Deputy Director, Strategic Learning & Evaluations

Communities Foundation of Texas•University Park, TX

About The Position

The Strategic Learning and Evaluation Deputy Director is a strategic leader responsible for driving the development, implementation, and management of both a comprehensive and program-specific learning and evaluation framework at the Communities Foundation of Texas, with a focus on the Philanthropy and Educate Texas teams. A critical component of the Deputy Director’s responsibility will be to elevate the thought leadership of the organization through visually compelling and accessible white papers, data visualizations, and presentations that start conversations about what teams are learning and achieving. This role reports to the Chief Strategy and Insights Officer. This position designs and executes evaluations of programs and/or system change efforts. The Deputy Director must be skilled at helping leaders develop logic models, identify the right level of evaluation, and use the results to drive social impact. They are subject matter experts whose knowledge base should extend beyond monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities to some of the content areas that CFT works within, which are education, health, public safety, housing, and economic development. They must be an empathetic and accessible leader who champions user-centered evaluation practices and has a commitment to the places in Texas where CFT has made significant investments.

Requirements

Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field (e.g., Public Administration, Social Sciences, Evaluation or related discipline) or equivalent professional experience.
At least 8 years of experience in learning, evaluation, research or related roles, with at least 5 years in a leadership or management position.
Strong experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including data collection, analysis, data visualization and storytelling.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to distill complex data into actionable insights.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present findings in an accessible and engaging manner.
Proficiency with data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, SPSS, R, Tableau, etc.) and survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics).
Strong project management skills, with the ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
Ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders, including staff, grantees, funders and community leaders.
Strong commitment to the mission of the Communities Foundation of Texas and social impact.
Collaborative, flexible and adaptable, with the ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Effectively model and demonstrate CFT’s core competencies which include Collaboration, Impact and Problem Solving, Integrity and Accountability, Learning, and Internal and External Service.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the nonprofit or philanthropic sector is highly preferred, with a solid understanding of grantmaking, community development and impact evaluation.

Responsibilities

Build a learning and evaluation agenda and set of metrics aligned to the organization’s strategic goals. Effectively procure and manage research and evaluation consultants, as necessary, to amplify the foundation’s internal capacity to execute learning tasks and produce deliverables that inform the board and field, under the direction of the Chief Strategy and Insights Officer,
Communicate key findings effectively to various audiences in a manner that builds the social sector and drives strategy.
Oversee the design and implementation of data collection methods, including surveys, interviews, focus groups and case studies.
Use both quantitative and qualitative research methods to evaluate the outcomes of funded programs and initiatives.
Contribute to the analysis of complex data sets to identify trends, insights and areas for improvement in foundation operations and programmatic efforts.
Synthesize data and findings into clear, compelling and actionable reports for internal and external stakeholders, including funders, board members, grantees and the community.
Present insights and recommendations to senior leadership and program teams with a strong emphasis on effective data visualization and creating frameworks to inform decision-making and enhance program effectiveness.
Report on the foundation’s overall impact and outcomes to stakeholders using impactful storytelling methods, aligned to the audience and leveraging digital communications strategies.
Provide training and support to internal teams and grantees in using data for decision-making, continuous improvement and learning.
Facilitate a learning culture within the foundation by promoting the use of data and insights in day-to-day work and program design.
Advise and support grantees in the design and implementation of their own monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
Build and maintain relationships with external partners, including academic institutions, evaluation consultants and community organizations, to stay abreast of best practices and innovations in evaluation and learning.
Collaborate with program staff, fundraising teams and other internal stakeholders to ensure insights are integrated into strategy, decision-making and communications.
Monitor trends and developments in the philanthropic sector related to evaluation, learning and impact assessment, and incorporate relevant insights into the foundation’s practices.
Lead efforts to continuously refine and improve the foundation’s learning and evaluation approaches to increase impact and effectiveness.