director of Evaluation, Research, and Continuous Improvement

Job Title: Senior Director of Evaluation, Research, and Continuous Improvement 

Company Name: Nebraska Children and Families Foundation 

Position Type: Full-time, Exempt, Salary 

Location: Lincoln, Omaha, or Remote within Nebraska 

NEBRASKA CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FOUNDATION: 

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (NCFF) is a nonprofit created to support children, young adults, and families with the overall goal of giving our state's children what they need to thrive. We do this by building strong communities that support families. Our mission is to create positive change for Nebraska’s children through community engagement, and we believe in a Nebraska where all children will have the resources and support to thrive. 

SUMMARY 

The Senior Director will be responsible for leading the Research and Evaluation (R&E) team and overseeing their work. Additionally, the Senior Director will participate on NCFF leadership teams, providing guidance on continuous quality improvement, and participating in strategic planning with internal and external partners. This includes aiding the organization in making data-driven decisions, supporting the development and documentation of organization-wide strategies and approaches to coordinate all of NCFF’s work, and participating in the identification of strategic priorities. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES  

Leadership, Vision, and Oversight: 

• Provide leadership and guidance for the Research and Evaluation team 

• Direct supervision of Managing Director and Director  

• Oversight of all Research and Evaluation Team reports, work products, and processes  

• Lead organization-wide efforts supporting continuous quality improvement 

• Provide guidance on strategic planning with internal and external partners, including current and potential funders 

• Inform and approve the dissemination of findings within NCFF and from?NCFF to external partners and to NCFF's?Board?of Directors 

• Ensure an organizational commitment to best practices in Research and Evaluation, including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion principles 

• Lead methodological design and analytic strategies for: 

• Current and future program evaluation work 

• Fund-development activities, including grant writing 

• Ensure that NC’s population-level indicators sufficiently reflect the children, youth, and families across Nebraska communities. 

• Inform, approve, and manage budgets for the work of the Research and Evaluation team 

• Provide Vision and oversight for research and evaluation across NCFF 

• Participate on NCFF’s Leadership teams to help guide organization- wide policies and practices 

• Create and appoint members to an NCFF Research and Evaluation Advisory Council (REAC); and coordinate meetings for and regularly interface with the REAC 

• Coordinate and lead organization-wide reporting of NCFF programmatic efforts to the NCFF Board of Directors 

• Oversee and approve external research and evaluation contracts 

• Oversee organization-wide data quality, security, and privacy in coordination with the IT Solutions team and external contractors 

• Provide oversight of professional learning focused on research and evaluation practices, data literacy, interpretation and use of research findings across NCFF 

EQUITY AND DIVERSITY:  

Commit to and actively work toward equity, diversity, and inclusivity in all aspects of duties related to staff, internal and external stakeholders, contractors, consultants, trainers, and external agencies. This includes integration of race equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion principles and culturally responsive practices into the Research and Evaluation work. 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Supervises the Managing Director and Director; provides overarching supervision to the Research and Evaluation team 

WORK DIRECTION RECEIVED: Works with minimal direction. 

SCOPE/NATURE OF DISCRETION: Delegated discretion; authority to initiate and carry out actions that are deemed essential. 

QUALIFICATIONS 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Required Skills/Abilities: 

• Ability to utilize a variety of methodological approaches in the context of social-sciences and/or behavioral research and/or evaluation, including: 

• integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches 

• designing and executing inferential quantitative and qualitative data analytic strategies 

• using participatory research designs 

• engaging in co-creation and co-interpretation with internal and external partners 

• Ability to understand, explain, and implement current standards of practice for research and evaluation 

• Ability to write methodology and/or research and evaluation sections of grant applications 

• Ability to manage and use data storage and collection platforms 

• Ability to manage a team of professionals 

• Ability to balance multiple and divergent perspectives 

• Ability to communicate complex information to a variety of audiences through different mediums 

• Ability to effectively collaborate and partner with internal and external partners to align and support work across NCFF 

• Strong interpersonal skills, particularly with community members across diverse settings 

• Strong oral and written communication skills 

• Strong organizational skills 

Preferred Skills/Abilities 

• Experience in interacting with leadership teams and Boards of Directors 

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE: 

• Doctorate in the Social Sciences, or Master’s degree with extensive experience, with strong training in methodology and measurement 

• Substantial experience leading independent research and/or program evaluation efforts 

• Extensive experience in integrating research and evaluation efforts into multidisciplinary teams 

• Experience in managing complex budgets 

Equivalency Statement: Applicants who do not meet the qualification as stated above are encouraged to put in writing precisely how their background and experience have prepared them with the equivalent combination of education, training and experience required for the responsibilities of this position.   

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

• While performing duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. 

• The employee is frequently required to use hands. 

• The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. 

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

• Flexible scheduling including possible evenings and weekends. 

• Willingness to travel, including overnight stays. 

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.