Lead Evaluation & Research Specialist-Social Work Office of Research and Public Service- UTK

Job Description:

Job Description

This position of Lead Evaluation and Research Specialist is in UT SWORPS' Division of Applied Research and Evaluation (DARE).  This position will provide leadership for a statewide evaluation project. The Lead Evaluation and Research Specialist has multi-year experience with complex projects involving implementation and rigorous evaluation of new interventions that catalyze practice change demonstrated through a record of past work experiences and/or peer-reviewed publications sharing original contributions to knowledge base for practice.  The expertise of the person in this position will be harnessed to lead a team of six senior researchers providing direct technical assistance to a multitude of community-based organizations/providers across the state.  The person in this position will be responsible for original design of protocols and procedures that address needs for tailored solutions in different settings and contexts for a large-scale statewide initiative. The person in this position will work closely with each senior researcher they supervise to formulate tailored support plans for the implementation of different evidence-based programs (EBPs), short-term goals for initial implementation at each setting and long-term goals for scaling up practices as sites move to full implementation. As projects mature, this person in this position will collaborate with other leaders (PIs and Implementation Research Scientist) to develop detailed plans for dissemination and strongly contribute in plan execution -leading dissemination of original research findings making innovative scientific, professional, or applied contributions within the field of implementation science and/or program evaluation and taking a lead role in identifying new avenues of investigation that generate additional external funding for SWORPS.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction for senior researchers working directly with community-based organizations/providers, ensuring that all team members are familiar with fundamental concepts of implementation science, defined modular frameworks for supporting implementation of selected EBPs, and aligned with a mission to anchor technical assistance in these frameworks
• Continuously assess project staffing for quality supports to community-based organizations/providers and develop strategies that improve workflow, senior researchers' collaboration, communication processes, efficiency, and effectiveness
• Provide leadership, management, supervision, and coaching to senior researcher team dedicated to the project and engage in continual process improvement work to consistently achieve deliverables in high-quality and timely manner
• Engage in regular communication with leadership of agencies supported in implementation of EBPs by technical assistance and actively solicit feedback and input regarding quality; act as a consistent driver of evolution and growth in provided supports cultivating internal capacity of community-based organizations/providers to sustain full implementation with high fidelity 
• Lead a process to define the most salient barriers to adoption, implementation, and sustainment of selected evidence-based programs
• Remain fluent in the most current implementation science research, and utilize findings and guidelines to define the set of implementation strategies with the most promise for overcoming common barriers and improving the quality and accessibility of effective prevention EBPs that promote safety and well-being of children and families
• Collaborate with Principal Investigators and Implementation Research Scientist to set a visionary agenda and corresponding strategic plan for grounding implementation of EBPs in modular frameworks, ensuring technical assistance provided to community-based organizations/providers are responsive to identified barriers and continuously monitored for impact 
• Collaborate with Principal Investigators on the development of a detailed workplan for knowledge translation that sets foundation to establish SWOPRS' Division of Applied Research and Evaluation as a regional and national leader in the implementation and sustainability of evidence-based practices
• Prepare and present professional, publishable reports and presentations to guide decision making and continuous quality improvement efforts
• Develop peer-reviewed publications synthesizing research/project work contributing to implementation science
• Participate in the development and delivery of ongoing technical assistance/training activities offered to agencies/providers to support effective implementation of EBPs

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Education: Master’s Degree in Social or behavioral sciences, implementation science, evaluation, public administration, or public health
• Experience: Applicant must have experience beyond university coursework requirements in implementation science/program evaluation/applied research related to evidence-based models of behavior change, as well as demonstrated experience leading a team.  Minimum of 5 years of job experience leading/managing program evaluation and/or applied research work, as well as demonstrated experience communicating applied research and evaluation findings clearly to a variety of audiences both orally and in writing.      (Minimum of 3 years of job experience if relevant educational coursework/internships).
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 
• Knowledge of implementation science and frameworks
• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and procedures of applied research and program evaluation practices
• Experience overseeing large, complex evaluation projects

• Experience providing training and consultation in evidence-based practices
• Skills in designing and using a range of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools, including interviews, focus groups, observations, surveys, and assessments

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Doctoral Degree in Social or behavioral sciences, implementation science, evaluation, public administration, or public health
• Experience: Experience in child welfare and/or in the implementation of child abuse prevention evidence-based programs.  A record of peer-reviewed publications and/or community-engaged collaborative research
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 
• Skill in fidelity monitoring
• Knowledge of evidence-based programs for child abuse prevention

Work Location 

• Position is remote but may require occasional travel within the state of Tennessee

Compensation and Benefits 

• UT market range: 13
• Anticipated hiring range: $80,000 - $85,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions 

Applications will be reviewed as received and interviews can begin as soon as 7 days from posting.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.

Interested individuals should provide (1) a cover letter addressing professional experience relevant to each required and preferred qualification, (2) a resume, and (3) complete contact information for 3 professional references.

About The College/Department/Division 

 The Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) is an applied research center of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work (CSW).  We are a dynamic and close-knit interdisciplinary team of individuals with a shared vision of thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all. We do that by building partnerships that leverage research, technology, and human connection to improve lives in Tennessee and beyond.

Over the past fifty years, SWORPS has worked with local nonprofits such as the United Way of Greater Knoxville, University of Tennessee departments and faculty researchers, state agencies such as the Tennessee Department of Human Services, and federal agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Our annual portfolio consists of 25-40 sponsored projects spanning a wealth of different content areas, but one common thread -each project contributes one more building block for thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all.

Learn more about SWORPS and some of our programs and resources by visiting our webpage: https://www.sworps.tennessee.edu/ 

About Us

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. 

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.  

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices that attract and retain a diverse community and that support a culture where everyone matters and belongs.  

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine. 

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!