Research Evaluation Manager at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah

Job Description:

The evaluation research manager facilitates research that supports the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in their responsibility to ensure that the Church remains one in Christ. They facilitate the vision and direction of the Correlation Executive Committee (CEC) by leading researchers who evaluate Church products, programs, and initiatives worldwide to determine effectiveness in supporting God's work of salvation and exaltation. Under the direction of an associate director, the evaluation research manager coordinates and manages the efforts of a team of researchers, helps those researchers develop, and supports the efforts of department leadership. Research managers work under the direction of the Correlation Research Division (CRD) leadership council to implement their strategic vision to fulfill the CRD's assignment to provide timely, relevant, and reliable research and information to General Authorities and general Church councils, committees, areas, and departments.

Candidates must be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and currently temple worthy.

Responsibilities

• Evaluation research management (35%)
  • Set and communicate standards related to evaluation, research methodologies, partner interactions, cultural sensitivity, and faith-based scholarship. Regularly reassess standards to ensure they stay up to date.
  • Assign research projects in a way that allows for timely and responsive resource allocation and work assignments; accounts for staff strengths, skills, and development goals; and allows researchers to have enough time to do sufficient quality work on their projects.
  • Help the evaluation team prioritize projects such that the most important projects happen on time and with an appropriate level of quality.
  • Collaborate with study leads in project management of the evaluations (e.g., keeping Workfront up to date, managing timelines/deadlines, track tasks)
  • Ensure evaluations execute on the First Presidency direction to determine effectiveness in supporting God's work of salvation and exaltation.
  • Ensure clear understanding of product/program/initiative objectives and ensure evaluation plans, data collection instruments, analyses, and reporting deliverables stay aligned with those.
  • Review research plans, data collection instruments, analyses, and reporting deliverables. Provide constructive feedback in ways that facilitate researcher growth and continuous improvement of evaluations.
  • Ensure culturally sensitive evaluations.
  • Facilitate vendor management.
  • Work in close partnership with the other evaluation research manager and the associate director to maintain alignment in vision, standards, and processes.
• People management and development (35%)
  • Facilitate staff development as faith-based scholars (e.g., Christlike attributes, leadership pattern) so that research is conducted through a lens of discipleship.
  • Facilitate staff development in their research skills and soft skills. This includes being aware of strengths and weaknesses of each team member, collaboratively establishing a plan for development with them, providing them opportunities for growth, and enabling accountability.
  • Foster cultural sensitivity in staff.
  • Ensure staff have sufficient support and resources to complete their work
  • Facilitate positive team relationships and trust by prioritizing team-building activities, holding weekly 1:1s with all direct reports, holding regular team meetings, encouraging communication, and supporting team members.
  • Align the team with direction from Correlation executives. Clearly and regularly communicate, model, and emphasize the mission, vision, and values of CRD, ensuring that the team is collectively focused on the most important issues.
  • Protect the bandwidth of researchers to ensure sufficient time is available to them to conduct high quality evaluations, develop, and maintain work/life balance.
  • Work with associate directors to address people management issues, including staffing changes, recruitment, hiring, training, and orientation.
• Communication and coordination with Church departments and areas (5-10%)
  • Collaborate with the associate director and the other evaluation research manager to maintain relationships with key evaluation stakeholders, check in regularly to see whether evaluation efforts need to remain or change to meet needs.
  • Collaborate with the associate director and the other evaluation research manager to maintain relationships with key leaders in areas and departments to ensure an ideal tone of relationship, that their needs are met, and that they understand purpose of evaluations.
  • Continually monitor and improve the communication and consultation provided by researchers to partners during evaluation research projects. Ensure researchers clearly communicate with partners, set expectations, build trust, and provide expert consultation to General Authorities, councils, committees, departments, and areas.
• Support strategic planning and operational improvement (5-10%)
  • Support the associate director's charge to implement short- and long-term strategic plans for accomplishing the commission and charter of the Research Division and the priorities of the CEC. Focus on aligning with the Senior leadership of the Church and following the direction of the Correlation Department leadership.
  • Under the direction of the CRD leadership council, ensure research teams are aware of and understand CRD goals, policies, processes, and upcoming changes. Help to implement and monitor adherence to strategic plans.
• Conduct research (5-10%)
  • Conduct research (either as a researcher or study lead). This can be done as time permits and/or as team members require backup support, as a means of providing mentoring and professional development opportunities, or to provide specific expertise.

• Education: Master's or PhD in a social science field (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics, education).
• Work Experience: 8+ years of applied research or closely related field.
• Demonstrated skills and abilities in the following:
  • Leadership and management: Proven ability to lead and manage teams of researchers with diverse backgrounds, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment, and motivating and encouraging team members to contribute to innovative approaches to designing, conducting, and sharing research.
  • Mentorship and staff development: Adept at communicating with, mentoring, and nurturing the professional growth of research team members, guiding them in their career development, and enhancing their skills and expertise.
  • Evaluation and research skills:
    • The ability to clearly define and translate program objectives into an evaluation.
    • An understanding of evaluation theory and guiding principles.
    • Research methodologies (particularly causal inference, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, non-experimental causal designs, sampling methods, measurement)
    • Developing, conducting, and analyzing surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations.
  • Deep understanding of a culture outside of the United States (e.g., more than serving a mission outside of the United States).
  • Fluent language abilities in English.
  • Communication and presentation skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to counsel with their team and other leaders, effectively present research findings and provide insightful analysis to diverse audiences. Strong presentation design skills with the ability to concisely communicate findings.
  • Relationship-building and collaboration: Skilled in building and maintaining strong and trusting relationships, quickly establishing credibility and rapport with wide array of partners and stakeholders and working closely with and mobilizing people at all levels towards collaborative goals.
  • High initiative, high deference: Work within broad parameters to define direction for how the team should implement leaders' vision.

Preferred

• 3+ years management experience
• Demonstrated skills and abilities in the following:
  • Fluent abilities in a language other than English.
  • Process and project management: Experience in managing research processes and ensuring the successful completion of research projects.

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