Job Description

The HPPI Portfolio has an opening for a Casual Community Ambassador, reporting to the Senior Research Associate in Chicago. The Community Ambassador will work with a team on an evaluation project specifically related to opioid overdose prevention, response, and recovery in the state of Illinois. Individuals who have lived experience as well as some education around Substance Use Challenges, Mental Health and/or Recovery are encouraged to apply.

EDC casual employees generally work as needed. A casual position receives statutory benefits of Social Security contributions, Medicare contributions, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation insurance and sick leave. A casual position ends when work is complete. 

The person in this position is expected to communicate clearly and courteously; to develop and maintain positive relationships with clients, collaborators, co-workers, field sites, and funders; and to work respectfully with EDC colleagues. The job requires adherence to EDC policies & procedures. Under general management guidance, the Casual Community Based Ambassador will work with a team on an evaluation capacity building project in Illinois. Occasional statewide travel for meetings, trainings, and/or conferences in Illinois may be required.

You will:

• Complete evaluation planning, including designing research and evaluation activities, tools, and protocols
• Collect data, including recruiting for and administering surveys as well as conducting interviews and focus groups
• Conduct data interpretation and analysis
• Assist with writing, editing materials, and developing recommendations, presentations, and brief reports to disseminate evaluation findings
• Assist in technical assistance related to evaluation project, including community outreach and engagement with partners and capacity building with community-based agencies
• Participate in engagement and relationship-building with organizations that serve the recovery community in Illinois as well as individuals who receive services from these organizations
• Collaborate with team staff to conduct work
• Integrate community-based perspectives and lived experiences into evaluation project activities and project deliverables

Qualifications

This position requires excellent organizational skills; demonstrable initiative, creativity, and flexibility; ability to work effectively in groups and independently; strong interpersonal skills; excellent writing skills. Being open-minded, using approaches grounded in humility, and a willingness to learn and grow are key.

Skills & Experience:

• At least 2 years related experience in community engagement, research, and evaluation with social service agencies in Illinois
• Experience and/or knowledge of the interface between mental health, medical, substance use disorder, care management and related human service systems
• Experience with data collection, research, and evaluation activities
• Proficiency with computer applications, including Internet research, MS Excel and other MS Office applications (access to computer required)

Preferred Education, Skills & Experience:

• Individuals who have lived and living recovery experience as well as some education around harm reduction, substance use challenges, mental health and/or recovery
• Experience and/or knowledge about the multiple pathways of recovery
• Bilingual (English/Spanish)

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Job Description

The School Improvement Portfolio in the U.S. Division has an opening for a Senior Research Scientist, reporting to the Principal Research Scientist. This position can be based out of one of our offices located in Washington D.C., Waltham, MA, New York City, NY, or Chicago, IL and is open to US-based telecommuters.           

The School Improvement Portfolio is one of six portfolios of work in the US division, and is focused on understanding, improving and transforming education systems and educational practice through the use of evidence and continuous learning. We do so by conducting research and evaluation and providing technical assistance in K-12 education, higher education, and adult education in both formal and informal settings in partnership with federal and state agencies, schools and school districts, community-based organizations, foundations and other research and non-profit organizations.

The primary project for this Senior Research Scientist is the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands. The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast and Islands translates research to practice in partnership with policymakers and practitioners in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Vermont.  The ten Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) around the United States work in partnership to conduct applied research and trainings with a mission of supporting a more evidence-based education system.

Essential Functions

The person in this position is expected to communicate clearly and courteously; to develop and maintain positive relationships with clients, consultants, collaborators, co-workers, field sites, and funders; and to work respectfully with EDC colleagues. The job requires adherence to EDC policies & procedures.

The Senior Research Scientist:

• Contributes substantially to the organization’s intellectual capital; has an established reputation as a leader in the field
• Guides the shaping of Applied Research projects on a large federal contract, specifically to maximize their ability to contribute to the attainment of partnership outcomes while also contributing to the broader research literature on the topic; is responsible for initiation and execution of projects of large scope & diversity, or may direct multiple complex projects
• Exercises leadership and advanced expertise in qualitative &/or quantitative research methods
• Oversees data collection & validation processes, ensuring quality & reliability; monitors project timelines, ensuring that teams will meet deliverable due dates on time
• Reviews documentation, synthesizes concepts and recommendations, writes/edits plans & complex materials; develops high-visibility presentations
• Contributes widely to conferences and peer-reviewed publications; develops original bodies of work
• Acts as Principal Investigator
• Investigates solutions to potential problems, resulting in products, programs, services or inventions
• Leads development efforts; participates in proposal & funding planning; conceptualizes or writes proposals or major sections of proposals
• Provides conceptual leadership to project teams including parameters for what can and cannot be done as applied research work as well as feedback on scope and content of projects to ensure alignment with attainment of short, medium and long term student outcomes   
• Obtains and maintains certification under the What Works Clearinghouse Group Design Standards 
• Develops positive relationships with professional or civic communities, government agencies, “stakeholders” or institutions, increasing network; builds strategic partnerships with other research organizations and university researchers
• Works with senior management and project staff on new concepts, products &/or programs
• Guides feedback exchanges; provides expertise to others
• Develops/oversees portfolio policies & procedures to ensure quality & compliance
• Oversees administrative and logistical coordination
• May travel nationally or internationally

Qualifications

This position requires educational achievement; excellent writing skills; demonstrable initiative, creativity, and flexibility; ability to work independently and effectively in groups; and strong interpersonal & organizational skills. Specific requirements:

Education:

• PhD or equivalent, preferred, with 5 – 8 years related experience, including 5+ years prior project management or program development experience, plus expert experience with computer applications (including databases), psychometric or statistical measurement techniques, and Internet research
• Master’s degree or equivalent combination of education & experience, with 10 – 13 years related experience (as above)

Skills:

• Ability to perform advanced, complex quantitative data analysis of large datasets and trends, utilizing multivariate statistical methods and/or experience in survey design and research and/or qualitative research and design and analysis
• Demonstrated excellent project management skills including the ability to manage large projects or multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize competing demands
• Extensive publication record
• Experience with business development
• Demonstrable leadership skills
• Certification as a reviewer under the What Works Clearinghouse Group Design Standards, required

Security Clearance Requirement:The funder of this project, US Department of Education, requires that any staff who may work with Student level data or have an in-school presence pass a security clearance from the US Government. Due to this requirement, US citizens only are eligible for consideration for this position.

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