Careers Job Description
General Description
BACKGROUND:
The City University of New York (CUNY) is the nation's leading urban public university, serving more than 540,000 students in degree, certificate, and continuing education programs at 24 colleges and institutions in New York City. The Office of the Senior University Dean for Academic Affairs (SUD) oversees a wide range of programs and initiatives within the University and in New York City, including adult literacy, service learning, early childhood professional development, workforce development, and continuing education programs. SUD also oversees a number of collaborative programs between the University and the New York City public schools, such as CUNY’s Early College Initiative (ECI) and College Now; additionally, the unit manages the CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP), Accelerated Study in Associates Program (ASAP), and CUNY Start.
The Office of Research, Evaluation, and Program Support (REPS) within SUD investigates issues of college access, college success, career-readiness, and educational equity among students and other populations in New York City. REPS, founded in 2012, partners with the above-mentioned programs, as well as external organizations, and provides evaluation services and data management support (http://www.cuny.edu/academics/evaluation/focus.html).
As an evaluator, REPS provides programs with implementation and impact studies, allowing the initiatives within the Office of Academic Affairs to develop, improve, and ultimately reach key project goals. REPS explores areas such as academic skills and achievement, college-readiness, developmental education policy, and workforce-preparedness. REPS uses rigorous methods to examine program performance, employing qualitative and quantitative social science research methods. In addition, REPS supports programs by providing the reporting tools and data management essential to ensure program efficacy. REPS regularly shares its findings with a variety of audiences, including program administrators, campus officials, and a national audience of educators, researchers, and policymakers (http://www.cuny.edu/academics/evaluation/library.html).
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The Office of the Senior University Dean for Academic Affairs is seeking to fill the position of Director of REPS, who will work under the supervision of the Director of Strategic Planning and Program Development. As part of CUNY’s evolving approach to confronting the challenges of higher education in New York City, the Office of Academic Affairs oversees a number of innovative and successful educational and workforce projects at the University. Within this environment, the Director will have the opportunity to lead a young research office tasked with evaluating new and existing educational and workforce development programs. REPS is uniquely situated to help partners measure their impact, refine their objectives, and tailor their implementation. The Director will play an important role within SUD, serving as a thought leader and collaborator with deans, directors, program staff, and the REPS team of researchers and data specialists.
The Director will oversee and mentor a growing team of researchers and data specialists. In addition to his/her role in guiding the research and evaluation agendas for programs within the Office of Academic Affairs, the Director of REPS will also have the opportunity to collaborate with internal and external researchers, conduct research, and disseminate findings widely, including for publication.
Other Duties
DUTIES INCLUDE:
Leadership/Administration
- Conceptualize and develop program reporting, research, and evaluation plans for the Office of the Senior University Dean of Academic Affairs’ programs (including, but not limited to, allocating staff and establishing project timelines);
- Collaborate with the deans and directors in the Senior University Dean's office as part of unit-wide initiatives;
- Develop annual REPS goals and oversee REPS strategic planning;
- With the SUD Budget Director, develop and manage a budget for REPS;
- Supervise and evaluate, with an Assistant Director and the Senior Manager for Database Administration, a team of more than twenty full- and part-time research analysts and data specialists.
Research
- Provide technical and methodological guidance to research analysts regarding quantitative and qualitative analyses utilizing a variety of data sets, databases, and statistical methods;
- Support REPS and program staff in writing grant and research proposals for programs and initiatives of the Office of the Senior University Dean for Academic Affairs;
- Develop research proposals aimed at increasing REPS’ and the University’s knowledge-base for understanding and improving student academic and workforce outcomes;
- Serve as the PI on research collaborations between the Office of the Senior University Dean for Academic Affairs and external organizations and/or researchers;
- Communicate research and evaluation findings to a local, state, and national audiences of educators, researchers, and policy makers.
Other
- Collaborate with the CUNY’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment;
- Support the Senior University Dean and the Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost as needed;
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's or Ph.D. in education or the social sciences, with at least six years of full-time experience working in an applied quantitative research setting;
- A minimum of four years of experience hiring, managing, and developing both experienced and new staff;
- Formal training in social science research methods and a strong understanding of basic statistical concepts;
- Demonstrated proficiency in the use of at least one statistical software package (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R, or SAS) to analyze and manipulate large datasets with complex structures;
- Strong understanding of program evaluation methods for education projects, including an understanding of the need to be responsive to requests for data;
- A proven ability to coordinate and see to completion multiple projects at a time;
- Ability to be flexible and work carefully and quickly to meet the demands of a busy program;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
- An interest in education, issues of access to and success in postsecondary education, workforce preparation, and post-degree professional pathways and outcomes.
SALARY: Competitive; commensurate with experience.
Applicants are required to submit a resume and cover letter. The cover letter should, at a minimum, answer the following questions: Why are you attracted to this position, given your skills and experience? What interests you about issues of access and education as they relate to this position, and to higher education in general? Applications without the required documents will not be considered.
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
Office of Research, Evaluation & Program
Full Time
Depends on Qualifications
Oct 10, 2018 (Or Until Filled)