Director, Research and Evaluation

Liliuokalani Trust•Honolulu, HI

7h•$108,000 - $128,000

About The Position

At the Liliʻuokalani Trust (LT), the Director, Research & Evaluation leads the Research & Evaluation team and builds an organization-wide culture of using research and evaluation to inform strategic, tactical, and operational decisions. Reporting to the Managing Director, Impact, Data, & Evaluation, the Director sets the direction of LT’s research and evaluation agenda, develops the team, and oversees evaluation work and research initiatives. The role ensures that research and evaluation are rigorous, culturally grounded, and useful to decision makers, and supports sharing knowledge and learning with the broader community. The Director collaborates with organizational leaders and teams to prioritize research questions, oversee research and evaluation projects, establish methodological and ethical standards, and develop assessment and evaluation tools. The position provides methodological guidance and responsive evaluation partnership across programs, supports data-informed program planning and delivery, and contributes to organizational decision-making, reporting, and data governance. The role also builds research and evaluation capability across LT, represents the Trust with external partners and researchers, and shares accessible findings and resources with community decision makers. It develops partnerships with universities, research institutions, and organizations serving the Hawaiian community, and advances knowledge on Native Hawaiian wellbeing through publications, presentations, professional associations, and partner engagement.

Requirements

Doctoral degree that includes advanced study of social science research and/or evaluation methods, or a master’s degree with 12+ years of equivalent experience.
7–10 years of progressively responsible, directly related research and evaluation experience, including leading developmental evaluations.
5+ years of supervisory experience leading research, evaluation, or other knowledge-work teams.
5+ years of facilitative leadership and mentorship training and experience.
Experience managing budgets, contracts, and external consultants.
Experience presenting to and advising executive leadership and boards.
Cultural knowledge and skills to work respectfully and effectively in a Hawaiian-serving organization and with local communities.
Ability to set strategic direction, align work with organizational priorities, and prioritize effectively under resource constraints.
Ability to work with ambiguity, emergence, and divergent work.
Systems thinking, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills.
Ability to build relationships across the organization and provide responsive evaluation, data, and learning support across diverse staff, program areas, and changing priorities.
Expertise in all phases of social science research and evaluation, including study design, developmental evaluation, data collection methods and tools, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and responsiveness to research context.
Expertise in culturally grounded and Indigenous research and evaluation methodologies.
Expertise in, or ability to quickly acquire, knowledge of the needs, programs, or services being researched or evaluated.
People leadership skills, including hiring, coaching, developing, and holding teammates accountable.
Understanding of adult learners and coaching strategies.
Effective oral, written, and visual communication, including translating complex findings for executive, community, and external audiences.
Advanced project and portfolio management skills and ability to oversee a diverse portfolio and manage projects to timely completion.

Responsibilities

Develop the vision and direction for research and evaluation at LT in collaboration with the Managing Director, aligning the work with the strategic plan, cultural practice framework, and organizational priorities.
Lead the design and implementation of LT’s Research and Evaluation agenda and identify high-priority questions for current and future decision-making.
Develop and oversee the annual Research & Evaluation deliverables workplan, set priorities, and allocate team resources.
Oversee a portfolio of research, assessment, community assessment, and evaluation projects at strategic and tactical levels.
Establish and maintain standards for evaluation methods, data collection tools, research ethics, and data quality, including culturally grounded and Indigenous approaches.
Lead the development and updating of LT’s evaluation and assessment tools.
Lead, supervise, and develop the Research & Evaluation team, including Senior Manager(s) and other teammates.
Recruit, hire, and onboard teammates; contribute to staffing plans; assign teammates to LT locations and programs; set performance expectations; coach staff; and conduct performance reviews.
Manage the Research & Evaluation budget, contracts, external evaluation consultants, and partners.
Foster a team culture of learning, collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
Oversee LT’s evaluation work and provide methodological leadership and guidance to evaluators and program teammates.
Ensure programs receive responsive evaluation partnership and support with assessment, program evaluation, and data-informed decision-making.
Participate in and, when appropriate, lead program cycle review and reflection sessions with Policy, Practice, & Learning, Program Quality, and other teams.
Partner with program and operations leaders to analyze and interpret data and strengthen program and service planning and delivery.
Partner with program leaders to clarify community needs, interests, and assets; define program goals and objectives; and examine alignment between needs, goals, and offerings.
Review program evaluation results in a timely manner and assist with interpretation and meaning-making.
Lead evaluations of organization-wide collaborations and systems-change initiatives.
Partner with data and analytics teammates to develop accessible dashboards, reports, information graphics, and other decision-support tools.
Contribute to organization-wide reporting and LT’s program cycle and annual reports, including analysis of strategic indicators, outcomes, findings, results, impact, and lessons learned.
Collaborate with program, data, and analytics teammates on data collection, analysis, and review to support accurate, timely, and priority-aligned reports.
Advise LT leadership on research and evaluation implications of strategic decisions, new initiatives, and emerging opportunities.
Collaborate with data, analytics, and technology teammates to strengthen data governance, data integration, and responsible data use.
Build capacity among LT leaders, frontline teammates, and other professionals to conduct, interpret, and apply research and evaluation findings.
Develop the Research & Evaluation team’s capacity in research, evaluation, facilitation, and project leadership through professional development and mentorship.
Represent LT in research and evaluation matters with external partners and researchers.
Share relevant and accessible information and resources to help decision makers beyond LT apply research and evaluation knowledge to decisions affecting Native Hawaiian wellbeing.
Communicate research and evaluation results clearly and accessibly.
Form and sustain partnerships with universities, research institutions, and other organizations serving the Hawaiian community and broader public.
Advance knowledge about Native Hawaiian wellbeing through journal-quality publications, presentations, professional associations, and partner meetings, as appropriate.
Accept new assignments, help team members, learn new skills, and contribute to improved team and organizational results.