Senior Research Associate

The Equity in Action Way Foundation in partnership with Research in Action announces a new Senior Research Associate position. 

The Equity in Action Way Foundation invests in actionable research, authentic community engagement, and community-led solutions for social transformation across the intersections of housing stability, health equity, and criminal justice.

Research in Action is a Black female-led, multi-racial and gender-diverse social benefit corporation created to reclaim the power of research by centering community expertise and driving actionable solutions for racial justice. Using our Equity in Action model, we elevate community members as project leaders and support them in using their expertise to describe the problem, design the process to understand it and develop and use tools to gather information that gives them the insight to solve the problem — while also growing their power to create change in their communities beyond the project.

Vision for New Role:

Research in Action is at a pivot point in its growth as an organization. We seek a mid-career professional who has honed their research expertise, supported and managed multiple teams, and has stellar communication and self-awareness skills to help hold space for tough dialogues with the community leaders and our impact partners our projects support. We seek someone ready to lead and steward the organization to the next level alongside CEO Dr. Brittany Lewis.

Your Role as the Senior Research Associate:

The Senior Research Associate oversees and manages 4-5 research projects simultaneously, providing leadership and guidance to project teams working closely with project leads, support team members, and the data research manager team. Responsibilities include overseeing project scopes, supervising research activities, leading community councils and partner meetings, guiding the application of equitable methods alongside project teams, and mentoring junior and entry-level research staff as you collaboratively finalize written research products. We are particularly interested in those with a background in evaluation methods, mixed methods, and commitment to in-depth community-engaged approaches. In a management role, the Senior Researcher is the direct supervisor of various project teams and oversees the HR Manager in the recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and professional development of research staff. In this capacity, this manager will work closely with the CEO and will act on the CEO’s behalf when they are absent.

Responsibilities:

1. Manage 4-5 research projects concurrently, working with Project Teams to oversee scopes, budgets, timelines, and deliverables;

2. Provide subject matter expertise and thought leadership to inform project research design, the building of research tools, lead data collection, analysis, and reporting;

3. Lead project teams in presenting research findings to community partners and stakeholders and codesigning research tools;

4. Guide project teams in the appropriate application of equitable and inclusive research methods;

5. Mentor and develop junior and entry-level research staff in research methods, analysis, and project leadership skills;

6. Directly supervise and manage the HR Manager role;

7. Monitor project risks and issues, guiding mitigation strategies in partner with the CEO when applicable;

8. Promote a collaborative work environment on project teams;

9. Uphold the Research in Action accountability protocol and emerging methods framework;

10. Contribute to RIAs current methodological philosophy and expand our current evaluation approach.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in social sciences or related field or a Master’s Degree with 6+ experience managing complex research projects

• 6+ years experience designing and leading complex research projects with experience in evaluation

• Expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods

• Excellent project, people, and partner management skills

• Strong communicator, presenter, and mentor

• Passion and experience with community-engaged, equitable research

• Comfortable managing within a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Preferred:

• 1+ year of supervisory experience.

  
  

  To Apply:

  • A copy of a completed research paper, published

  • Resume

  • Cover Letter

  • 2 Letters of Recommendation from previous employers/supervisors that can speak specifically to the skills and requirements for this position

  • 1 Letter from a personal reference

  
  

  Start Date:

  Monday, May 20, 2024

  
  

  Send inquiries to:

  HR Manager, Suleiman Adan

  suleimanadan@researchinaction.com

  
  

  Submit Applications Here: https://form.asana.com/?k=Wbu6kzmkzqOKNaIDsz3_Kw&d=1201873749931779