Associate Director of Research Development

Syracuse University • Syracuse, NY

52d

About The Position

The Associate Director of Research Development at the Maxwell X Lab will primarily focus on developing research projects with academic, government, and nonprofit partners and pursuing support for this research. The Associate Director will assess the feasibility of potential projects and is responsible for funding X Lab projects through grant writing, consulting contracts, and the strategic use of internal funds. Reporting to the Managing Director, this role oversees all development efforts, including federal, state, and local agencies, multilaterals, and philanthropy, and identifying opportunities for the X Lab to secure external and internal funding. The Associate Director will collaborate with the Maxwell School's Associate Dean of Research, in addition to SU faculty, to advance the X Lab's research priorities. The Associate Director will also support in the creation of research plans and execute them in partnership with the Managing Director and Director. The Associate Director will supervise X Lab research staff and students and manage X Lab communications and marketing. They will lead on project deliverables including policy briefs and web publications. They will also collaborate with the Managing Director and Director on academic journal publications.

Requirements

• PhD in economics, behavioral economics, behavioral public policy, public policy, or public administration.
• Strong working knowledge of program evaluation with experience conducting natural experiments and randomized controlled trials.
• Experience with proposal development, coordination, and execution for grants.
• Knowledge of research funding mechanisms, cycles, compliance, and best practices in collaborative research.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative with good judgment about when to seek direction.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to express ideas clearly and concisely both verbally and in writing.
• Experience with and enthusiasm for working with people with a wide array of backgrounds, identities, life experiences, and communication styles.

Nice To Haves

• Preference for applicants with some success publishing in economics, public policy, or behavioral science journals.

Responsibilities

• Foster and develop working relationships with potential research partners in the academic, government, or nonprofit sectors to generate program interventions and/or program evaluation projects.
• Write successful grant proposals or concept notes to support and secure these projects.
• Create a strategic funding plan that includes developing relationships with program offices at funding agencies and foundations as well as expanding the X Lab network across organizations. This includes a multi-year strategy, collaborations with various individuals on campus including identifying faculty expertise and working with central positions focused on foundation relations. This also requires working knowledge of the creation of proposal budgets and the ability to strategically identify the best possible projects based on the specific funding opportunity.
• Support the research design and development of behavioral interventions and evaluation projects with clients. This includes but is not limited to regular in person, virtual, and electronic meetings and communications. Independently preparing review and progress documentation.
• Anticipating potential project issues and troubleshooting in advance and within the original scope and timeline of the project.
• Co-write academic journal articles and client reports based on project outcomes. This also includes preparing any necessary grant post-award documentation and reporting as outlined by the funder.
• Mentor and manage research support staff and students.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree