Associate Policy Scientist

University of Delaware•Newark, NJ

About The Position

The Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration provides undergraduate and graduate education, research, and public service across the broad fields of public policy and administration and contributes to a range of interdisciplinary areas at UD. Named in honor of the 46th President of the United States and UD alumnus Joe Biden, the Biden School supports a full body of faculty, staff, and students in research, student support services, and finance and administration. The Biden School also hosts six institutes and research centers, including the Biden Institute, Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research, Center for Community Research and Service, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, Center for Historic Architecture and Design, and the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). We are a place where passion becomes profession and tangible impact is core to our mission. The Institute for Public Administration (IPA) is a research center that addresses the policy, planning, and management needs of its partners through the integration of applied research, professional development, and the education of tomorrow’s leaders. The Delaware Center for Civics Education (DCCE), housed within IPA, supports statewide efforts to strengthen civic learning, disciplinary literacy, and evidence‑based instructional practice. Its prime mission is to advance civics teaching and learning in Delaware. As a core partner in the Literacy for We the People (LWTP) initiative, DCCE advances high‑quality civics, history, and literacy-integrated instruction for Delaware educators and students. The Associate Policy Scientist’s (APS) primary responsibility will be the development, implementation, research translation, and scaling of this multi‑year statewide and multistate project. Under the limited direction of the Assistant Director of the Delaware Center for Civics Education, the APS will serve as a project lead and content expert on the LWTP civics/history education, literacy‑integrated instruction, and educator professional learning. The position will lead collaborative design work, manage significant components of project delivery, and manage project teams, consistent with the expectations for an Associate Policy Scientist. The incumbent will be a staff member within IPA’s Delaware Center for Civics Education and will work closely with the other staff members and student fellows to support the Center’s work.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with at least six years of experience, Master’s Degree with at least four years of experience, or Doctoral Degree with at least one year of experience. Experience must consist of job-related work in public policy, social studies education, civics/history education, literacy, or a closely related field.
Minimum of six years of experience, including at least three years of K-12 classroom teaching of civics/social studies, that includes successfully planning and delivering civics/social studies professional learning to K-12 audiences; working collaboratively with schools, districts, and departments of education to develop teaching and learning resources, including lessons, curriculum, and assessments.
Experience working with state social studies standards to align with curriculum, assessments, and instruction. An understanding of Delaware’s civics and history standards is preferred.
Experience with managing job or grant-related budgets.
Demonstrated leadership in the field of social studies and familiarity with the literature around civics/social studies education.
Strong skills in project management, policy analysis, applied research, and proposal/grant implementation.
Ability to work and manage independently, but also effectively in a team setting within a diverse university community.
Experience, familiarity, comfort, and willingness to develop new skills with technology that advances teaching and learning as well as the goals of DCCE.
Must possess strong problem-solving, interpersonal and written/oral communication skills; the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail; and respect among peers within the field.

Nice To Haves

Experience with the Center for Civics Education’s We the People program is preferred.
An understanding of Delaware’s civics and history standards is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a project lead for major components of the Literacy for We the People grant initiative, including the design, development, implementation, and refinement of literacy‑integrated civics curricular resources and professional learning.
Lead the grant’s cross-partner collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, Center for Civic Education, and Civics Education Research Lab at Georgetown University to translate research findings into practical tools, including educator toolkits, model lessons, instructional crosswalks, and teacher support materials.
Collect and use feedback from teachers, mentors, and evaluators to revise curriculum and professional development practices.
Co-develop and refine the LWTP educator toolkit, including lesson materials, literacy scaffolds, writing supports, vocabulary resources, and assessment tools.
Update DCCE’s existing model civics and history lessons to embed additional science‑of‑reading‑aligned practices, aligning them to state civics and literacy standards.
Produce grant-related reports and publications such as briefs, infographics, curriculum materials, and online resources for use by Delaware teachers and national partners.
Manage LWTP project teams, including support staff, graduate students, mentor teachers, and teacher participants, working collaboratively with LWTP’s partner organizations.
Coordinate statewide teacher recruitment, communications, scheduling, and logistics for institutes, regional showcase events, and simulated congressional hearings.
Maintain strong relationships with partner organizations, districts, and schools to ensure high-quality implementation across sites.
Present grant-funded content and research at state, regional, and national conferences, public events, and professional associations.
Support organization of statewide simulated congressional hearings and state/regional showcase events.
Contribute to planning and running the LWTP national dissemination conference and help coordinate nationwide access to project resources.
Coordinate, plan, develop and facilitate LWTP related training, workshops, professional meetings for audiences at various levels (e.g., school, district, state, regional, national).
Potential opportunities to support courses taught by DCCE staff and represent DCCE in professional organizations.
Other job-related duties as assigned.