Jobs at Member Institutions & APLU

Working Title:                  Director of Program Development & Evaluation

Appointment:                   Full-time, Education Program Manager 3 – 9342M3

Program Area:                 Extension Department of Family, Health & Wellbeing

Salary Range:                   $85,000 – $95,000 estimated salary range, DOQ

Office Location:               St. Paul Campus, Coffey Hall; Hybrid work options available

Apply By:                           August 18, 2023

Background

Demand for community-based educational curricula and resources have grown in Minnesota and nationally and given our accountability for delivering evidence-based programs, so has the need to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of our educational resources. Our Department of Family, Health and Wellbeing (FHW) has had two programmatic teams, Health & Nutrition and Family Resilience, who develop community-grounded educational curricula and resources.  The Applied Research and Evaluation unit connects the dots between the development of educational materials to program development and evaluation. This Director of Program & Evaluation will lead the Applied Research and Evaluation unit to add rigor to program design, development, and evaluation processes; ensure evaluation is designed to maximize opportunities for Extension and our Department’s Extension Educators to add knowledge to the field through scholarship; build programs that gain recognition and utilization in Minnesota and nationally; and sit on the Department’s executive team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead Department of Family, Health and Wellbeing to design and develop effective and impactful programs (50%)

• Providing leadership in the program development and evaluation aspects of curricula/educational materials development ensuring what is developed is effective and shows evidence of impact.
• Ensure and lead equity processes to develop culturally responsive programs in FHW.
• Lead by embedding a culture of improvement-oriented evaluation into our programs and practices.
• Utilize partnerships, alliances, coalitions, and relationships with culturally diverse communities to inform quality educational resources and evaluations.
• Lead and participate in engaged research and scholarship of extension teaching and learning that reflects the Department’s model for continuous improvements, community participatory processes, continuous learning across people and projects, and understanding complex, adaptive systems.
• Contribute to literature on building program evidence through research and evaluation related to community-based programs, as well as facilitate learning and building capacity in this area within and outside of Extension.
• Utilize and communicate critical health data (qualitative and quantitative) to inspire action in FHW Department and nationally.
• Design and implement systematic health promotion profiles or similar strategic, research-based communication efforts aimed at increasing both Extension’s and a community’s use of quality, research-based programs, and effective community mobilization approaches.
• Work with campus and community-based faculty and staff to identify and disseminate effective program development and evaluation strategies related to community-based family development programs and community systems change initiatives.
• Provide technical assistance on evaluation of family-based program efforts to Extension and partner organizations as appropriate and feasible.

Lead Department of Family, Health and Wellbeing organizational and staff development (20%)

• Lead organizational change through implementation of appropriate accountability and evaluation systems as requested and appropriate.
• Provide leadership and training to support the Department in the use of data for program planning such as conducting needs assessments, developing logic models, analyzing data, interpreting findings, and determining impact.
• Lead the development of all FHW employees through onboarding and continuing education in program development and evaluation, supporting our continued staff/organizational development.
• Support Extension Educator promotion through development of impactful and effective program and evaluation processes, implementation, and scholarly dissemination.
• Participate in creating a vision and mission of FHW and its educational programs by being a member of FHW executive team to understand shifting organizational needs and how the program development and evaluation team can best meet the needs.

Administration: Supervision/Budget (20%)

• Lead and supervise researchers to evaluate FHW’s signature programs (large grants, long-term programs), who in turn supervise graduate students and student workers.
• Lead and supervise two educational resource development professionals to ensure program and educational resource development aligns with Extension guidelines.
• Lead and supervise a program manager who conducts logistics of FHW education programs sold nationally.
• Manage budget of unit to include people, space, and finances. Participate in budget reporting and development with leadership.
• Build a unit that acts as a team to provide seamless support to FHW educators and programs.
• Provide continuous learning and improvement opportunities for program development and evaluation team members.

Manage Support FHW Scholarship through resource generation (10%)

• Write, secure, and implement grants, contracts, and other resource generation to implement and test innovative programs and initiatives at FHW.
• Actively work with other team members to seek grants, contracts, and other resources to help support and supplement their work.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree by time of application in evaluation, adult education, sociology, family social science, human development, public health, community psychology, or a related field.
• Six (6 years) of related experience including management experience.
• Demonstrated experience applying or integrating research-based knowledge into program design, delivery, and evaluation across a variety of educational platforms.
• Three years of supervisory experience
• Demonstrated ability to work equitably with community partners representing diverse, limited-income individuals, families, and communities.
• Knowledge of broader health approaches to promote policy, system, and environmental changes and to improve access to programmatic opportunities.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating the efficacy of culturally relevant educational resources.
• Demonstrated ability to report evaluation and applied research processes and results to peers, practitioners, partners, and community members.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD by time of appointment in evaluation, adult education, sociology, family social science, human development, public health, community psychology, or a related field
• Evidence of strong national networks and national reputation around program development and evaluation.
• Established a portfolio of peer reviewed publications based on evaluation or applied research findings.
• Experience utilizing quantitative and qualitative data analytic tools.
• Comprehensive understanding of the demographic layout of the state of Minnesota, including opportunities and needs as well as potential partners to our research and programmatic efforts.
• Demonstrated success in securing and administering grants and contracts.
• Financial management experience
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Skilled with Microsoft and Google Suite applications
• Demonstrated skills in developing and managing a team of professionals, and handling conflict.

Additional Requirements:

• Valid driver’s license and own means of transportation with required liability insurance.
• When not in the assigned office location, employees must be reachable with a mobile number at the employee’s own expense. That number will be published in the Extension staff directory.
• Ability to work on computer for prolonged periods of time.
• Must have reliable internet if/when working outside of assigned office location.
• Must be able to travel to conduct evaluations and provide in-person evaluation consultations. Travel (mostly in-state) is necessary to perform the responsibilities of this position.
• Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule, including occasional evening or weekend work with overnight stays.
• This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship.

APPOINTMENT/SALARY/BENEFITS

1. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE) Professional and Administrative appointment at the level of Education Program Manager 3 (#9342M3). This position is a 12-month appointment, and annually renewable pending the availability of funds, performance, and project needs. The position will be located on the St. Paul campus with option for hybrid work.
2. University of Minnesota appointment and benefits apply.  Benefits package available here: https://hr.umn.edu/Jobs/Applicant-Center/About-Working-U/Benefits-Summaries-Prospective-Employees.
3. Reimbursement for travel and subsistence is available in accordance with University policy. Must provide own means for traveling throughout the county/state and legally required vehicle insurance.
4. Salary is commensurate with experience. Estimated range is $85,000 – $95,000.

ABOUT EXTENSION

University of Minnesota Extension is a major outreach arm of the University of Minnesota with a mission to serve the public through applied research and education. Our mission is to make a difference by connecting community needs and University resources to address critical issues in Minnesota. Extension strives to attract and retain high-quality, passionate employees, and weave diversity, equity and inclusion into all aspects of Extension’s programming and employee engagement. Find further information at www.extension.umn.edu.

TO APPLY

Please apply at: https://extension.umn.edu/about-extension/careers, Job Opening ID: 356971