Research Director - Abingdon, Virginia, , United States

Purpose of the position · Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Programs, the Research Director is responsible for leading and aligning the gathering, management, and architecture of all data for EO's portfolio of projects and initiatives.  The Director researches and pres ...

Job description

Purpose of the position

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Programs, the Research Director is responsible for leading and aligning the gathering, management, and architecture of all data for EO's portfolio of projects and initiatives.  The Director researches and presents data that contribute to the organization's mission, vision, goals, and objectives in the strategic plan.  The Director is responsible for developing monitoring and evaluation tools and processes to measure, track and report on community outcomes utilizing comprehensive community data and other information resources. 

The Director will collaborate with community stakeholders to build specific partnerships for long-term results, setting priorities through facilitated discussions, and examination of education, health, and economic data.  The Director is responsible for translating data and leading evaluation efforts into actionable metrics and sharing findings/learnings with both internal and external audiences.  The Director will work closely with program staff to access and analyze data in support of program objectives.

Essential functions

• Develop and implement methods to monitor, evaluate, and improve program performance, with a focus on outcomes at the programmatic and community levels.
• Design and conduct quantitative and qualitative research using advanced methodologies, including surveys, statistical analysis, and evaluation frameworks.
• Lead the collection, preparation, validation, and analysis of data from multiple internal, external, community, regional, and publicly available sources.
• Create clear, actionable reports, dashboards, and data visualizations that summarize key findings and support decision-making.
• Serve as an organizational expert on research methodologies, data visualization, and business intelligence tools.
• Document data, research, and evaluation processes, policies, and procedures, and cross-train staff to ensure continuity and backup.
• Collaborate with the VP and AVP of Programs to develop a comprehensive research agenda and ensure organizational research needs are met efficiently.
• Drive strategy and execution for data collection, evaluation, and analytics efforts, ensuring processes are streamlined and optimized.
• Measure, track, and report community outcomes aligned with the organization's strategic goals, and support ongoing community input and feedback.
• Collaborate with EO staff, community partners, and independent researchers to develop logic models, evaluation plans, and other strategic tools.
• Design and lead research requests and special studies as needed.
• Develop and manage relationships with institutional partners to support shared learning and joint research and evaluation initiatives.
• Facilitate and manage data-sharing agreements with third parties to expand access to relevant data and analytical support.
• Coordinate with MarCom to create and maintain standard and custom reports, and train program staff to develop regional- and site-level reports.
• Contribute to grant proposals, reports, and fundraising efforts by providing evaluation content, program performance analysis, and relevant population-level context.
• Supervise the Research Specialist and the Research Coordinator.

Competencies

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to listen carefully and interpret what is being said
• Experience handling multiple assignments at the same time
• Enjoy working independently and as part of a team
• Ability to solve problems quickly and effectively
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work with ambiguity and under tight schedules
• Exhibit a positive attitude
• Exhibit a professional manner and appearance
• Strong organization, time management, accuracy, and productivity/prioritization skills
• High level of trust, integrity, and ethics
• Strong commitment to maintaining integrity and confidentiality of information
• Advanced understanding and experience in a variety of computer applications, including use of the internet, SaaS products, Microsoft Office products, etc.
• Working knowledge of office equipment (computers, printers, copiers, conference phones)
• Working knowledge of online remote work technologies
• Ability to participate effectively and contribute meaningfully to meetings
• Ability to work with HR to recruit, hire, onboard, and train employees
• Proven ability to provide senior-level employees with actionable feedback via 1:1 meetings or performance evaluations
• Ability to align team goals with the larger company vision through team meetings and status updates
• Ability to effectively delegate work
• Proven ability to produce results by collaborating effectively
• Proven ability to manage administrative project budgets, update metrics, and manage projects effectively
• Ability to document role or project-specific processes
• Ability to link project goals and objectives to company-wide objectives
• Ability to monitor and update Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to evaluate project health and effectiveness
• Proven skills in coaching, delegation, and accountability
• A deep alignment with EO's mission to build thriving communities through education, workforce innovation, and wellness

Work environment 

 This position is based in the Abingdon, Virginia office. Local travel is required regularly and some out-of-town overnight stays.

Physical demands 

 While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Position type and expected hours of work 

Employee should be able to work core hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and be able to attend frequent meetings and events outside of core hours.

Travel required 

The ideal candidate will reside in the EO service area and be available to attend early morning, evening, and/or weekend meetings and should be able to travel independently throughout Southwest Virginia.  

Certificates, Licenses, and Registration

• Valid driver's license and automobile insurance
• Reliable high-speed home internet access

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree from accredited four-year college or university
• Relevant education, training and certifications in measurement, program evaluation, statistics and data analytics in the areas of human service, education and/or community health
• Three to five years' experience designing and/or conducting evaluations of programs and interventions at different stages of development in the field of childcare or education and career pathways
• Expert level proficiency in Excel, analytical and data visualization software (e.g., Clear Impact, Tableau, Alteryx, etc.)
• Experience using survey and interview instruments, Survey Monkey

Preferred Education and Experience

• Master's degree in economics, statistics or related fields
• Experience facilitating data-informed continuous improvement
• Mastery of all facets of the research cycle from study design to instrument construction to data analysis and insight generation
• Advanced analytical and statistical techniques to include multivariate analyses, predictive analytics, and modeling

Affirmative Action/EEO statement 

EO is an equal employment opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered for vacancies without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age, or status as a veteran or other category protected under applicable state or municipal law. EO will reasonably accommodate the disabilities of qualified applicants to permit them to perform the essential functions of the subject position.

Other duties 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.