Associate Director for Applied Research and Evaluation, DCA - Operations, Research, & Advancement

Duke University - Durham, NC

Full-time - Mid Level

Durham, NC

Educational Services

About the position

The Associate Director for Applied Research and Evaluation at Duke University is a pivotal role within the Office of Durham and Community Affairs (DCA). This position is responsible for the development and implementation of an applied research agenda that aligns with the Strategic Community Impact Plan (SCIP) across five key focus areas: Housing, Education, Employment, Health, and Community. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with various units within DCA, as well as with university, health system, and community partners, to ensure that research efforts are effectively integrated and disseminated. In this role, the Associate Director will oversee major quantitative and qualitative research projects, managing them from inception through to publication and dissemination. This includes supervising a team of research assistants and interns, ensuring that all research activities are conducted with rigor and integrity. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in applied research methodologies, particularly in mixed methods approaches, and will have experience leading complex research initiatives. The Associate Director will also be responsible for preparing research briefs, reports, and grant proposals, as well as responding to requests for research-based information. Building trusted relationships with community partners and stakeholders is essential, as is the ability to communicate research findings effectively to diverse audiences. The position may also involve providing training and technical assistance to internal and external partners, further emphasizing the collaborative nature of this role.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an overarching vision for an applied research and evaluation agenda for the team aligning with the SCIP and mission of the office.
• Supervise and coordinate major quantitative and qualitative applied research and evaluation of grants and projects, from inception to dissemination of knowledge on the digital data platform.
• Supervise and mentor the research team consisting of full-time and bi-weekly staff and student interns.
• Design, manage, and execute large multi-phase research projects across the SCIP focus areas and relevant to DCA's mission in collaboration with DCA units, and campus and community partners.
• Complete and interpret quantitative and statistical analyses on archival data sets.
• Collaborate with the Program Director for Partnerships and Technical Operations to develop evaluation frameworks, methodologies, and data collection tools, especially for the digital data platform.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director for Advancement to develop evaluation metrics and reporting processes for community grants and sponsorships.
• Build trusted relationships with campus and community partners and stakeholders by providing high-quality research support.
• Prepare research and evaluation reports summarizing key findings, conclusions, recommendations, and best practices.
• Share knowledge and understandings of community assets and community-identified needs.
• Provide training and technical assistance to internal staff, campus partners, and community partners.
• File and manage IRB applications.
• Present and publish research findings on the digital data platform and to other internal and external audiences.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree in a relevant field such as computer science, economics, public health, neuroscience, political science, psychology, statistics, sociology, criminal justice, or public policy.
• At least four years of relevant experience in research/data analysis or a related position, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Deep knowledge of quantitative research methods and statistical methods including R or equivalent program/language (like Stata, SAS, ArcGIS, or Python).
• Experience documenting and organizing code to facilitate reproducibility.
• Strong knowledge of social science research methods, including survey methods, and other quantitative research methods.
• Proven record of primary responsibility for managing and authoring major quantitative research reports and publications.
• Experience supervising and mentoring a research team.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, strong presentation skills, and a strong desire to work in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with graphic/visualization programs.
• Familiarity with more than one statistical method.
• Knowledge of ethical considerations in community-engaged research.
• Cultural competency and respect for diverse communities.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• 401k
• Flexible scheduling
• Professional development opportunities
• Paid holidays
• Tuition reimbursement
• Wellness programs