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) within the CUNY’s Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) 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) is a comprehensive program evaluation unit situated within SUD. Working in many dimensions of public higher education, REPS conducts empirical research, and implementation and impact studies to provide partners with the knowledge and resources necessary to develop, improve, and ultimately reach key project goals. Central to REPS operations is a partnership with the Office of Data Management and Analytics (DM&A). REPS coordinates with DM&A on data collection and management protocols, business intelligence tools for reporting, and implementing complex, integrative applications. REPS evaluators employ rigorous qualitative and quantitative research methods, and approach their work with a focus on leveraging data integration to drive program improvement and inform critical decision-making (http://www.cuny.edu/academics/evaluation.html).
REPS investigates issues related to higher education and educational equity among students and residents of New York City. REPS projects are organized into three focus areas: College Readiness, College Access and Success, and Career Readiness and Workforce Development. In addition, REPS has developed a body of work on topic areas that intersect with these portfolios, including developmental education, adult and continuing education, STEM pathways, vulnerable populations, and equity.
REPS currently provides evaluation services to over 30 educational programs administered by CUNY’s Central Office, including CUNY Start, Early College Initiative (ECI), College Now, and the ASAP-CUNY Start Foster Care Initiative. We also partner with programs and researchers at CUNY campuses, as well as external organizations and institutions in New York City. The Unit is co-led by the Director for Research and Strategy and the Director for Research and Development.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Senior Research Analyst, who will report to the Assistant Director of REPS, will work primarily on evaluation and research projects pertaining to programs and initiatives in the areas of career success and adult and continuing education. The Senior Research Analyst will help to set the research agenda for this portfolio, drawing on knowledge of University priorities, the policy landscape, and published research. The Senior Research Analyst will design and manage program evaluations, applying quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct formative and summative evaluations with the ultimate goal of improving program and student outcomes. The Senior Research Analyst will lead, advise, and participate on project teams; manage all phases of evaluation projects; supervise research staff; and lead evaluation report writing and dissemination.
Other Duties
- Conduct and oversee evaluation projects—principally in the areas of career success and adult/continuing education—that apply qualitative and quantitative methods to assess programs and initiatives within SUD, drawing upon primary and secondary data, including administrative data housed at CUNY, the NYC Department of Education, and the US Department of Labor.
- Assist in setting the research agenda for the career success/adult and continuing education portfolio in collaboration with the Assistant Director of REPS and key stakeholders.
- Lead evaluations and perform major project tasks, including formulating research questions, writing evaluation plans and scopes of work, designing data collection and analytic plans, establishing and managing project timelines, and leading project deliverables.
- Contribute to office leadership, assisting with creative problem-solving, planning, exploring networking opportunities, and responding to RFPs as needed.
- Supervise research staff.
- Engage in collaborative relationships with program partners to facilitate evaluation projects (including collecting, processing, and managing student- and school-level data), and prepare and provide data to CUNY stakeholders upon request.
- Present evaluation findings and recommendations in briefings, reports, and presentations to lay and academic stakeholder audiences, such as program staff, senior university administrators, professional associations, and other external organizations; prepare manuscripts for publication in academic journals.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Required
- Minimum master’s degree in education, policy, sociology, economics, psychology, or related social science discipline; doctoral degree preferred.
- At least four years’ experience working in an applied quantitative research setting, including experience managing projects.
- Strong training and skills in all phases of formative and summative program evaluation.
- Strong training and skills in advanced quantitative research methods, with expertise in at least one of the following areas: survey methods, propensity score matching, survival analysis, multi-level modeling, difference in differences, regression discontinuity, or others.
- Experience with matching data sets and manipulating large amounts of data from multiple sources; proficiency with statistical software (STATA, R, and/or SPSS).
- Experience with qualitative research methods, including focus groups, interviews, document analysis, or others.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work flexibly, carefully, and quickly to meet competing demands.
- Ability to take initiative, work independently as well as on teams, and promote a collaborative work environment.
- Interest in issues of access to and success in postsecondary education.
Preferred
- Experience evaluating programs in higher education.
- Experience working with database tools, such as SQL and/or Oracle Discoverer.
- Experience with data visualization tools, such as Tableau.
SALARY: $72,000 - $78,000 commensurate with experience.
To apply: Applicants must submit a cover letter and résumé for consideration. Please include your first and last name on all attachments. Applications may only be submitted at https://www.rfcuny.org/careers. You may email questions to nathaniel.barr@cuny.edu.
We are committed to enhancing our diverse academic community by actively encouraging people with disabilities, minorities, veterans, and women to apply. We take pride in our pluralistic community and continue to seek excellence through diversity and inclusion. EO/AA Employer.
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, & Progra
Full Time
$72,000.00 - $78,000.00
Oct 10, 2018 (Or Until Filled)