Director of Research and Evaluation

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How to Apply

For full consideration, please submit all of the following documents. Your cover letter and resume should be combined into 1 PDF file before uploading due to system requirements.
 

  • 1-2 page cover letter should describe how your experience, skills, and perspective on applied research align with the job responsibilities. 
  • Your resume should include a summary of your qualifications as well as your relevant experiences.
  • The R&E Skills Assessment to share your current skill and experience level. You are not expected to be an expert in all areas. This will help us to understand your current skill set and how it fits into the existing skills across the R&E team.

Who We Are

For 20+ years, the ADVANCE Program has pioneered research and programming aimed at improving faculty recruitment, climate, retention, and leadership development. Beginning in 2002 with an ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant from the National Science Foundation and transitioning to Provost's Office funding in 2007, the nationally recognized program serves all U-M faculty on campus in four distinct areas: 

  • Recruitment - development, and use of equitable recruiting practices 
  • Workplace Climate - focused on the improvement of unit climate 
  • Retention - preemptive strategies to prevent the loss of valued faculty 
  • Leadership Development - skill and career development for faculty leaders at all levels 

Our 15+ person team supports these four areas through research and evaluation, programming, and administration efforts. Visit our website to learn more about our work and the team. Visit our website to learn more about our work and the team. 

The ADVANCE Research & Evaluation (R&E) team is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary group that takes a team-based approach to applied research, continued learning, and fostering innovation. R&E serves the University of Michigan through various research projects and provides evaluation support. The team produces reports and recommendations which inform practice and policy within ADVANCE, high-level university leadership, and the wider U-M community. You will be responsible for leading this team. Deliverables are expected to safeguard confidentiality, be of high quality, and completed on time. This position will report directly to the ADVANCE Director. The ADVANCE Program embraces a hybrid work model with a standard 3 days on campus and 2 remote days for full-time staff appointments. Employees are welcome to work additional days in the office.

A link to a full job description for this position can be viewed here.

Please join us for a virtual information session for this position on Monday, April 28 at 2pm EST or Thursday, May 8 at 9am EST where you will learn more about U of M, ADVANCE and this position.  Prospective candidates can sign up for one of these sessions (both sessions will be the same) using this link.  The Zoom link for the sessions will be sent out before the session.  

Responsibilities*

  • 45% Supervision and support of staff
    • Lead and develop a team of 5-6 full time staff plus student temporary staff
    • Provide supervision that includes recognizing strengths, showing appreciation, being open to team input, leading difficult internal and external conversations, determining scope and priority of work and goal-setting, and encouraging professional development and goal setting
    • Meet with team members individually as well as in a group setting
    • Provide methodological and technical guidance and support
  • 45% Design, oversee, and conduct project plans for evaluation, research, and assessment
    • Design project plans 
      • Develop and oversee annual schedule, establish deadlines, ensure completion, and support the team
      • Lead plans, establish deadlines and schedules
    • Ensure successful completion, and follow-up of research team portfolio of work 
      • Optimize processes and monitor progress towards goals
      • Lead report debriefing meetings, including soliciting feedback and documenting lessons learned
    • Oversee annual, ongoing  and one-time projects
      • Consult with unit leadership on project plans, research approaches and timelines 
      • As new requests are made, discuss strategy, priority, and needs with Director and team to determine feasibility and look for creative solutions
  • 10% Contributing member of the ADVANCE leadership team
    • In coordination with the Director and with other leadership team members, set short term and long term strategic plans for the unit
    • Clearly communicate and present information about ADVANCE research and evaluation team work and the mission, vision, and expertise of ADVANCE to academic and campus leadership
       

Required Qualifications*

  • Ph.D. in relevant social science field or related field with 5+ years post Ph.D work experience
  • 5+ years supervising and developing the skills of a diverse staff with attention to professional development and collaboration among team members
  • Experience promoting a positive climate among staff you supervise
  • 5+ years applied research experience post-degree 
  • High-level experience using quantitative statistical methods (for example, analysis of variance; using weighted data) and software (for example, R; Excel), and interpreting results
  • Demonstrated qualitative (e.g. thematic coding, conducting interviews/focus groups) experience
  • Experience creating a wide variety of deliverable types (e.g., technical and non-technical reports, presentations, infographics, dashboards (will be asked to provide samples of an applied research project if invited for an interview)
  • Experience working with institutional/organization-wide data 
  • Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple demands and navigate changes as they arise
  • Experience working in an environment where changes or short turnaround requests may come up from time to time 
  • Experience building multi-month, multi-year project plans with emphasis on clear details regarding assignments, due dates and contingencies
  • Well-developed communication and presentation skills as demonstrated during interview
  • Experience and comfort working with and leading interactions with organizational leaders
  • Demonstrated experience building relationships across campus or organizations, with strong skills in diplomacy 
  • Experience with survey and workflow/project management tools (Monday.com; Asana Task Management) and technology
     

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.  

If the selected applicant is relocating, modest moving expenses may be covered.  

Salary offer will be commensurate with skills and years of experience.

If you have any questions or experience any difficulty submitting your skills assessment or signing up for the information session, please contact [email protected]. 
 

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.