Correlation Research Division: Associate Director Position

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints•Salt Lake, UT

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of the Correlation Research Division (CRD) supports the Director of Correlation Research in representing and administering the charter, commission, and priorities set forth by the Correlation Executive Committee (CEC) of the Church. The CEC's charter and commission are to provide independent research so that Church programs, products, and initiatives are designed and implemented to meet the needs of members and nonmembers. This role is responsible for research review and oversight, including providing timely, relevant, and reliable information to General Authorities and Church Administrators, coordinating all contact with the field for research purposes, conducting regular assessments of Church programs, initiatives, and products, and conducting or managing all product outcome research and all types of research under CEC guidelines. Associate Directors split their time among four major responsibilities: strategic planning and operations improvement, people management and development, research portfolio management, and partner communication and coordination.

Requirements

Master's degree or PhD and/or equivalent years' experience in the social sciences, economics, business or related fields
Eight or more years of professional experience in applied research or closely related field with extensive experience in managing internal and external research teams.
Capacity to think strategically (and conceptually) about problems and issues and work through, select, and implement solutions that align with the organizations mission and vision and supports leadership priorities.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities and conditions, demonstrate a degree of comfort with rapidly changing ambiguous contexts and an ability to craft a clear path forward in these environments, and to effectively address challenges that may arise.
Proven ability to lead and manage teams of researchers with diverse backgrounds, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment and motivating and encouraging team members to contribute to innovative approaches to accomplishing and sharing research.
Experience in managing research processes and ensuring the efficient allocation of resources for the successful completion of research projects.
Skilled in building and maintaining strong trusting relationships, quickly establishing credibility and rapport with wide array of partners and stakeholders, and working closely with and mobilizing people at all levels towards collaborative goals.
Adept at mentoring and nurturing the professional growth of research team members, guiding them in their career development, and enhancing their skills and expertise.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively present research findings and provide insightful analysis to diverse audiences.
Demonstrated expertise in designing, conducting, and analyzing complex qualitative and quantitative research projects and providing constructive consultation on research needs and application of research.
Must reside in Utah.

Responsibilities

Participate in leadership council which reviews, approves, and oversees all strategic, operational, and administrative activities of the division.
Propose short and long-term strategic plans for accomplishing the charter and commission of the Research division and the priorities of the CEC.
Manage the prioritization and implementation of the strategic plan and key strategic initiatives by developing detailed implementation and risk mitigation plans and policies, supporting execution, and monitoring adherence.
Develop communication strategies to ensure awareness and understanding of policies, guidelines, and process improvement plans at every level of the division.
Track and report (through reports and dashboards) the progress for all strategic initiatives for the purposes of accountability, evaluation, and continuous improvement of the work of the division.
Build the capacity of staff by working with managers to develop and implement a system to evaluate and address the skills, experiences, and professional development needs of team members.
Ensure and promote succession planning.
Foster a dynamic learning environment that integrates partner and team feedback to support continuous improvement, collaboration, experimentation, agility, inquiry, and accountability.
Define direction for team members, including modeling and applying the leadership pattern, communicating team goals, emphasizing the organizations mission, vision, and guiding principles, and ensuring that the team is collectively focused on the most important issues.
Coordinate with other associate directors around staffing changes, recruitment, hiring, training, and orientation, and other people management issues of all division staff.
Provide guidance and prioritization of work, ensure teams are working together productively, help teams effectively address challenges that come up, and find ways to monitor and improve the overall quality of the research and information provided by the team.
Hold teams accountable for the cost, timeliness, relevance, and reliability of the research and that projects are completed in a way that conforms with current policies and guidelines, identifying opportunities for improvement.
Develop and manage research budget for research portfolio.
Provide expert consultation to general authorities, councils, committees, departments to facilitate a global strategy for initiatives and products.
Facilitate regular data sharing and opportunities to understand the role of research across the organization.