Senior Manager, Impact and Evaluation

University City Science Center•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Impact and Evaluation ensures the Science Center’s programs are nationally leading, transformative, and relevant, and that their impact is measured and communicated rigorously and clearly. The role owns the organization-wide framework for defining, collecting, analyzing, and communicating program impact across innovation, entrepreneurship, STEM education, workforce development, and inclusive economic growth. The Senior Manager partners on funding efforts from early discussions through final reporting, working with the Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives and Government Partnerships, Principal Investigators, program leads, the Grants team, Marketing and Communications, and other departments. The Senior Manager will audit existing program data, build and maintain the organization’s impact database and dashboard, and conduct annual program evaluations. They will develop evaluation plans, logic models, theories of change, metrics, surveys, and data collection tools; monitor grant performance and reporting obligations; and maintain data integrity and appropriate privacy and human-subjects protections. The role translates findings into actionable recommendations and clear, evidence-based narratives for funders, leadership, technical partners, community partners, and the public. The position may also manage external evaluators and research partners and represent the Science Center in relevant sector discussions.

Requirements

At least 7 years of progressive experience in program evaluation, impact measurement, applied research, or program management in a nonprofit, higher education, research, consulting, or economic development context.
Documented experience designing and leading evaluations and reporting outcomes to funders.
Demonstrated experience developing logic models, theories of change, evaluation questions, and mixed-methods data collection plans.
Practical program leadership experience and sound judgment in recommending meaningful, realistic, and feasible metrics.
Ability to evaluate education programs, including STEM, K–12, and workforce training, and economic development programs, including entrepreneurship, startup support, capital access, and job creation.
Working knowledge of federal evaluation and reporting expectations, including NSF and NIH proposal requirements and federal-award performance reporting.
Strong quantitative and qualitative analysis skills and proficiency with survey design, administration, and data analysis tools.
Experience building dashboards and data visualizations and managing data systems such as CRMs.
Exceptional writing and storytelling skills, including the ability to write rigorous evaluation content and clear, plain-language impact narratives.
Ability to listen actively, translate funder priorities into actionable evaluation plans, and build buy-in with Principal Investigators, program leads, and external partners.
Familiarity with research ethics, IRB processes, and data privacy standards for participant and personally identifiable information.
Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple programs, reporting cycles, and deadlines.
Ability to collaborate across departments in a matrixed environment and train and support staff in data practices.
Bachelor’s degree required in a relevant or related field.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or terminal degree in public policy, public health, education, economics, sociology, research methods, evaluation, or a related field.
Experience contributing evaluation plans to successful federal proposals, particularly NSF and/or NIH.
Background in an evaluation consultancy, university research center, or sponsored programs office.
Experience evaluating STEM education, workforce development, entrepreneurship, or regional economic development initiatives.
Experience leading or managing programs with direct responsibility for setting and tracking program metrics.
Familiarity with impact frameworks and standards.
Experience managing external evaluators and building organization-wide measurement systems.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives and Government Partnerships, in early-stage funding discussions and shape impact strategies for new opportunities.
Work with Principal Investigators and program leads to develop pre-award evaluation plans, logic models, theories of change, and output and outcome metrics.
Draft and review evaluation sections, data management plans, and impact narratives for proposals to federal and state agencies and foundations.
Scope and budget evaluation activities, determining when to use internal capacity or an external evaluator.
Audit data collected across Science Center programs, including collection and storage methods, collection cadence, and opportunities for new measures.
Establish an organization-wide impact measurement framework with common definitions, core indicators, and shared metrics.
Recommend meaningful, feasible metrics that reflect program operations, staff capacity, and diverse participants.
Develop data collection protocols, data dictionaries, and standard procedures; train staff on data entry and quality expectations.
Design, build, and maintain a program data dashboard as the single source of truth for program data; document data-update cadence and contribution ownership and ensure the dashboard is current for the annual report.
Partner with IT and vendors on data systems, integrations, and tools, including CRM, survey platforms, and visualization software.
Design surveys and data collection instruments to monitor grant performance against funder requirements and approved evaluation plans.
Partner with the Grants team throughout the award lifecycle, including identifying funding opportunities, collecting performance data, and integrating findings into funder reports.
Review award terms for evaluation and reporting obligations and track performance measures and deadlines, including longitudinal research and post-closeout evaluations for multi-year grants.
Ensure data practices comply with award terms, privacy requirements, and human-subjects protections, including IRB review where applicable.
Conduct annual evaluations of education and economic development programs using appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods.
Share evaluation findings and actionable recommendations with program leads and leadership and support continuous improvement cycles.
Build feedback loops that incorporate participant and community perspectives into program design and improvement.
Manage external evaluator and research partner relationships as needed, including scopes, budgets, and deliverables.
Develop an evidence-based narrative describing the Science Center’s impact in the region and beyond.
Work with program leads and departments to produce one-page program impact memos for external funders.
Partner with Marketing and Communications to develop stories and key messages for reports, websites, campaigns, and media; provide data for presentations, board materials, and funder briefings.
Translate complex findings for audiences including federal program officers, peer reviewers, community partners, and the general public.
Attend relevant workshops, conferences, and professional groups to maintain current knowledge of evaluation methods and impact measurement standards.
Represent the Science Center at convenings and sector discussions about measuring innovation, workforce, and economic development outcomes.
Follow UCSC security guidelines and handle sensitive information appropriately.
Facilitate and attend relevant staff meetings and complete special projects or other duties as assigned within the scope of the position.