UWGC - Director, Research and Evaluation
About The Position
The Director of Research and Evaluation leads UWGC's data strategy and program evaluation efforts across our four-county footprint of Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, and Union counties. This role builds and strengthens the systems that make data accessible and actionable, with an eye toward long-term growth, sustainability, and program refinement. As UWGC advances a collective impact approach to community change, this role serves as a backbone function for shared measurement, helping UWGC and its partners align around common goals and track progress together. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Community Impact, the Director works across the organization to bring clarity, rigor, and actionable insight to complex questions, and to help programs, funders, and leadership understand what is working and why. The ideal candidate has significant experience with data management, program evaluation, and outcome reporting, ideally in a nonprofit or community impact setting grounded in community-based participatory research and approaches the work with a holistic view of how programs connect to outcomes. The role requires strong analytical judgment, the confidence to guide staff and leadership through evaluation decisions, and the ability to translate complex data into insight and storytelling that funders, board members, and program staff find compelling.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree required; master's degree in a related field preferred
- Five or more years of progressive experience in data and program evaluation, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience
- Previous supervisory experience, including hiring, coaching, and performance management of direct reports
- Expertise designing and implementing evaluation frameworks and methodologies
- Experience with mixed methods data collection and analysis
- Experience with relevant data management systems; nonprofit case management or CRM platform experience is a plus
- Proficiency with data analysis and survey software such as SAS, SPSS, GIS tools, Tableau, Qualtrics, or Survey Monkey; experience leveraging generative AI in evaluation is a plus
- Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint)
- Strong project management skills, including budget planning, timeline management, and resource allocation
- Deep understanding of data equity principles and the ability to apply them to evaluation work
- Familiarity with collective impact and shared measurement frameworks, and the ability to apply them in a multi-partner community setting
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex concepts and translate their meaning for varied audiences
- Excellent organizational and writing skills, and strong verbal and public presentation skills
- Experience writing or contributing to grant proposals and funder reports is a plus
- Familiarity with research on economic mobility and its associated drivers is a plus
- Ability to engage credibly with executive stakeholders, funders, and community partners
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree in a related field
- Nonprofit case management or CRM platform experience
- Experience leveraging generative AI in evaluation
- Experience writing or contributing to grant proposals and funder reports
- Familiarity with research on economic mobility and its associated drivers
Responsibilities
- Build Evaluation Culture and Capacity: Guide UWGC in building a culture of learning that uses data and measurable outcomes to refine and improve programs and community initiatives
- Collaborate with staff and community partners to design and implement evaluation tools and plans, using quantitative and qualitative methods as appropriate
- Create and monitor systems that use data to give partners ongoing feedback and support, particularly to advance collective impact initiatives
- Orchestrate conversations with UWGC staff, partners, and other stakeholders to determine metrics and benchmarks for success, both within individual programs and across collective impact initiatives
- Coordinate research and evaluation efforts with other key community initiatives and partner organizations to avoid duplication and strengthen shared learning
- Own and maintain a research agenda that supports UWGC's Community Impact work, and consistently compile and present research to inform initiatives and educate stakeholders on key community issues
- Serve as a translator between academic research and practice, turning complex data into insight and storytelling that is accessible to funders, board members, and community stakeholders
- Build the data collection and analysis capacity of partner agencies through training, coaching, and shared tools and resources
- Develop data sharing agreements and protocols that support secure, responsible exchange of information across UWGC and its community partner
- Data Strategy and Analysis: Collaborate with leadership and staff to develop, oversee, and implement evaluation plans, logic models, data collection tools, and protocols for active programs and initiatives
- Generate measurable data for UWGC's internal and external stakeholders, and write or contribute to grant proposals and funder reports drawing on research and evaluation findings
- Contribute to the development, maintenance, and improvement of data monitoring and reporting systems; conduct regular data cleaning and analysis to detect trends and gaps and surface recommendations
- Manage and analyze qualitative and quantitative evaluation data, strengthen the reliability of collected data, and partner with management and frontline staff on evaluation and quality improvement
- Data Systems and Operations: Assess and monitor UWGC's case management and data systems, and design and implement reporting to ensure accurate, timely capture of key data
- Support staff as they input and use program and outcome data; ensure complete and accurate data entry through regular training and maintenance; troubleshoot data quality issues and lead cleanup and reporting efforts
- Design, modify, and oversee client and community data collection instruments such as surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews; create or revise tools to better align with program outcomes
- Support system enhancements, including platform migrations, when needed
- Team Leadership and Representation: Manage and mentor staff, providing hiring, coaching, and performance management for direct reports
- Own the administrative and operational aspects of research and evaluation, including budget, staffing, application design, and data collection logistics
- Represent UWGC's research and evaluation work at community events, conferences, and speaking engagements
Benefits
- Full Time, Exempt
Stand Out From the Crowd
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
