Job Description

The Senior Research Associate at PIE Org will be responsible for moving evaluation and research projects forward through data entry, data collection, literature reviews, quantitative and qualitative analysis and reporting, as well as other administrative tasks such as scheduling and note-taking, as assigned. This position is also responsible for attending various program meetings and preparing follow-up documentation. Proactive communication and solution seeking is an integral aspect to this work, as is the ability to work with minimal guidance. The associate may be asked to lead small evaluation projects and conduct more robust quantitative analyses, as appropriate.

It’s imperative that this role have a solid grasp of Excel and be able to utilize its functionality in data cleaning/analyzing tasks. Experience with Google Data Studio or other dashboarding tools is also needed. This job requires travel to partner organizations around the Chicagoland area and prioritize tasks to balance the multiple different projects assigned throughout the course of a year. Considerable flexibility and accommodation are needed. Client priorities, needs, and expectations often change throughout the course of a project; therefore, the ability to complete tasks in a timely manner, prioritize time, and be responsive is critical to success. PIE Org works remotely a majority of the time; however, the type of work that we do at PIE sometimes necessitates that you be out in the community, so either employees must have a valid driver’s license and access to an insured, reliable vehicle, or reliable access to public transportation or rideshare services that enable you to perform your job on time and as needed. PIE is not responsible for the costs associated with your chosen method of transportation. We are looking for someone who is organized, detail-oriented, and is excited to learn about how evaluation and strategic planning help build stronger nonprofit organizations.

Principal Duties
• Perform common administrative requirements in a professional manner: note taking, communicating with clients, and scheduling data collection.
• Prepare interview questions and conduct interviews/focus groups, maintaining accurate records of interviews and safeguarding confidentiality as needed.
• Create and administer surveys and other data collection tools, as assigned.
• Conduct thematic analyses of interviews/ focus groups and/or descriptive analyses of surveys.
• Help with database construction, conduct data entry, perform data cleaning, and ensure data quality at all times.
• Provide support in developing/implementing/troubleshooting/maintaining dashboards.
• Attend project meetings, as needed, and prepare meeting notes/minutes/follow-up documentation.
• Summarize project results and prepare reports and presentations.
• Possess a basic understanding of the logic model/program theory process.
• Demonstrate excellent Microsoft Office skills, especially Excel. Experience in Google Data Studio a plus.
• Research and write up reviews of literature.
• Prepare materials for submission to organizations, granting agencies, and foundations.
• Demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Have a deep interest in pursuing program evaluation in the non-profit sector.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will be detail-oriented, thorough, highly communicative, self-directed, proactive person with an interest in pursuing a career in the evaluation or nonprofit field. The candidate will also be culturally competent, aware, responsive, and comfortable working well with a diversity of people and projects. We are looking for candidates who are willing to listen, learn and grow their skill sets in data collection, analysis, and planning. A higher education degree is preferred.

Work Environment, Benefits & Pay
PIE Org works remotely a majority of the time; however, the type of work that we do at PIE necessitates that you be out in the community, so either employees must have a valid driver’s license and access to an insured, reliable vehicle, or reliable access to public transportation or rideshare services that enable you to perform your job on time and as needed. PIE is not responsible for the costs associated with your chosen method of transportation, but PIE does reimburse for mileage and associated travel. PIE Org offers full healthcare benefits, a generous 401K matching program, and ample holidays and paid time off. All staff receive a professional development budget. The salary range is between $55,000 – $70,000 depending on experience and qualifications. This is a full-time position, 40 hours a week. This role is expected to work between 9am – 5pm Monday through Friday.

To Apply
Please send resume, cover letter, and writing sample to admin@pieorg.org.

Job Description

A Senior Evaluation Coach at PIE Org is responsible for leading a diverse array of projects, staff, and clients through multiple evaluation cycles in a culturally competent and responsive manner. Primary work includes the strategic leadership of external evaluation work (i.e., formative, summative, process), evaluation coaching to help organizations build their internal evaluation capacity, and the supervision and management of PIE Org staff to do this work. Most evaluation work will be conducted in the content areas of education, social service programs, philanthropic initiatives and collaborative networks—and PIE is always expanding its portfolio of work.

It is essential to develop and maintain a good rapport with our clients. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are critical for this role, as is the ability to strategically use data and do quantitative analysis and report writing when needed. The ideal candidate must have the ability to work independently, multi-task, prioritize, and expedite job responsibilities to complete work in a timely manner. PIE Org works remotely a majority of the time; however, the type of work that we do at PIE sometimes demands that you be out in the community, so either employees must have a valid driver’s license and access to an insured, reliable vehicle, or reliable access to public transportation or rideshare services that enable you to perform your job on time and as needed. This is a full-time position and includes a substantial compensation and benefits package with health-care, retirement, and a generous vacation policy.

Principal Duties

Effectively project manage, under the supervision of a Director, a diverse set of evaluation projects at a time, meet deadlines, and provide high quality, rigorous deliverables for clients in a culturally competent manner. Key evaluation deliverables include the following:

• Work with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive evaluation plan that prioritizes evaluation activities to be completed during regular funding periods.
• Provide leadership in a team setting, move members forward and build consensus including among both partner teams and PIE teams.
• Engage stakeholders in an evaluation process based on shared priorities, including meeting facilitation, presentation, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills.
• Facilitate large group logic modelling sessions and create data collection methods, tools, and protocols to align to logic model and research.
• Identify research best practices in evaluation and client content programs and outcomes through rigorous literature reviews.
• Ability to effectively lead the collection of quantitative and qualitative data sets to support client learning, community impact, and equitable change.
• Design, document, and conduct/oversee processes of data collection, data entry, data cleaning and reporting, maintaining data integrity throughout. Conduct analyses using appropriate tools to analyze quantitative and qualitative data. Experience using tools, such as Excel, SAS, SPSS, Nvivo, MAXQDA is a plus.
• Synthesize information generated through an evaluation to produce findings that are clear and directly aligned to evaluation questions and programmatic outcomes.
• Work with stakeholders to develop feasible recommendations based on evaluation data.
• Ability to write reports and executive summaries that identify key insights, answer evaluation questions, and promote equitable impact and change for our clients.
• Data analytics/infographics, dashboarding: Construct and oversee the maintenance and use of data reporting tools such as dashboards, survey reporting engines, Excel/Power Query, AirTable, etc.
• Summarize data insights into visual formats utilizing tools such as PPT, Canva, Figma, etc.
• Excellent project management skills and ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize deliverables, and effectively meet all deadlines.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; ability to effectively discuss and facilitate our data-informed conversations across a large, diverse group of clients and PIE staff.
• Professional writing and quantitative/CQI skills are a must; high quality report communication is essential for this role.
• Contribute to new business development, particularly in developing scopes of work for new and renewing clients.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will be deeply analytical in all tasks, with 2-3 years of experience managing evaluation projects. Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel, statistics, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and reporting mixed-methods formative and summative findings are necessary. Google Data Studio experience and data visualization experience are a must. Experience creating infographics, one-pagers, and public facing report summaries a plus. Preference for candidates with a history of managing multi-site, external evaluations. A master’s degree in evaluation, statistics, research methods, social work, public health, education policy, or other, related field is preferred. Reliable transportation is a must.

Work Environment, Benefits & Pay
PIE Org works remotely a majority of the time; however, the type of work that we do at PIE sometimes demands that you be out in the community, so either employees must have a valid driver’s license and access to an insured, reliable vehicle, or reliable access to public transportation or rideshare services that enable you to perform your job on time and as needed. PIE is not responsible for the costs associated with your chosen method of transportation. PIE Org offers full healthcare benefits, a very generous 401K matching program, and ample holidays and paid time off. All staff receive a professional development budget. The starting salary range is between $75,000-$90,000 depending on experience and qualifications.

To apply:
Please send resume, cover letter, and an exemplar evaluation report/sample to admin@pieorg.org by Feb 15th.