Careers Job Description
General Description
The National Center for Child Welfare Excellence, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College through a partnership with the New York City Administration for Children Services (ACS) develops, implements, and evaluates transfer of learning strategies for the ACS Office of Training and Workforce Development. The office supports state-of-the-art professional development institute that strengthens skills and provides support to child welfare and juvenile justice frontline staff as they strengthen and support New York City’s families and children. https://www.nycacstraining.org
Through a Memorandum of Agreement with the City University of New York (CUNY), the ACS Office of Training and Workforce Development offers professional learning initiatives that move beyond the classroom to enhance skill development for new and seasoned ACS and provider agency staff. Through the Silberman School of Social Work and ACS partnership, the Senior Research Associate will join a dynamic team responsible for implementing and evaluating the Supporting Knowledge into Practice (SKIP) Initiative.
The Senior Research Associate will work closely with an Evaluation Team and other leaders in the ACS Division of Policy, Planning, and Measurement to manage and analyze data generated from 10,000 participants annually through multiple surveys powered by Qualtrics. Personnel, learning management, and survey data are merged to understand the relative impact of individual characteristics, organizational characteristics, and reinforcement strategies on the transfer of learning of coaching skills by Supervisors and Managers and strengths-based engagement, assessment, and interpersonal helping skills by caseworkers and case planners. Participants are followed over time to assess the degree to which competent and consistent skills are applied to improve the overall quality of services provided by the public and private child welfare system in New York City.
The ACS Evaluation team uses the Kirkpatrick model of evaluating training efficacy to measure four levels: (1) reactions; (2) learning; (3) transfer; and (4) organizational outcomes. The evaluation team produces real time reports and dashboards so that results inform ongoing program development and quality improvement.
Other Duties
The Senior Research Associate will join a team of CUNY colleagues working collaboratively with key stakeholders in the ACS Division of Child Protection, Division of Youth and Family Justice, the Division of Policy, Planning, and Measurement, and Private Providers that implement foster care and preventive services to manage, analyze, and report on data from complex data systems. The primary responsibility of this position is to design and implement evaluation strategies to understand impact and outcomes.
Responsibilities of this position include:
- Building and implementing logic models that link learning and transfer of learning strategies with assessment of competencies and practice outcomes.
- Developing mixed methods data collection instruments and protocols using research best practices
- Conceptualizing best approaches for assessing fidelity of learning strategies with participant competency in core skills.
- Working with other entities in the ACS Office of Policy Planning and Measurement to link child, youth, and family level outcomes to learning program participant data.
- Maintaining detailed documentation on all data management processes and decisions
- Conducting research reviews of studies of transfer of learning and using results to refine the evaluation of transfer of learning through SKIP initiatives.
- Preparing and collaborating on reports, manuscripts, and presentations for diverse stakeholders
- Overseeing data collection and analysis efforts to support data driven decision making.
- Liaising with internal and external leadership to proactively trouble shoot barriers to evaluation.
- Public speaking, as needed, regarding the evaluation activities and results.
- Attending meetings with CUNY and ACS leadership, as required and necessary to fulfill the functions of this position.
Qualifications
- MSW
- Course work toward a PhD in Social Work/Welfare is desired.
- At least five years of experience leading data management and data analysis and/or quality assurance in an applied setting.
- At least five years of experience in child welfare organizations and/or juvenile justice settings.
- Expertise in strategies for evaluating learning/training.
- Sensitivity and experience working with diverse cultural and linguistic populations
- Excellent time management and organizational skills
- High degree of flexibility and maturity to work in an innovative, fast-paced environment and to readily embrace change
- An exceptional commitment to accuracy and attention to detail
- Ability to work on a team, as well as independently
- High degree of flexibility and maturity to work in an innovative, fast-paced environment, and to readily embrace change
- Strong written and oral communication skills and ability to effectively convey complex and data-related concepts to a variety of technical and non-technical audiences
- Ability to travel between program locations in NYC to observe, collect data, and support team members
- Experience with data visualization using dashboards and developing infographics is a plus.
- Expertise in evaluating unique learning experiences such as live simulations with actors or virtual reality experiences is a plus, but not required.
Hours: 35 hours/week (daily schedule 9am-5pm, with some occasional evening hours required)
*This position is funded by a city grant program which mandates that all employees are vaccinated against COVID-19*
Applicants are asked to submit a cover letter that details how your qualifications match this position description along with a resume, and contact information for three references.
RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and AccrualsAbout the Research Foundation
The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.
RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Key Features
Silberman School of Social Work
Full Time
$90,000.00 - $105,000.00
Aug 25, 2022 (Or Until Filled)