Director, Research And Planning #W1572 (100% Mobile/Remote)

Title:Director, Research and Planning #W1572 (100% MOBILE/REMOTE)

Hiring Range:\$136,000 - \$146,000/YR. (commensurate with experience)

Pay Band:7

Agency:Department of Social Services

Location:Richmond, VA

Agency Website:www.dss.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type:General Public - G

Job Duties

This position is 100% remote but may require occasional travel to the Richmond Home Office. We prefer a candidate, who is local to Richmond or willing to relocate.

At the Virginia Department of Social Services, we put people at the center of everything we do. We believe that every Virginian can live a life of dignity and that all voices, ideas and experiences contribute greatly to our pursuit of excellence. Inspired by continuous improvement, we commit ourselves to listening, learning and cultivating environments of trust, respect and positive engagement. Together, we are mission-driven, eager to achieve, and passionate about bringing the best of who we are to those we serve.\ \ We design and deliver high-quality human services that help Virginians achieve safety, independence and overall well-being. We are a \$2 billion agency one of the largest in the Commonwealth of Virginia partnering with 120 local departments of social services and 31 community action agencies, along with faith-based and non-profit organizations, to promote the well-being of children, adults, and families statewide. We proudly serve alongside 1,650 (state) and 12,200 (local) human services professionals throughout the Social Services System, who ensure that thousands of Virginias most vulnerable citizens have easy access to the services and benefits available to them.\ \ The Office of Research and Planning at the Virginia Department of Social Services is currently seeking a Division Director. The Director of Research and Planning position reports to the Deputy Commissioner of Strategy and Engagement portfolio and participates as a member of the Leadership Team to fulfill portfolio and agency objectives as established by the Commissioner and the Executive Team.\ \ This senior leadership position is responsible and accountable for the core responsibilities related to the design and implementation of high quality value-added research and evaluation with program and policy relevance. The Director of Research and Planning will be responsible for leading, managing, and monitoring large-scale research and evaluation projects and translating and communicating complicated research in clear, concise ways. This position will also provide high-quality technical supportin both online and in-person formatsto program teams across the agency.\ \ The Director of Research and Planning is responsible for contributing to the strategic planning activities of the agency and conducting think tank functions, new initiatives, surveys, and workshops that meet the current and future needs of the agency.\ \ This position will provide vision and direction for building and nurturing the research and evaluation team and foster an environment of collaboration, learning, and synergy with staff across the agency. The Director of Research and Planning will prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion and cultural sensitivity by creating an inclusive work environment where team members can bring their whole selves to benefit and contribute to the teams impact and where exclusionary policies and practices are challenged. This position is responsible for building a culture that values a commitment to excellence, rigor, continuous improvement, clarity, open dialogue, consensus building, and action.\ \ This position will contribute to various agency goals, but in particular will be responsible for ensuring the timely implementation of goal-3 related activities. The Director will provide coaching and mentoring to the managers and staff across the division.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ability to analyze information, summarize findings and present them in ways easily understandable to decision-makers.
• Experience developing and maintaining longitudinal data management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, multi-task, meet deadlines and be persistent, and solve problems as they arise.
• Demonstrated experience in developing, implementing, and monitoring evaluation plans including logic models, strategic and program evaluation questions, data collection methods, analysis and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience in institutional capacity-building initiatives and devise programs to strengthen staff capacity.
• Knowledge and experience of program evaluation principles, theories, concepts and practices.
• Ability in designing and manipulating data using a computer database.
• Strong ability to develop new research and evaluation initiatives in accordance with the needs and expectations of portfolios/programs.
• Demonstrated experience in the development of performance metrics and continuous improvement systems.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and monitor value-added research.
• Knowledge and experience of using evaluation to inform program development.
• Experience in applying structure to abstract theories and disparate data sources, extract pertinent information, and surface key takeaways.
• Extensive experience in managing diverse research and evaluation project and research teams
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse personalities, and the wide variety of professional backgrounds and experiences.
• Extensive experience with statistical analysis software such as Stata or SAS, as well as relational database software.
• Proven track record of successfully driving projects from end-to-end.
• Ability to set priorities, work independently, and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience supporting and training staff and partners, that are unfamiliar with research and evaluations, to collect, manage and analyze data.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing and presenting comprehensive reports, findings, and recommendations to senior leadership, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Extensive experience designing and managing research and analysis projects as well as a broad understanding of research methods and statistical techniques are required.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and monitor annual evaluations and impact evaluation studies.
• Bachelors Degree in Quantitative Social Sciences ield, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics or related field or a combination of education, training and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the work.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, state, federal, and local agencies, public officials, community groups, other division directors, employees, and the general public.

Key Competencies:\ \ Connect with Presence\ The ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally with confidence, composure, credibility, and connection.\ \ Invite Employees to Engage\ The ability to create an environment where employees are committed to the organization and willing to extend discretionary efforts to help achieve its goals.\ \ Drive for Results\ The ability to consistently communicate business goals, outcomes and performance measures, and clarify priorities. Translate ideas into actions and look for ways to quickly overcome barriers.\ \ Build Coalitions\ The ability to recognize the interests of others in different parts of the organization and