Principal Researcher, Education

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation•Omaha, NE

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal Researcher serves as the Project Director for NCFF's U.S. Department of Education Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Mid-Phase grant to scale and rigorously evaluate Nebraska Growing Readers Plus TeacherRead/FamilyRead (NGR+). This role involves overseeing the delivery of a three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing different components of the Nebraska Growing Readers program. The position requires the development and management of multi-year contracts, budgets, and tasks, providing leadership to internal staff, and supporting collaboration among internal staff, partners, and the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). A key aspect of this role is ensuring compliance with U.S. Department of Education grant requirements.

Requirements

Doctoral degree in a field relevant to the Nebraska Children and Family Foundation's work (such as research and evaluation, policy evaluation, child welfare, education, public health, etc.) and 5+ years of work experience in research, evaluation, data analysis, and reporting. OR Master’s Degree or related certifications in a field relevant to the Nebraska Children and Family Foundation's work (such as applied research and evaluation, policy evaluation, child welfare, education, public health, etc.) and 10+ years of work experience in research, evaluation, data analysis, and reporting.
Experience using both qualitative and quantitative methods for design, analysis, and reporting.
Experience with analysis software.
Deep subject-matter expertise in Education research and or evaluation.
Experience with research design and methodology (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods) and statistical and analytical rigor.
Strong project management, organization, leadership and grant management skills are essential.
Ability to synthesize and critically evaluate large bodies of literature or data.
Familiarity with Education-specific tools, instruments, or techniques.
Understanding data analytic approaches, their use and the interpretation of findings.
Translating complex findings for non-expert audiences (executives, policymakers, funders, community stakeholders).
Public speaking and presenting at conferences or to leadership.
A demonstrated track record: publications, successful grants, or a portfolio of impactful research/evaluation projects.
Experience overseeing or conducting complex or evaluation and or research studies.
Experience managing budgets and contracts, including multi-partner arrangements involving state agencies, universities, and independent evaluation firms.
Leading cross-functional or interdisciplinary teams, often without formal management authority.
Working with people from diverse backgrounds including those with and without strong evaluation/research skills.
Develop, manage and execute the project work plan, including deliverable, timelines, and milestones across all grant components.
Strong interpersonal skills, particularly with community members across rural settings.
Strong oral and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in a related field.
Previous experience leading or co-leading a complex evaluation or research design.
Experience with federally funded grants.
Experience with evidence-based literacy practices.

Responsibilities

Serve as Project Director for the NGR+ EIR Mid-Phase grant, holding overall responsibility for the scope, quality, timeline, and outcomes of the RCT.
Provide overall direction and leadership for the project, ensuring alignment with federal grant requirements and NCFF's strategic goals.
Develop, manage, and execute the project work plan, including deliverables, timelines, and milestones.
Manage contracts and working relationships with the independent evaluator, Implementation Supports Team, Recruitment Team, Advisory Team, and other subgroups.
Coordinate project implementation across multiple partners, including NDE, school districts, evaluators, and literacy organizations.
Ensure adherence to evidence-based practices and fidelity to the approved grant proposal.
Serve on the Project Leadership Team, the Dissemination Team, and other relevant workgroups.
Anticipate and manage risks to project timeline, budget, recruitment, or data integrity and develop mitigation or contingency plans.
Oversee compliance with all applicable federal regulations, including U.S. Department of Education EIR grant requirements.
Prepare and submit required federal performance reports, budget justifications, and continuation applications.
Maintain comprehensive documentation to support audit readiness and ensure proper record retention.
Monitor subrecipient performance and ensure all contracts, memoranda of understanding, and subawards meet federal standards.
Establish and maintain systems for tracking deliverables, outcomes, and performance metrics.
Oversee the RCT contracted to the independent evaluator, ensuring the study meets WWC evidence standards.
Provide leadership for the project's evaluation and research components, ensuring adherence to the approved evaluation plan.
Oversee and ensure the quality of all evaluation activities, including instruments, data processes, fidelity monitoring, and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Collaborate with internal and external evaluation partners to design, implement, and analyze formative and summative data collection.
Facilitate continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycles by reviewing evaluation findings and identifying actionable insights for program refinement.
Ensure the integration of evaluation results into decision-making, reporting, and sustainability planning.
Provide technical assistance and build capacity to support NCFF and NDE staff in using RCT implementation and impact data.
Develop, manage, and monitor the multi-year grant budget, ensuring expenditures align with approved budgets and federal cost principles.
Oversee subaward agreements, invoices, and payment schedules.
Coordinate with NCFF finance staff to ensure accurate tracking of match and cost-share requirements.
Serve as NCFF's representative in all state and federal communications related to the EIR project.
Foster relationships with NDE, LEA partners, Regional ESUs, and community organizations to support recruitment and sustain engagement.
Facilitate communication and alignment across state and local partners.
Develop materials and reports that communicate project progress and outcomes to internal and external audiences.
Organize and implement effective methods of sharing overall RCT findings.
Present outcome and cost-effectiveness data to internal staff, the funder, LEA partners, and others.
Support dissemination of project results, lessons learned, and evidence-building activities.
Directly supervise the Senior Researcher and indirectly provide leadership to program staff.