Vice President, Program Impact, Evaluation & Research (Remote)

Points of Light inspires, equips, and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and businesses, Points of Light engages 3.7 million volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. For more information, visit pointsoflight.org.

Salary Range: $110,000.00 to $120,000.00 annually

Reports to: Chief Program & Impact Officer

Department: Program & Impact

Location:Remote in either eastern or central time zone

Position Summary:
As we approach our 35th anniversary, Points of Light’s programs are poised for both deeper and more focused impact. The Vice President (VP), Program Impact, Evaluation & Research will design and execute evaluation strategies and a research agenda that clearly demonstrate the impact of our programs, enable data-driven decision-making and build the global evidence base regarding the impact of volunteerism and civic engagement on volunteers, communities and society.

Points of Light’s program portfolio includes:

• Programs that build the capacity and effectiveness of NGOs and their leaders, such as the Global Affiliate Network and the Daily Point of Light Award;
• Programs that advance corporate social impact, such as corporate activation and consulting, Corporate Service Council, The Civic 50;
• Convenings, research and insights that inspire and equip people around the globe to build connections and strengthen communities, such as the Points of Light Conference, the Global Summit on Social Impact and global research reports.

In collaboration with the Chief Program & Impact Officer, the VP will re-establish Points of Light’s evaluation function in alignment with the organization’s strategic priorities, which include deepening our global impact, growing philanthropic funding opportunities and better telling our impact story. As the team’s expert on program evaluation, the VP will establish and provide leadership for Points of Light’s comprehensive impact measurement philosophy and framework and serve as an essential part of the team seeking investments for expansion of the research and evaluation function. The VP will partner with leaders to establish evaluation priorities, identify relevant program evaluation frameworks and develop and lead the approach to collecting, analyzing and reporting on the impact of our wide variety of programs.

As this work grows and funding becomes available, the VP may manage additional members of a Program Impact, evaluation and research team and/or external consultants or research partners.

Position Functions and Responsibilities:

Program Impact & Evaluation

• Partner with fellow senior leaders to establish clear evaluation priorities for all program areas that align with Points of Light’s theory of change.
• Lead development of a multi-year, enterprise-wide plan to collect, integrate, analyze and visualize Program Impact data for a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Co-create Points of Light’s global thought leadership agenda.
• Serve as a key resource for the development team, contributing to proposal development and participating in fundraising and stewardship activities that support impact, evaluation and research priorities.
• Establish comprehensive data collection standards, policies, procedures, and training to support efficient, accurate and timely data tracking and to ensure data quality and integrity.
• Create, roll out, and maintain a data collection approach for all programs.
• Design annual Global Network Affiliate data reporting process, lead analysis and implement strategies for communicating results to affiliates as needed.
• Stay current on program evaluation methodologies, trends and tools.

Research

• Collaborate with external stakeholders (i.e. Academic institutions, other nonprofits, Fortune 500 companies) on a global scale to design and implement a multi-year research agenda and publish original research that advances sector knowledge and strengthens the evidence base for volunteerism and service programs.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with relevant research staff in external partner organizations and academic institutions and learn about related research in the pipeline.
• Represent Points of Light in the social science research community in the US and worldwide.

Internal Systems & Capabilities

• Grow Points of Light’s capabilities for evidence-based reporting to strengthen fundraising performance and storytelling opportunities.
• Design and manage multi-site/year/model evaluation and develop high-impact results reports for each.
• Recommend and build out systems and structures to enable effective data collection, analysis and impact reporting.
• Foster adoption of a learning culture that leverages staff interest in evidence-based practices and grows staff capacity to gather, use and share data to inform planning, assessment, accountability, and continuous improvement in program delivery.
• Lead data collection training and capacity building for staff as needed.
• Collaborate with leaders from across the enterprise, including marketing and communications and development to craft and share our impact story.
• Understand the legal and compliance requirements tied to data privacy and develop operating protocols to ensure that data collection and analysis activities are privacy compliant.
• Provide coaching and management for external consultants or evaluators and direct reports as the team grows.

Core Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

The VP must be passionate about Points of Light’s mission and demonstrate proven leadership, program evaluation, research and technical skills.

• Proven ability to effectively toggle between deep and complex quantitative analysis and the translation of that analysis into clear and simple terms for a wide variety of internal and external audiences.
• Experience collecting and making meaning from both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Uncompromising commitment to the highest ethical standards of the program evaluation and research communities.
• Ability to create impactful reports and presentations that are geared towards making strategic decisions based on the collected data.
• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit who embraces diversity and collaboration, thrives in a fast-paced environment and successfully meets aggressive growth goals.
• Solution-oriented with outstanding problem-solving skills.
• Excellent project management skills including developing organizational consensus, work planning, and executing projects.
• Experience building and managing budgets.
• Content expertise in volunteerism and civic engagement is a plus.

Requirements

• Minimum of 8-10 years of relevant leadership experience in nonprofit program assessment, evaluation or research.
• Experience designing and executing quantitative and qualitative research in a nonprofit organization, think tank or education, tech or research firm.
• PhD in a relevant field (social sciences) preferred.
• Experience producing well-sourced and timely research.
• Expert command of research methodologies and research design.
• Strong writing, editing and oral presentation skills with the ability to effectively present complex findings to diverse audiences and respond to questions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams – both direct reports and project teams – and motivate and develop employees.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Salesforce, program management software (Asana) and data analytics/visualization tools.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures and perspectives.
• A commitment to promoting equity in all aspects of the workplace, including hiring, promotions and project assignments.
• Successful track record of seeking funding for measurement, evaluation, impact of research a plus.
• Published research in a field relevant to volunteerism and service a plus.
• Able to occasionally travel overnight and/or internationally (estimated 10-15%).

Culture and Values: Points of Light has a 30+ year history that it seeks to honor, while looking toward the future as an innovative thought leader in the social sector. We have a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Our organization values innovation, dedication, teamwork and respect. We enjoy thinking big, but also working hard to deliver our best work. Our team is solution-oriented, looking for someone who is always ready to deliver on ways to solve challenges, internally and with external partners.

What We Offer: Competitive compensation and excellent benefits including a robust PTO program: 18 days of PTO, 13 holidays, and 1 floating holiday; plus, we are closed December 25-January 1. Medical, dental and vision benefits, free life insurance, long-term and short-term disability, a 403b program with employer match, and 1 day of volunteer time off per month.

Points of Light is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace.